I've been living through an intention during the last two years, which is reconnecting people with nature. This intention manifests in different ways, and I talk quite a lot about the story of separation and the disconnect evident in our lives today. And your post resonates with me a lot! I realize that by using reconnect as a word for the work we as humanity need to do, we may fall into the same narrative of separation that we try to move away from. Of course, all relationships are always present, whether we see them or not. So, the essence of reconnection is to actually be aware of these relationships and shift into a mode of reciprocity, care, and love through those. Thank you for this post. It made me start reflecting on this, which I will continue to ponder for a while more 🙏
Thank you 🙏. I am very glad it resonates - especially since you have been working in this field for some time. I think it can be very tricky to make this nuance and distinction and I also see the value that sometimes it might be wise to simply say that we need human-nature connection. At the same time, I do believe that bringing in the time and nuance is super valuable and in today's times, where it's often about quick and effective, these nuances can be a helpful antidote.
Loved your inspiring essay Jessica! For me it brings to mind the proverbial veil of Maya which prevents us from realizing what is already there. As we keep continually piercing the veil through the suggestions you make, we have a chance to see the reality of oneness.
Love your description of ‘relational being’. This linked nicely with notions of the ‘meta-relational’ in Outgrowing Modernity: Navigating Complexity, Complicity and Collapse with Accountability and Compassion by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira.
Vanessa describes eight meta-dispositions “that enable us to engage with the complexity, uncertainty, relational flows, and vibrational pulses of life itself.”
“Each meta-disposition fosters a reflexive and integrative perspective, helping us attune to the ways relational dynamics ripple through and transform scales, contexts, and dimensions. This perspective allows us to participate more fully in the vibrancy of relational life, engaging with complexity not as a problem to solve but as a shared field to navigate with humility, curiosity, and courage.”
I like the concept of relational vs connected to the non-human world. That feels right right in terms of taking this concept out of the cerebral and into an aligned action. From something static to dynamic. But it doesn’t feel either/or as much as one is necessary before the other. It’s hard to act responsively to an understanding of our relationship to the natural world without first having the concept of interconnectedness, which alone is something that many people haven’t comprehended before.
`Each moment, we are drawing boundaries—or choosing not to—forming as specific patterns of relation. Quantum physics tells us we are fundamentally entangled with the world at the most basic level of reality.`
Indeed, and it gets better. If you dig into this more, at least with the right authors, you'll find that the connection, while there and important, it's the interactions that constitute what we experience as phenomenal reality. We only experience electrons, atoms, the agglomerations of them we call humans and everything else because of the interaction.
To me, that seems like a strong parallel to your point about the relation vs the connection. Your particles may be quantum entangled with those of a space whale in the Andromeda Galaxy, but you have until you interact via that connection, pfft.
And I from you! Also, I realized I could/should have mentioned the other weird thing down in the quantum weeds: particles aren’t really particles or waves (at least not in the wave-particular duality way). They’re just vibrations (or excitations, as the physicists say) of the cosmic quantum field. Makes one feel pretty ephemeral! But you always have the relations and interactions. And there are some really beautiful metaphors to be mined from that, I think.
There is often a call to the past when people assert the importance of reconnecting with the earth, our neighbors, and even ourselves. A past that is often foreign and literally unattainable, as nothing can (or arguably should) be again as it once was. This is utterly paralyzing. And it is often a misnomer because if a connection has never been felt, how does one even try to begin re-establishing it? I appreciate your take on this; instead, we can view this as a relationship one can slowly build upon--a new way to relate to the earth, our neighbors, and, perhaps most importantly, ourselves.
There is often a call to the past when people assert the importance of reconnecting with the earth, our neighbors, and even ourselves. A past that is often foreign and literally unattainable, as nothing can (or arguably should) be again as it once was. This is utterly paralyzing. And it is often a misnomer because if a connection has never been felt, how does one even try to begin re-establishing it? I appreciate your take on this; instead, we can view this as a relationship one can slowly build upon--a new way to relate to the earth, our neighbors, and, perhaps most importantly, ourselves.
