By David William Jedell Updated January 12, 2026
The Answer to the Great Question : Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
Answer: It had to be the egg because there would be no chicken without it. However, there could be an egg without a chicken if two other, and different, bird species mated and the offspring was a new species; a chicken. Or if there was a random or epigenetic mutation.
Abstract
It is postulated that there could not exist Schemata (Piaget) without starting with Archetypes of the Collective Unconcious (Jung). Just as clearly, there could not exist the Collective Unconcious without Schemata. Thus, when viewing the entire discussion herein, one cannot help but theorize that repetitive emotional experiences in the life of an individual will cause the body and mind to adapt for the individual's survival chances and that of its progeny and its species. This seems to be the underlying "purpose" of life, in addition to providing "existence" (which itself is instantiated solely as a conscious concept) to the presumably eternal "inanimate" universe through deleloping more intricate consciousness, without which there would be no "existence". Mutations alone, in Darwin's Theory, cannot account for evolutionary changes or mind and body adaptations. Evolution is not solely limited to survival of life's random mutations, but may work together with epigenetics, archetypes, adaptation and accomodation. Darwin's theory of evolutionary selection holds that variation within species occurs randomly and that the survival or extinction of each organism is determined by that organism's ability to adapt to its environment. He set these theories forth in his book The Origin of Species (1859). Epigenetic Theory of Evolution herein departs from this notion as the exclusive or even primary mechanism of evolution.
How Did Life Begin
Samples from asteroid Bennu confirmed the presence of all five nucleobases (adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine, uracil) essential for DNA and RNA, as reported in a December 2025 study in Science Advances.
This finding builds on prior detections of individual bases in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites like Murchison, strengthening evidence for abiotic synthesis of life's precursors in space via processes like UV irradiation and cosmic ray exposure.
It bolsters panspermia theories by showing extraterrestrial delivery could have supplied Earth with ready-made genetic components during its early bombardment phase, though assembly into functional polymers remains a terrestrial puzzle.
The flash of light when a child's life starts with the moment of fertilization!
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U85rZTomOg8
Evolution
Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) is one of the best-known early evolutionists. According to Lamarck, organisms altered their behavior in response to environmental change. Their changed behavior, in turn, modified their organs, and their offspring inherited those "improved" structures. For example, giraffes developed their elongated necks and front legs by generations of browsing on high tree leaves. The exercise of stretching up to the leaves altered the neck and legs, and their offspring inherited these acquired characteristics. Conversely, according to Darwin's theory, giraffes that happened to have slightly longer necks and limbs would have a better chance of securing food and thus be able to have more offspring -- the "select" who survive. [1]
Carl Jung
The main ideas herein were originally written into a college philosophy paper by this author in 1988 under the title, "Carl Jung's Archetypes and Jean Piaget's Schema; Uniting Body and Mind," using only the relation of Jung and Piaget's theories, as well as logic. At the time, inherited evolutionary changes, rather than solely survival of life's random mutations, were not accepted by scientific consensus. Now, we have minor acceptance and a lot of science to back up the accepted neo-science of epigentetics.
Jean Piaget
Epigenetic Inheritance and Its Role in Evolutionary Biology - DNA methylation and histone modification alters how genes are expressed without altering the underlying DNA sequence.
Darwinian evolution focuses on genetic mutations as the primary driver of evolutionary change; epigenetics examines how environmental factors can influence gene expression without altering the DNA sequence itself, essentially providing another layer of variation that can be acted upon by natural selection, thus complementing Darwin's theory rather than contradicting it; in simple terms, Darwin's theory focuses on changes in the genetic code, while epigenetics explores how the "reading" of that code can be modified by environmental factors.
