Eco-Neotene

Part of humans' survival advantage is a prolonged development period in which we remain neotenous-- open to acculturative imprinting from experience and instruction.  Therefore we can be fitted to survive in novel circumstances.  And on into maturation we can remain neotenous to the extent of being able to recognize and respond creatively to and learn from novel challenges.  Many cultures do everything they can to suppress neoteny after the essential early molding is accomplished. But in the West, particularly, constant innovation requires permanent neoteny, as we have created a culture, and thus a world, in permanent revolution-- with catastrophic consequences impending.  But we can use our neoteny to respond creatively to the challenges and remake ourselves, as needed, to counter the catastrophe, with help from the best in us: Eco-Self.  We need to remain neotenous, even protean, to find and make ourselves what we must be, for the survival of Life.  We must retain our maturing phase, toward post-adolescent transformation, to quickly evolve to a higher level of complex integration so that we can remake our species to stop the destruction-- in short, we must adapt or go extinct, along with much else of the Biosphere.

The Drygand, of course, is the messianic-millennial culture-hero shaman-prophet representing the Eco-Self, whose role is to inspire the neotenous creative genius by which we can effectively respond to the crisis.

Neoteny= retention in adults of traits characteristic of the young: physiological, anatomical, and/or mental; delayed or partial maturation.