Lifestream The Lifestream , also known as Spirit Energy , is an ethereal substance that streams beneath the surface of the planet of Gaia introduced in " Final Fantasy VII " . When within the Planet , it is shown as many separate bands of green - white fluid flowing as a whole . In several places , such as Mt . Nibel and Mideel , Mako Springs shoot out of the ground , creating a local spectacle . The concept of Lifestream was one of the earliest ideas envisioned for " Final Fantasy VII " , as it was already in place in Hironobu Sakaguchi ' s first story draft , which was drastically different from the final story eventually completed mainly by Yoshinori Kitase and Kazushige Nojima . Sakaguchi has noted the game ' s central theme of " life " dating back to when his mother passed away while he was working on " Final Fantasy III " ( uncertain whether the interview is referring to " Final Fantasy III " or " Final Fantasy VI " ) , after which he always wanted to explore the theme of " life " in a " mathematical and logical way to overcome the mental shock . " Profile . The Lifestream is green or blue effervescent and luminescent liquid substance that exists on the inside of the Planet . In liquid form it is mainly stagnant , and forms pools of Mako . When active , Lifestream appears in waves or threads and can erupt through the ground . Earthquakes may reveal large deposits of pure Lifestream . The exact structure of the inside of the Planet is unknown , as it appears in places like Cave of the Gi that aside from the Lifestream , the Planet also holds within itself magma . In places where the Lifestream is close to the surface it may rarely erupt from fountains that become known as Mako Springs , and coalesce into Materia . Areas abundant in this type of energy are known as being especially verdant . Coming into direct contact with pure Lifestream is hazardous for living beings , however , as one ' s mind can collapse in a phenomenon known as Mako poisoning . The Cetra were a race of people who had a special affinity with the Lifestream and were able to control it to an extent , and thus became the ones to cultivate the life on the Planet . The Cetra called being in communion with the Lifestream as " talking to the Planet " . Lifestream is referred to as the life of the Planet itself , and it may be sentient in that an entity known as Minerva appears to represent the will of the Lifestream . The essence and afterlife . 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 . Depictions of how this happens vary : in " Final Fantasy VII " the dead remain on the physical plane , and the existence of cemeteries in places like Gongaga further suggests the bodies do not simply vanish when the soul returns to the Planet ; however , in " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " the dead disappear by dispersing into light , although it is implied they were " called " by a spirit already in the Lifestream . In " " entities constructed of Lifestream disperse into threads of it upon death , and this matter flows into the sky rather than directly returning to the inside of the Planet . Lifestream acts as an afterlife for the conscious spirits of the Planet ' s inhabitants . Certain souls remain sentient after having returned to the Planet , and gain control of the Lifestream , becoming able to affect the physical plane from within it , and even able to communicate with those still living . Those who die and hold a resilient will and attachment to the living world in a place of negative disposition can return as ghosts and evil spirits . The novella " Hoshi wo Meguru Otome " 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 the sinful remain intact and must exist with the knowledge they cannot find absolution because of their actions . Aerith Gainsborough helps many of these people , including Dyne and Biggs , Wedge and Jessie , find peace , and allows them to approach atonement . As the Planet ' s immune system . Spirit Energy is the Planet ' s immune system , flowing to and healing scars . If the Planet is in danger of being destroyed , it summons the Omega to destroy the remaining life on the Planet so it returns to the Lifestream , and takes the Lifestream itself , launching into the cosmos to find a new planet on which life can exist . The life energy of a planet returning to the cosmos upon the planet ' s destruction is also a concept in " Final Fantasy IX " . Mako and Materia . The Shinra Electric Power Company devised a way to refine the Lifestream into an electricity supplier , erecting Mako Reactor s around the world to extract the Spirit Energy from under the Planet ' s crust . Shinra called this energy source " Mako " . Shinra discovered that injecting humans with pure Mako enhances their abilities , and created an elite warrior class called SOLDIER using Mako - enhanced humans injected with Jenova cells . However , over - exposure to Mako causes Mako poisoning . Because the Lifestream is the source of life to the Planet , depleting the energy this way atrophies the area surrounding Mako Reactors . This is most evidenced at Midgar , where the Midgar Wasteland is barren of life . The air and water in Midgar are polluted , although it may be the pollution of the reactors themselves and not