Lifestream
From Final Fantasy Wiki
The Lifestream, also known as Spirit Energy, is an ethereal substance called Mako that flows in streams just beneath the surface of the Planet. When seen beneath the Planet, it is shown as many separate bands of green-white fluid flowing as a whole. In several places, such as Mt. Nibel, Mako Springs shoot out of the ground, creating a local spectacle.
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[edit] Nature
The Lifestream contains the essence of the Planet and the memories, emotions, and knowledge of all who have lived on it. Portions of the Lifestream are believed to be used to create new life on the Planet, and the energy of a person returns to the Planet when they die, bringing with it the emotions, memories, and knowledge they obtained during life. It is referred to many times as the life of the Planet itself, and acts as an afterlife for the conscious spirits of the inhabitants of the Planet, as well as a sort of immune system for the Planet, flowing to and "healing" scars in the Planet.
If the Planet is in danger of being utterly destroyed, the Planet summons the Omega WEAPON, which destroys the remaining life on the Planet so that it returns to the Lifestream, and takes the entire Lifestream itself, launching into the cosmos to find a new planet on which life can exist.
The story Maiden Who Travels the Planet expands on the purpose of the Lifestream, equating it to an afterlife with a concept of Heaven and Hell. Those who led good lives join with the Lifestream and their minds fragment and join the collective, while those who were sinful remain intact and must exist with the knowledge they cannot find absolution because of their actions. Aeris Gainsborough is able to help many of these people, including Dyne and Jessie find peace and allow them to come closer to atonement.
[edit] Storyline
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
[edit] Mako Energy
The Shin-Ra Electric Power Company devised a way to refine the Lifestream into a continuous electricity supplier, posting Mako Reactors around the world to extract the Lifestream from under the Planet's crust. Because the Lifestream is the source of life to the Planet, depleting the energy in this way causes the area surrounding Mako Reactors to wither and die. Shin-Ra also discovered that injecting soldiers with pure Mako enhances their abilities, and began creating an elite warrior class called SOLDIER using Mako-enhanced humans. Using crystallized Mako stones, Materia can also be refined from the Lifestream, connecting people to the Planet and allowing them to use its energy in magic and special abilities.
[edit] Meteor
Two ultimate Materia were created by the Planet itself, White and Black Materia, which could both save and destroy the world respectively. Black Materia can summon Meteor, an ultra destructive force, while White casts Holy, which brings the energy from the Lifestream to defend the Planet from any destruction. When Holy fails, Aeris directs the Lifestream to burst from the Planet and fight off Meteor from the outside, allowing Holy to succeed.