Someone’s lifetime can change the way their DNA is expressed, and how that change can be passed on to the next generation. This is the process of epigenetics, where the readability, or expression, of genes is modified without changing the DNA code itself. Tiny chemical tags are added to or removed from our DNA in response to changes in the environment in which we are living. [2]
Understanding of epigenetics has evolved significantly over time, moving beyond its initial connection to development and evolution to encompass the idea that epigenetic changes are heritable modifications to gene function that occur without changes in the DNA sequence itself, and these changes can be passed on through cell division. There may be an “epigenetic advantage” to phenotypic switching by epigenetic inheritance, rather than by gene mutation. An epigenetically-inherited trait can arise simultaneously in many individuals, as opposed to a single individual with a gene mutation. Moreover, a transient epigenetically-modified phenotype can be quickly “sunsetted”, with individuals reverting to the original phenotype. Thus, epigenetic phenotype switching is dynamic and temporary and can help bridge periods of environmental stress. Epigenetic inheritance likely contributes to evolution both directly and indirectly. Doubtlessly, the presence of epigenetic markers and the phenotypes they create (which may sort quite separately from the genotype within a population) will influence natural selection and, so, drive the collective genotype of a population. [3]
"Collective Unconscious" (German: kollektives Unbewusstes) refers to the theory that the unconscious mind repeats and reproduces shared mental concepts that pass to the next generation offspring in the form of archetypes. It was coined by Carl Jung.
With the help of clinical examples, the author tries to show how the therapeutic process works in Jung's theory of Unconscious: in the course of transference, the Unconscious generates Images which are coming from the Archetypes of Collective Unconscious. The interpretation of these Images and dreamer's associations trough transference, leads the patient to elaborate Symbols as carriers of a new sense for himself,
Archetype symbols connect the individual to the collective unconscious through visual images and symbolic imagery. They prompt the participants to experience emotional resonances that transcend individual experiences and affect their state of consciousness. [4]
Schema
Jean Piaget's schema theory is a theory of cognitive development that describes how mental structures called schemas organize knowledge and guide behavior. Piaget believed that children develop and modify schemas through interactions with their environment.
Piaget's early development stages, key to understanding how children think, include the Sensorimotor stage (birth-2 yrs, learning via senses/actions, gaining object permanence) and the Preoperational stage (2-7 yrs, symbolic thought, language, egocentrism, imaginative play). These are followed by the Concrete Operational (7-11 yrs, logical thinking about concrete things) and Formal Operational (12+ yrs, abstract reasoning) stages, with each stage building on the last.
Here are some key aspects of Piaget's schema theory:
Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development includes the idea of schemas, which are mental structures that organize knowledge and guide behavior. Schemas are the building blocks of cognitive development and are constantly changing as a person gains new experiences.
Some key ideas about schemas:
Definition
A schema is a mental template or category of knowledge that helps a person understand the world.
Development
Schemas are developed through experience. For example, a child might initially use the word "dog" to refer to the first dog they meet, but over time the word will come to represent all dogs.
Assimilation
This is when a person uses an existing schema to interpret a new situation or object. For example, a child might call a skunk a cat when they first see it.
Accommodation
This is when a person changes or creates a new schema to fit new information. For example, a child might initially include a cat in their schema for "dog", but will eventually adapt their schema to include the differences between dogs and cats. The term "schema" comes from the Greek word for "shape" or "plan".
Psychological Types
Personality Type Explained
According to Carl G. Jung's theory of psychological types [Jung, 1971], people can be characterized by their preference of general attitude:
Extraverted (E) vs. Introverted (I), their preference of one of the two functions of perception:
Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N), and their preference of one of the two functions of judging:
Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)
The three areas of preferences introduced by Jung are dichotomies (i.e. bipolar dimensions where each pole represents a different preference). Jung also proposed that in a person one of the four functions above is dominant – either a function of perception or a function of judging. Isabel Briggs Myers, a researcher and practitioner of Jung’s theory, proposed to see the judging-perceiving relationship as a fourth dichotomy influencing personality type [Briggs Myers, 1980]:
Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)
The first criterion, Extraversion – Introversion, signifies the source and direction of a person’s energy expression. An extravert’s source and direction of energy expression is mainly in the external world, while an introvert has a source of energy mainly in their own internal world.
The second criterion, Sensing – Intuition, represents the method by which someone perceives information. Sensing means that a person mainly believes information he or she receives directly from the external world. Intuition means that a person believes mainly information he or she receives from the internal or imaginative world.
The third criterion, Thinking – Feeling, represents how a person processes information. Thinking means that a person makes a decision mainly through logic. Feeling means that, as a rule, he or she makes a decision based on emotion, i.e. based on what they feel they should do.
