Losing Connection to the Living World

Once the Universe becomes a machine, no longer alive, once human beings are defined as the only intelligent life-form, a unique
kind of isolation enters human lives, a kind of loneliness that
is unprecedented in the history of human habitation of Earth.

It is a source of many of the emotional pathologies people struggle with. In addition, people begin to judge themselves internally, to identify their level of value according to how much or how well they think.

Any internal expressions, perceptions, or thoughts that come from older epistemologies—that are based primarily on feeling or intuition or aliveness in the Universe—they label unscientific, irrational, unreasoning, or illogical. Such thoughts and perceptions, it is assured, have less value, are based on improper assumptions about the nature of reality, and are therefore something to be discounted, dismissed, degraded.

This dynamic has become so ingrained that people routinely monitor and censor perceptions that are contrary to universe-as-machine. And so people cut themselves off from the Universe in which they live; they become passengers on a ball of semimolten rock hurtling through the Universe.

They internally denigrate and deny their most basic experiences of the livingness of the world in which they live, their connection to it, and the importance of that connection. The interior wound.

Read more: Spirit, Nature & Wildlife, Self-Help

Adapted from The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines to Life on Earth, by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Copyright (c) 2002 by Stephen Harrod Buhner. Reprinted by permission of Chelsea Green Publishing Co.
Adapted from The Lost Language of Plants: The Ecological Importance of Plant Medicines to Life on Earth, by Stephen Harrod Buhner.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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LMj S.

9:51PM PST on Jan 3, 2013

Thank you.

January 3
send a green star

9:50PM PST on Jan 3, 2013

Bonnie M.

10:06PM PDT on Jul 25, 2012

Isolation can be a state of mind. Some can just not connect with the world- any living thing- a pet, a flower, nature are all part of this earth- alive and nurturing. At this point, one should really seek some professional help. One who chooses a reclusive lifestyle does not mean there is no connection wiht the living world. With our world as busy as it is, how can one not feel a connection-unless they are disconnected within themselves.

July 25
send a green star

Teresa F.

7:51AM PDT on Jul 23, 2012

sometimes a lose connection with people but the connection with the earth and the animals and the plants are important to me, sometimes people only connect with people they forget that we are all part of this earth.

July 23
send a green star

Pat T.

9:52PM PDT on Apr 23, 2008

The plants,animals and I chat all the time. It is the most lovely and natural feeling which the Native Americans
have taught us. In gratitude to the 4 directions,the sky,the earth,two leggeds,four leggeds,no leggeds,all beings in all realms of creation. Dr. Pat

April 23
send a green star

9:51PM PDT on Apr 23, 2008

Peace M.

4:33AM PDT on Apr 12, 2008

Another book which reads on this topic is A New Earth- Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle.
The current state of "civilised society" can be traced upon its dis-connection to life around us; as stated above and goes on to say in order to become one with all means to recognise the life with all which surrounds us, the One unifying spirit that is.
It is important to remember that things are neither good nor bad, but how we, ego perceive them.

April 12
send a green star

Megan J.

9:58PM PDT on Apr 11, 2008

Yes, yes, yes!...Creation Spirituality, all earth-based religions, modern quantum physics, shamans and wise women, plant devi, Findhorn - the list goes on! We are part of a proundly beautiful, living systen called Earth; we have just forgotten that. And the forgetting has led us into so much disconnection and despair. Watch the plants and animals and do not question who you are. They KNOW they are ok; they do no questioning of that. We have to remember who we are - before it's too late and we destroy just that which gave us birth and nurtures us.

April 11
send a green star

Robyn L.

1:47PM PDT on Apr 11, 2008

Joseph Chilton Pierce is my favorite speaker/ author on the subject. He is especially brilliant at communicating the incredible intuition in children and how it is lost overtime, replaced by the acute logical processing of today's adult mind.