I've been living through an intention during the last two years, which is reconnecting people with nature. This intention manifests in different ways, and I talk quite a lot about the story of separation and the disconnect evident in our lives today. And your post resonates with me a lot! I realize that by using reconnect as a word for the work we as humanity need to do, we may fall into the same narrative of separation that we try to move away from. Of course, all relationships are always present, whether we see them or not. So, the essence of reconnection is to actually be aware of these relationships and shift into a mode of reciprocity, care, and love through those. Thank you for this post. It made me start reflecting on this, which I will continue to ponder for a while more 🙏
Thank you 🙏. I am very glad it resonates - especially since you have been working in this field for some time. I think it can be very tricky to make this nuance and distinction and I also see the value that sometimes it might be wise to simply say that we need human-nature connection. At the same time, I do believe that bringing in the time and nuance is super valuable and in today's times, where it's often about quick and effective, these nuances can be a helpful antidote.
Loved your inspiring essay Jessica! For me it brings to mind the proverbial veil of Maya which prevents us from realizing what is already there. As we keep continually piercing the veil through the suggestions you make, we have a chance to see the reality of oneness.
Thanks Bobby.
Love your description of ‘relational being’. This linked nicely with notions of the ‘meta-relational’ in Outgrowing Modernity: Navigating Complexity, Complicity and Collapse with Accountability and Compassion by Vanessa Machado de Oliveira.
Vanessa describes eight meta-dispositions “that enable us to engage with the complexity, uncertainty, relational flows, and vibrational pulses of life itself.”
“Each meta-disposition fosters a reflexive and integrative perspective, helping us attune to the ways relational dynamics ripple through and transform scales, contexts, and dimensions. This perspective allows us to participate more fully in the vibrancy of relational life, engaging with complexity not as a problem to solve but as a shared field to navigate with humility, curiosity, and courage.”
Thanks. And thanks for the tip.
I like the concept of relational vs connected to the non-human world. That feels right right in terms of taking this concept out of the cerebral and into an aligned action. From something static to dynamic. But it doesn’t feel either/or as much as one is necessary before the other. It’s hard to act responsively to an understanding of our relationship to the natural world without first having the concept of interconnectedness, which alone is something that many people haven’t comprehended before.
Hey Erik, I agree - it’s messier than I describe it here. 🖤
`Each moment, we are drawing boundaries—or choosing not to—forming as specific patterns of relation. Quantum physics tells us we are fundamentally entangled with the world at the most basic level of reality.`
Indeed, and it gets better. If you dig into this more, at least with the right authors, you'll find that the connection, while there and important, it's the interactions that constitute what we experience as phenomenal reality. We only experience electrons, atoms, the agglomerations of them we call humans and everything else because of the interaction.
To me, that seems like a strong parallel to your point about the relation vs the connection. Your particles may be quantum entangled with those of a space whale in the Andromeda Galaxy, but you have until you interact via that connection, pfft.
🖤 Thanks Cary, always learning from you.
And I from you! Also, I realized I could/should have mentioned the other weird thing down in the quantum weeds: particles aren’t really particles or waves (at least not in the wave-particular duality way). They’re just vibrations (or excitations, as the physicists say) of the cosmic quantum field. Makes one feel pretty ephemeral! But you always have the relations and interactions. And there are some really beautiful metaphors to be mined from that, I think.
That's a good distinction.
Wise!
🖤
There is often a call to the past when people assert the importance of reconnecting with the earth, our neighbors, and even ourselves. A past that is often foreign and literally unattainable, as nothing can (or arguably should) be again as it once was. This is utterly paralyzing. And it is often a misnomer because if a connection has never been felt, how does one even try to begin re-establishing it? I appreciate your take on this; instead, we can view this as a relationship one can slowly build upon--a new way to relate to the earth, our neighbors, and, perhaps most importantly, ourselves.
There is often a call to the past when people assert the importance of reconnecting with the earth, our neighbors, and even ourselves. A past that is often foreign and literally unattainable, as nothing can (or arguably should) be again as it once was. This is utterly paralyzing. And it is often a misnomer because if a connection has never been felt, how does one even try to begin re-establishing it? I appreciate your take on this; instead, we can view this as a relationship one can slowly build upon--a new way to relate to the earth, our neighbors, and, perhaps most importantly, ourselves.