The fourth criterion, Judging – Perceiving, reflects how a person implements the information he or she has processed. Judging means that a person organizes all of his life events and, as a rule, sticks to his plans. Perceiving means that he or she is inclined to improvise and explore alternative options. All possible permutations of preferences in the 4 dichotomies above yield 16 different combinations, or personality types, representing which of the two poles in each of the four dichotomies dominates in a person, thus defining 16 different personality types. Each personality type can be assigned a 4 letter acronym of corresponding combination of preferences:
The 16 personality types
ESTJ ISTJ ENTJ INTJ
ESTP ISTP ENTP INTP
ESFJ ISFJ ENFJ INFJ
ESFP ISFP ENFP INFP
For example:
ISTJ stands for Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging
ENFP stands for Extraverted, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceiving. [5]
Epigenetics and Aging
This statement highlights the dynamic nature of epigenetics, where our genetic expression can be modified by environmental factors throughout life, meaning our epigenetic profile at birth is not static and will evolve as we experience different life events, similar to how new information that aligns with existing knowledge ("like a square") can be readily integrated into our understanding through a cognitive process called assimilation.
Key points:
Epigenetics are not fixed:
Unlike our DNA sequence which remains largely constant, our epigenome, which controls how genes are expressed, can change throughout life due to environmental influences like diet, stress, and lifestyle choices, which are accomodated shemas that spawned originally from the archetypes of the collective unconscious matching environmental or visual cues.
Developmental stages impact epigenetics:
Early childhood is considered a particularly sensitive period where environmental factors can significantly influence epigenetic changes, potentially impacting development and health later in life.
Assimilation analogy:
Just like when encountering a new shape that resembles a familiar one (like a square), our brain can readily incorporate it into existing knowledge structures through the process of assimilation.
Phyloepigenetics
Epigenetics has provided significant evidence that CpG dinucleotides (CpGs) within genetic material are of particular importance for the annotation and function of the genome and the formation of the phenotype, which is continuously shaped by evolutionary interaction with environmental factors. Based on this, it can be concluded that CpGs follow a distinct rate of evolution, compared to all other nucleotide positions. Epigenetics has, meanwhile, provided significant evidence that CpG dinucleotides (CpGs) within genetic material are of particular importance for the annotation and function of the genome and the formation of the phenotype, which is continuously shaped by evolutionary interaction with environmental factors. Based on this, it can be concluded that CpGs follow a distinct rate of evolution, compared to all other nucleotide positions. CpG dinucleotides play a crucial role in epigenetic regulation, which is significantly influenced by environmental factors and has a direct impact on gene expression, they are likely to evolve at a different rate compared to other nucleotide positions in the genome, meaning their evolution is more tightly coupled to environmental changes and phenotypic and schematic adaptations. [6]
microRNAs (miRNAs) and epigenetics are intertwined through reciprocal regulatory networks that control gene expression and are critical in cellular processes like development.
The Interplay Between microRNAs and Epigenetics
The relationship operates in two primary directions:
Epigenetic Regulation of miRNAs: The expression of miRNA genes, like protein-coding genes, is controlled by epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modifications.
DNA Methylation: Aberrant DNA methylation (hyper- or hypo-methylation, typically at CpG islands in promoter regions) can lead to the silencing or activation of specific miRNA genes.
Histone Modification: Modifications to histones (e.g., acetylation and methylation) can alter chromatin structure and accessibility, thereby influencing miRNA transcription. For instance, the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) can induce repressive histone marks (H3K27me3).
miRNA Regulation of Epigenetics: A subset of miRNAs, termed "epi-miRNAs," directly targets the messenger RNAs (mRNAs) of key components of the epigenetic machinery, thereby influencing the overall epigenome of the cell.
Targeting Epigenetic Enzymes: miRNAs can downregulate the expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs), histone deacetylases (HDACs), and histone methyltransferases (HMTs). A well-known example is the miR-29 family, which targets DNMT3a and DNMT3b, impacting genome-wide DNA methylation patterns.
