A form of Lamarckian inheritance

[The Mind of the Cells by Mirra Alfassa (the Mother) has no relevance for biological research, as it is a spiritual and philosophical work, not a scientific one. Her concepts are not based on empirical evidence, the scientific method, or the mechanisms of molecular biology, and they are not testable by modern scientific standards. 

What the Mother meant by "the mind of the cells"

Mirra Alfassa, the spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo, practiced a form of yoga focused on the transformation of the physical body. The phrase "mind of the cells" refers to her personal, subjective experience of a cellular consciousness that she believed could be altered through her yogic practice. 

Key tenets of this concept include:

A "new biology": The book, written by her follower Satprem based on her experiences, details a quest for a "cellular consciousness" that could enable a new phase of human evolution.

A spiritual, not physical, mechanism: Alfassa believed her spiritual discipline could produce a physical transformation in her body, a "willed mutation" of the human species. This is described as a spiritual-evolutionary phenomenon, not a biological one.

A non-scientific approach: The narrative presents her experiences as a "fairy tale" or "detective-biology" of the next species, openly distinguishing itself from scientific materialism and conventional biological laws. 

Why it is not relevant for biological research

From a scientific perspective, the Mother's ideas about "the mind of the cells" are classified as philosophical or religious, for several key reasons:

Lack of empirical evidence: There is no experimental or observational data to support the existence of a cellular consciousness that can direct its own evolution.

Violation of established science: The concept directly contradicts the neo-Darwinian model of evolution, which is based on random genetic mutations and natural selection. Instead, it posits a form of Lamarckian inheritance, where epigenetic changes are consciously induced and inherited, for which there is no evidence.

Subjective experience vs. objective measurement: Biological research relies on objective, repeatable experiments and empirical evidence. The Mother's accounts are subjective, mystical experiences that cannot be measured or tested scientifically.

Unsupported claims: Some spiritual claims, such as plants being conscious or having a nervous system, have been directly addressed and refuted by established plant neurobiology and physiology. Scientific research shows that plant sensitivity to chemicals like anesthetics is a side effect of their own protective metabolic processes, not an indication of consciousness. 

While the Mother's work is a significant document within the spiritual and philosophical context of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Integral Yoga, it is not a credible source for scientific inquiry into cellular biology.] - GoogleAI