— by Chelsea Carson —
Having gathered now for our third online Conversation, the response to our developing deeply-rooted community has been inspiring. Expanding on our first two discussions on “How Connecting with an Animal Can Help Us Heal the Earth,” we joined together on July 26th for a heart based discussion on the nature of consciousness and how it relates to animal intelligence and our connection to nature. Susan talked about how we may begin to integrate non-human living beings unique intelligences and wisdoms into our journey forward. Having just returned from the Institute for Noetic Sciences conference she weaved topics and experiences from the weekend into our conversation. If you were unable to join us, the recording is available below.
We are often caught interpreting consciousness as intelligence, and believing intelligence derives only from the brain. This way of thinking deprives us of experiencing the connections and relationships which happen beyond the human mind. In this Conversation we touched on how regarding all life as sacred allows us to feel the inner wisdom of animals, plants, and nature.
As we erase the barriers to our awareness of life outside ourselves we begin to feel how interconnected everything is, and how our actions cascade through levels of relationships throughout living systems. When we give our complete attention to another living being a transmission occurs. One participant while sitting on her porch talked about how natural awareness began to seep in. She felt the world alive with morning birds, busy insects, and vibrant life underground. She moved her foot and an insect flew off that she hadn’t even noticed, suddenly realizing that the insect was an alert being.
Some topics which arose were; What are the ways we connect deeply to non-human living beings? What messages may we be missing through the distractions of everyday life? How does it feel to give your full attention to another being? How do we talk about these experiences?
With each Conversation we are fueled with more passion to keep these discussions going. They are guided organically by your responses, so your questions, topics, and suggestions are important. We are working to build a loving, creative “Council of All Beings.” Join us at the next Conversation on August 16, 2017 6:00pm MST. The registration link will be posted soon on our home page “Conversations” block.
Chelsea Carson, a graduate student at Idaho State University, is a volunteer at Earthfire Institute. She is helping to build education and outreach capacity with the goal to increase environmental stewardship and community service.
“How Connecting with an Animal Can Help Us Heal the Earth” Continued—Conversation 3 from Earthfire Institute on Vimeo.