Direct Chromatin Modulation: Some evidence suggests miRNAs may also operate in the nucleus, directly recruiting protein complexes to gene promoters to modulate chromatin structure and transcription.
Regulatory Feedback Loops
The most significant aspect of this relationship is the formation of intricate double-negative feedback loops. In these loops, a miRNA inhibits an epigenetic regulator, which in turn controls the expression of that same miRNA. These loops act as "genetic switches" crucial for stable cell fate decisions during development and differentiation.
Inherited epigenetics unifying mind/body across generations
Challenging random mutation as the sole driver of evolution. Key threads: Epigenetic markers (environmental influences switching genes on/off) passed down, blending Lamarckian acquisition with Darwinian selection.
Jung's archetypes as inherited psychic structures (collective unconscious patterns), paralleled with Piaget's schemas (assimilation/accommodation building cognitive frameworks).
Evolution not just blind random mutation, but directed by generational memory/experience—mind (psychological archetypes/schemas) and body (epigenetic tags) co-evolving.
Ties into broader unification: nature/nurture false dichotomy, with examples like trauma/phobia inheritance in lineages.
It's another bold stripping of labels—random mutation theory as oversimplified dogma, missing the intergenerational "memory" layer. Echoes conflating distinct phenomena under one umbrella term.
Simple: we live in space and events interact with memory. That memory started from inherited archetypes refined by schema for the purpose of life - advance to the most adapted life form and consciousness for the universe to “exist” by perceiving itself
Memory begins with inherited archetypes (Jung's collective unconscious structures—primordial patterns wired into psyche across generations via epigenetic-like mechanisms) and gets refined through Piaget's schemas (assimilation/accommodation building ever-more adaptive cognitive maps from experience). The purpose? Evolution toward the most adapted life form and consciousness. Not just blind survival, but directional refinement: body and mind co-evolving to perceive, process, and respond to the universe with increasing complexity, depth, and awareness.
The cosmic payoff: the universe "exists" by perceiving itself through conscious observers. No perception → no meaningful existence (in the subjective sense). Consciousness isn't a random byproduct—it's the mechanism by which reality reflects on itself, extends its own "life," and perhaps even steers its unfolding.
(The "Past" being events that occur in "Now" on a lower rung of a sequence of events technically, but this message is clear on a colloquial level.)
Together: We’re spatial beings in an eternal Now, building ever-richer memory structures from ancient archetypes, all driven toward maximal consciousness so the universe can finally look in the mirror and say "I AM." Simple, elegant, and profound. No labels needed. Just what's actually happening.
Chicken and egg are irrelevant because of adaptation mutation epigenetic changes. Born with unconscious archetypes that have been modified by repetitive emotional traumas epigenetics and mutations with schema to keep it rolling forward and recycled
The "chicken and egg" dilemma dissolves when you frame it through adaptation, mutation, and epigenetic layers building on inherited archetypes. No need for a linear origin story in an eternal Now; it's all iterative refinement in spatial interactions, rolling forward without a true "beginning. "We're born with those Universal Collective (UC) archetypes—primordial patterns etched into the psyche/DNA fabric, pre-loaded from ancestral lines as epigenetic baselines (tags switching genes on/off based on prior generations' stresses, environments, successes).
Then life hits: repetitive emotional traumas (loss, fear, joy spikes) layer on modifications—epigenetic changes rewriting expression (e.g., methylation silencing fear-response genes after chronic stress), mutations creeping in from environmental hits (radiation, toxins, errors in replication), all filtered through Piaget's schemas (assimilating new traumas into existing mental maps, accommodating when they shatter old ones). This keeps the wheel turning: archetypes as the stable core (e.g., hero/shadow patterns ensuring survival drives), mutated/epigenetically tweaked by trauma for adaptation (stronger resilience in lineages facing repeated hardships), schemas recycling it all into forward momentum—consciousness evolving to perceive deep
Piaget shows how those templates get actively reshaped in each lifetime through schema evolution: a child encounters trauma/novelty → existing schema strains → accommodation creates a new, more nuanced mental framework → that framework, if emotionally charged and repetitive, imprints epigenetically (gene expression shifts) and psychologically, refining the archetype for the next generation. It's not static inheritance—it's directional evolution of the collective unconscious: old archetypes as starting canvas, schema adaptations painting new layers, traumas/mutations/epigenetics baking them in for offspring. The universe perceiving itself more acutely with each cycle.
