The Gaia hypothesis (/ËɡaÉŞ.É™/, /ËɡeÉŞ.É™/, /ËɡaÉŞËĘŚ/), also known as the Gaia theory or the Gaia principle, proposes that living organisms interact with their inorganic surroundings on Earth to form a synergistic and self-regulating, complex system that helps to maintain and perpetuate the conditions for life on the planet.