a result of the Lifestream being drained . When Mako energy is condensed , Materia is produced . Materia allows the holder to access the Lifestream ' s knowledge and power and channel it , manifesting as " magic " . Most of the time , Materia is artificially produced by forcibly condensing Mako , but at a few places , such as Mt . Nibel , natural Mako springs create natural Materia . It is never established if there is a difference between artificial and natural Materia besides their production . Meteor and Holy . The White Materia is used in a last - ditch attempt to cleanse the world of anything threatening it with the ultimate protective magic , Holy . Some believe that even humans and animals are liable to be destroyed by Holy if they are judged a danger to the Planet . Opposing the White Materia is the Black Materia , which can summon the ultimate destructive magic , Meteor , to critically wound or even destroy the Planet . During " Final Fantasy VII " , Sephiroth recovers the Black Materia and calls Meteor , his plan to wound the Planet so deep the Lifestream would gather to heal it . Sephiroth plans to place himself at the center of the gathering and absorb the spiritual energy and become a god . Cloud Strife and his allies kill Sephiroth before Meteor falls , and Holy emerges to fight it off . The Meteor ' s gravity so close to the Planet causes Holy ' s energy to be too unfocused , and Aeris calls upon the Lifestream to push Meteor back , giving Holy enough time to gather its full power and destroy Meteor . The ultimate fate of the White and Black Materia is unknown . The White Materia was last seen in the lake under the Forgotten City , while the Black Materia was last seen in Sephiroth ' s hands in the Northern Crater before it collapsed . If either Materia exists after the events of " Final Fantasy VII " , it is unknown if they still have any power . Negative Lifestream . When the Lifestream burst from the Planet to save the world from Meteor , Sephiroth ' s spirit in it remained , and Jenova ' s remnants spread over the Planet , infecting many with the fatal disease Geostigma . Two years later , in " Final Fantasy VII : Advent Children " , the Remnants of Sephiroth plan a second Jenova reunion using children afflicted with Geostigma . It is hinted that the Remnants are made up of " negative Lifestream " tainted with Jenova ' s cells , and they can summon Shadow Creeper s from this dark Lifestream . Kadaj acquires Jenova ' s head and Sephiroth is reborn , explaining that , when those infected with Geostigma die , their tainted Spirit Energy will return to the Planet , and Sephiroth will use his influence over Jenova to take control of the Lifestream . Sephiroth summons the negative Lifestream over Midgar during his battle with Cloud , but once he is defeated , it fades . It is unknown what happened to the negative Lifestream afterwards , though " Case of the Lifestream - White " mentions that Aerith would heal the spirits that make it up , presumably causing it to diminish , if not outright disappear . In " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " the Omega Report s state that a naturally occurring deposit of similar Lifestream ( termed " terra corrupt " ) was found in Lucrecia ' s Cave . How such deposits are created is not stated , but it is mentioned as being stagnant , and implied in " Hoshi wo Meguru Otome " and " Case of the Lifestream Black " that certain emotions in a spirit prevent it from flowing properly . This Lifestream forms a being known as Chaos . Musical themes . " Lifestream " is the second track of disc 3 of the " " . It plays during multiple scenes at Cosmo Canyon Observatory when Bugenhagen explains about the Planet and the Lifestream . Its motif also plays at the very beginning and very end of the game , when Aeris ' s face appears surrounded in a green glow . Other appearances . " Final Fantasy XIV " . The spirit energies in the aetherial realm of Hydaelyn are called " Lifestream " . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy " . The Lifestream appears as the Battle Music Sequence for " J - E - N - O - V - A " . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call " . The Lifestream returns as the BMS for " J - E - N - O - V - A " . Origin . Many world cultures contain beliefs of a natural force that transcends all life . Japan ' s native religion , Shinto , purports that all things have souls . In traditional Chinese culture , " qì " is an active principle forming part of any living thing and is frequently translated as " natural energy " , " life force " , or " energy flow " . The Lifestream is also an iteration of the ancient Hellenic philosophical concept of the Absolute or the World - Soul , an infinite wellspring of spiritual energy . All human beings possess a fragment of it which returns upon death . The description of the Lifestream ' s afterlife is also consistent with Neo - Platonic belief . This concept of the Absolute would , over a millennium later , become part of Jewish Kabbalist belief , which factors heavily into the game . All living things contribute to the overall soul of the Planet after they depart and " return to the Lifestream " . The Planet breeds new life from this soul in a process similar to reincarnation .