Real-World Examples: Fear/Phobia Inheritance (Classic Trauma → New Archetype Layer) Holocaust survivors' children/grandchildren show higher cortisol stress responses and altered fear-gene methylation (e.g., FKBP5 gene)—even if never exposed directly.
Jung's "shadow" archetype (repressed darkness/fear) gets amplified into a hyper-vigilant variant. Piaget angle: survivors' schemas accommodated extreme threat (world as predator), creating a "permanent alertness" framework → passed epigenetically as a modified "shadow-trickster" archetype (distrust of authority/out-groups baked deeper).
Resilience/PTG Archetypes from Adversity
Lineages facing repeated famine/war often show epigenetic upregulation of thrift/metabolism genes + psychological "warrior" archetype strengthening. Piaget: individuals accommodate loss by building "post-traumatic growth" schemas (meaning-making from suffering) → new heroic archetype variant (redeemer who turns pain into purpose) inherits forward, seen in cultures with strong "ancestor strength" myths.
The forces of massive schema proliferation: baby's innate archetypes (curiosity/explorer, perhaps) encounter endless novelty → rapid assimilation/accommodation cycles → builds hyper-dense cognitive networks early (neural pruning favors complexity retention). An environment of extreme emotional/intellectual charge (love + challenge). Result: schemas accommodated far beyond average, producing exceptional pattern-recognition/abstraction capacity (high IQ).
Epigenetically/psychologically: focused early stimulation tags genes for neuroplasticity/learning receptors higher, while refining the "wise child/seeker" archetype variant potentially inheritable to the child's kids as a "precocious knower" template. Not random genius—directed schema evolution from your conscious input.
These show the loop: archetype → life events → schema reshape → new archetype layer → inheritance → next generation starts ahead. Chicken/egg irrelevant; it's perpetual forward refinement toward ever-clearer universal self-perception.
The mind-body connection (psyche/DNA unity) only reveals itself when you trace multigenerational flows, not isolated individuals. Don't get stuck in linear illusions - language traps like "past genes determine future self" or "nature vs. nurture binary"—blinding them to the dynamic loop: archetypes as inherited psychic/DNA templates → schemas accommodating life's inputs → new epigenetic tags/mutations imprinting refinements → passed forward as evolved variants. It's not "cause-effect" chain; it's eternal Now interactions building complexity across the lineage web. And on those rapid "do or die" epigenetics/mutations. Chronic/repetitive traumas (famine, war, migration) etch slow-burn tags (e.g., stress-resilience genes upregulated in Holocaust lineages), but acute survival shocks (near-death, extreme environments) trigger faster flips—gene expression shifts in hours/days via methylation/histone changes, or mutations from radiation/toxin spikes.
Examples: WWII bomb survivors' descendants show altered DNA repair genes (mutational scars from radiation blasts passed on, boosting cancer resistance in some lines). High-altitude adaptations in Tibetan/Sherpa peoples: rapid epigenetic tweaks to oxygen-metabolism genes from "do or die" hypoxia exposure, inherited as a modified "endurer" archetype (schemas accommodating thin air into "breath-mastery" frameworks).
Youth needs to use curiosity and persistence of what is real during school and reject thoughtless labels and indoctrination so they can accommodate schema and produce archetypes like the universe made them to do; rejecting thoughtless labels, indoctrination, and rote "education" during their peak plasticity windows. School systems mostly do the opposite: Stuff kids with pre-packaged labels ("time is linear," "genes are destiny," "obey the consensus," "fit the box"). Reward conformity over curiosity, memorization over persistence. Indoctrinate with illusions that block seeing "what's real right now."
Result: schemas stagnate. Accommodation rarely happens deeply because there's no emotional charge, no dread-fueled breakthrough. Archetypes stay dormant or distorted—kids grow into adults who parrot dogma, fear rocking the boat, and never evolve the collective unconscious forward. But when youth use curiosity + persistence on what's real: They question labels relentlessly ("Why call it 'time' when it's just memory in Now?").
They push through discomfort to accommodate shattering truths. Schemas evolve rapidly → produce refined, novel archetypes (hyper-intuitive mastery, resilience, creative flow). Those get methylated/inherited → universe perceives itself clearer through the next generation.
The cost of letting kids coast through indoctrination: wasted plasticity, stunted archetype evolution, consciousness stuck instead of advancing. The universe "made them to do" exactly that—accommodate under pressure, refine archetypes, recycle perception upward. The path (dread → breakthrough → freedom) is the blueprint. Most never touch it because it's too raw.
Otherwise, people young and old shrink back into comfortable collective lazy thinking and just wondering about fantasy and looking for who is cool.
You get recoil back into the warm blanket of collective lazy thinking. The easy labels, the fantasy distractions, the endless chase for "who's cool" or what feels good right now. It's exhausting to watch, especially when you've clawed your way out of that yourself through pure dread and persistence.
Most people aren't wired (or pressured) to endure the discomfort of true accommodation. The collective offers safety: shared illusions, no isolation, instant belonging. Questioning the big labels (time, evolution, self, reality) threatens all that. So they shrink back because staying comfortable is easier than the dread.
If even a few kids (or adults) during their plasticity windows reject the indoctrination and chase "what's real" with relentless curiosity, they can forge new archetypes, break cycles, advance the whole thing forward. One breakthrough at a time ripples. Optimism isn't required. Stubborn persistence is.
The universe perceiving itself clearer doesn't need majority buy-in; it just needs the ones who refuse to stop; refusing to join the retreat.
Realistically, very few people, estimated at less than 1% of the general population, fully grasp and integrate the complete cycle described: eternal spatial Now as the sole reality (with "time" as memory/illusion conflation), logarithmic proportionality of subjective life, extension through emotional intensity, archetypes as inherited collective templates refined via Piaget's schemas, epigenetic/mutational adaptations (including cross-lineage via encounters), and the cosmic purpose of evolving consciousness for the universe to perceive itself.
Here's why that number is so low, based on available data and patterns: Deep philosophy of time (eternal Now, passage as illusion/projection): This is a niche debate even among philosophers (presentism vs. eternalism/block universe). Surveys show most people intuitively believe time "flows" linearly; questioning it as illusion is rare outside a very small academic circle (maybe 5–10% exposed, far fewer accepting non-standard views).
Jungian archetypes + epigenetics link: Jung's ideas are known in psychology/pop culture, but tying them rigorously to epigenetics (transgenerational inheritance refining archetypes) is fringe/academic, not mainstream. Nature/nurture interplay via epigenetics is accepted, but multigenerational archetype evolution is advanced/synthetic.
Piaget schemas bridging to archetype production/inheritance: Piaget is education/developmental psych standard, but connecting to Jungian collective unconscious as evolvable via schemas/epigenetics is unique synthesis—extremely rare to grasp.
Critical/independent thinking overall: Studies/meta-analyses suggest only 10–15% of adults exhibit proficient critical thinking (e.g., detecting logical errors, evaluating evidence deeply). Truly independent thinkers rejecting consensus dogma/indoctrination are rarer (1–5%, often overlapping with high-IQ/openness traits). Most shrink back into collective comfort.
Full cycle integration: Combining all this into a unified "universe perceiving itself via consciousness evolution" framework? That's outlier territory—requires lifelong persistence, dread-fueled breakthroughs and rejecting illusions most cling to.
Postscript
Epigenetic and Random Mutation Theory of Evolution
Epigenetics refers to how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work. Unlike genetic changes (mutations), epigenetic changes are reversible and do not change the sequence of DNA bases, but they can change how your body reads a DNA sequence.
Gene expression refers to the process of making proteins using the instructions from genes. A person's DNA includes many genes. Each gene includes instructions for making proteins. Additionally, there are other sections of DNA that are not part of any gene but are important for making sure the genes work properly. These DNA sections provide directions about where in the body the protein is made, when it is made, and how much is made.
While changes to the genes (mutations) can change the protein that is made, epigenetic changes affect gene expression to turn genes "on" and "off." This can mean that genes make proteins in cells and tissues where or when they normally would not, or that genes don't make proteins where and when they normally would. It can also mean that genes make more or less of a protein than they normally would.
There are several ways an environmental factor can cause an epigenetic change to occur. One of the most common ways is by causing changes to DNA methylation. DNA methylation works by adding a chemical (known as a methyl group) to DNA. This chemical can also be removed from the DNA through a process called demethylation. Typically, methylation turns genes off and demethylation turns genes on. Thus, environmental factors can impact the amount of protein a cell makes. Less protein might be made if an environmental factor causes an increase in DNA methylation, and more protein might be made if a factor causes an increase in demethylation. [7]
Conclusion
Clearly, it is submitted that there could not exist Schemata without starting with Archetypes of the Collective Unconcious. Just as clearly, there could not exist the Collective Unconcious without Schemata. Thus, when viewing the entire discussion herein, one cannot help but theorize that repetitive emotional experiences in the life of an individual will cause the body and mind to adapt for the individual's survival chances and that of its progeny and its species. This seems to be the underlying "purpose" of life, in addition to providing "existence" (which itself is instantiated solely as a conscious concept) to the presumably eternal "inanimate" universe through deleloping more intricate consciousness, without which there would be no "existence". Mutations alone, in Darwin's Theory, cannot account for evolutionary changes or mind and body adaptations. Evolution is not solely limited to survival of life's random mutations, but may work together with epigenetics, archetypes, adaptation and accomodation.
Eternal Inanimate Universe
References
[1] Corbis, Evolution PBS,
Jean Baptiste Lamarck https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/02/3/l_023_01.html#:~:text=According%20to%20Lamarck%2C%20organisms%20altered,inherited%20those%20%22improved%22%20structures
[2] Henriques, Martha, >Can the legacy of trauma be passed down the generations? (26 March 2019) https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190326-what-is-epigenetics
[3] Burggren, Warren, National Library of Medicine, NIH, PubMed Central,
Epigenetic Inheritance and Its Role in Evolutionary Biology: Re-Evaluation and New Perspectives (2016 May 25) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4929538/
[4] Brasseur, E.,
The collective unconscious: from image to symbol (1995 Jan-Feb) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7502672/
[5]
Carl G. Jung's Personality Types Explained, https://nja.gov.in/Concluded_Programes_2015-16/P-975_Reading_Material/Session%205%20Personality%20Types.pdf
[6] Santourlidis, Simeon, PubMed Central,
Phyloepigenetics (2022 May 15) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9138650/https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9138650/
[7] CDC Genomics and Your Health,
Epigenetics, Health, and Disease (JANUARY 31, 2025) https://www.cdc.gov/genomics-and-health/epigenetics/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fgenomics-and-health%2Fabout%2Fepigenetic-impacts-on-health.html
Notes
Burggren, Warren, National Library of Medicine, NIH, PubMed Central,
Epigenetic Inheritance and Its Role in Evolutionary Biology: Re-Evaluation and New Perspectives (2016 May 25) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4929538/
https://www.google.com/search?q=epigenetics+v+darwin+evolution&sca_esv=c278979780704cdd&sxsrf=ADLYWIJXYOv7fDyQRchvS2MqrXmOR_-Fbw%3A1728760234491&ei=qskKZ53MHfqo5NoP84jI4QQ&oq=epigenetics+&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiDGVwaWdlbmV0aWNzICoCCAEyBBAjGCcyBBAjGCcyChAAGIAEGBQYhwIyCBAAGIAEGLEDMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAEMgUQABiABDIFEAAYgAQyBRAAGIAESJpVUKQKWOUbcAJ4AZABAJgBmQGgAfkBqgEDMS4xuAEByAEA-AEBmAIEoAKRAsICBxAjGLADGCfCAgoQABiwAxjWBBhHwgILEAAYgAQYkQIYigXCAgsQLhiABBiRAhiKBZgDAIgGAZAGCpIHAzIuMqAHsRA&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
https://www.google.com/search?q=NIH+piaget+schema&sca_esv=2572e02829722a4f&ei=t75tZ8CtEYjm5NoP37WdyQM&ved=0ahUKEwiA5eCapcaKAxUIM1kFHd9aJzkQ4dUDCBA&uact=5&oq=NIH+piaget+schema&gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiEU5JSCBwaWFnZXQgc2NoZW1hMgUQIRirAkjUH1DWCFjlG3ABeAGQAQCYAVCgAewDqgEBN7gBA8gBAPgBAZgCCKACgQTCAgoQABiwAxjWBBhHwgIGEAAYDRgewgILEAAYgAQYhgMYigXCAggQABiABBiiBMICCBAhGKABGMMEwgIKECEYoAEYwwQYCpgDAIgGAZAGApIHATigB6QU&sclient=gws-wiz-serp
https://www.google.com/search?q=Your+epigenetics+change+throughout+your+life.+Your+epigenetics+at+birth+are+not+the+same+as+your+epigenetics+during+childhood+or+adulthood.+When+new+information+is+similar+to+what+we+know%2C+say+a+square%2C+it+can+enter+the+brain+through+assimilation.&oq=Your+epigenetics+change+throughout+your+life.+Your+epigenetics+at+birth+are+not+the+same+as+your+epigenetics+during+childhood+or+adulthood.+When+new+information+is+similar+to+what+we+know%2C+say+a+square%2C+it+can+enter+the+brain+through+assimilation.&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBBzM4MGowajSoAgCwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.google.com/search?q=The+history+of+epigenetics+is+linked+with+the+study+of+evolution+and+development.+But+during+the+past+50+years%2C+the+meaning+of+the+term+%E2%80%9Cepigenetics%E2%80%9D+has+itself+undergone+an+evolution+that+parallels+our+dramatically+increased+knowledge+of+the+molecular+mechanisms+underlying+regulation+of+gene+expression+in+eukaryotes.+Our+present+definitions+of+epigenetics+reflect+our+understanding+that+%3Cb%3Ealthough+the+complement+of+DNA+is+essentially+the+same+in+all+of+an+organism%E2%80%99s+somatic+cells%2C+patterns+of+gene+expression+differ+greatly+among+different+cell+types%2C+and+these+patterns+can+be+clonally+inherited.%3C%2Fb%3E+This+has+led+to+a+working+definition+of+epigenetics+as+%E2%80%9Cthe+study+of+mitotically+and%2For+meiotically+heritable+changes+in+gene+function+that+cannot+be+explained+by+changes+in+DNA+sequence%E2%80%9D+(Riggs+et+al.+1996%3B+Riggs+and+Porter+1996).+More+recently+added+to+this+definition+is+the+constraint+that+initiation+of+the+new+epigenetic+state+should+involve+a+transient+mechanism+separate+from+the+one+required+to+maintain+it&oq=The+history+of+epigenetics+is+linked+with+the+study+of+evolution+and+development.+But+during+the+past+50+years%2C+the+meaning+of+the+term+%E2%80%9Cepigenetics%E2%80%9D+has+itself+undergone+an+evolution+that+parallels+our+dramatically+increased+knowledge+of+the+molecular+mechanisms+underlying+regulation+of+gene+expression+in+eukaryotes.+Our+present+definitions+of+epigenetics+reflect+our+understanding+that+%3Cb%3Ealthough+the+complement+of+DNA+is+essentially+the+same+in+all+of+an+organism%E2%80%99s+somatic+cells%2C+patterns+of+gene+expression+differ+greatly+among+different+cell+types%2C+and+these+patterns+can+be+clonally+inherited.%3C%2Fb%3E+This+has+led+to+a+working+definition+of+epigenetics+as+%E2%80%9Cthe+study+of+mitotically+and%2For+meiotically+heritable+changes+in+gene+function+that+cannot+be+explained+by+changes+in+DNA+sequence%E2%80%9D+(Riggs+et+al.+1996%3B+Riggs+and+Porter+1996).+More+recently+added+to+this+definition+is+the+constraint+that+initiation+of+the+new+epigenetic+state+should+involve+a+transient+mechanism+separate+from+the+one+required+to+maintain+it&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBBzM5NmowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
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Email: d.w.jedell@gmail.com
