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Continued from Page
Three
"I trust my
inborn senses more than I trust a mathmatical definition in relation
to being absolutely true."
An archive of University
of California at Santa Barbara student responses and interactions
in the webstring Natural
Systems Thinking Process Orientation
Course on the internet.
Student names are witheld to
protect their privacy and safety.
Course title:
Psychological
Elements of Global Citizenship:
The Science of Connecting With the Web of Life, the Art of Thinking
With Nature
Topic: The application of psychological principles
to our disconnected relationship with nature and Planet Earth.
"I fully believe in the
statement "I sense therefore I am." I trust the inborn
senses more than I trust a mathematical definition in relation
to being absolutely true. The world in which I know is only the
world that my senses tell me exists. I am completely sure that
when I felt the cold raindrops on my hand last night, they do
exists. While math exists and functions only because someone
created it and said let's use this system. "
"When I was standing outside
last night listening to the rain and breathing the cool moist
air, the sensory inputs I experienced reminded me what is real
and raw. The senses I feel have not gone through any filters
allowing me to feel only certain things. While on the other hand
a mathematical truth is not raw. 2+2=4 because somebody said
it should for the use in a mathematical system, it has value
only because we have assigned and associated that value with
the statement. "
"In thinking about perspective
and how looking at a figure in a different way can dramatically
change what you are seeing I think about the rain again. Rain
can be portrayed as a terribly destructive and problematic force
because it causes floods and can kill many organisms. Just as
well rain is life giving breath for near all, thirsty plants
embrace its appearance. :Again I couldn't agree more that perception
is controlled through these filters of what we are told we see.
If a person can sincerely be convinced to what they are seeing
(like whether the earth is dead or alive) I think they will change
their attitudes towards what they are seeing. If a person truly
believes the earth is a living organism they will treat it differently
than if they believe the organism is dead. "
"I think we learn to relate
to nature from our direct sensory contact with nature rather
than through our culture nature conquering stories. However,
the only way to describe direct sensory experiences is through
the use of our culture's stories. For instance, our culture defines
what green is, so we use that label to describe certain things.
"
"In relation to the experiment
where people ended up liking certain cards based on their frequency
of appearance although the cards were of no value, I don't think
people grow to like the world in which they live. This world
being the life spent 99.9% of the time separated from nature.
I think nature is just as important in the lives of these people
and they are fully capable of enjoying nature despite they rarely
take the time to enjoy it. These people may simply be too caught
up in other things to take the time to enjoy nature. "
"In relation to nature
and the economy, the economy and monetary worth fully drive our
perceptions of nature. I think this is the reason why nature
is exploited to make a profit all the time. Unfortunately for
nature, this train of thought is very harmful. "
"Our perceptions are drastically
altered by what we are told to see. To do away with this slandered
perception we should partake in raw sensory experiences where
sensory input has no time to be filtered. This is why I like
nature so much, direct sensory input and most of the time the
results are overloading and I walk away from the experience with
a smile from ear to ear."
"In relation to how my
destiny may be influenced by how we have learned to separate
ourselves from nature and its values I am trying to change my
ways and break away from the socially conditioned way of life.
It seems that at a very early age we are conditioned to be consumers,
and to grow up and get a job and make money irrespective of the
taxing results on nature. In this way we are distanced from nature,
but I am trying to return and care more about reducing my impact
on the environment while enjoying it at the same time. "
"I have to maintain that
my identity is very much shaped by how I fit into the community
of which I live. This does leave me open to influence by the
non natural world. But I have to say that the non natural world
is the only way in which I know how to communicate and function
in my community. My experiences that I need to communicate may
stem from raw sensory inputs but none the less I only know how
to convey such inputs through the words I have been taught properly
describe what I just felt. So I wonder where the "stories"
that society has told us stop and how to get by without them."
"I really like your insight
in relating "I sense therefore I am" to non human objects.
As you pointed out if we use the "story" that anything
non human does not think, then we could do whatever we please
to them. But as this course teaches us we should use more than
the five senses, and therefore near all objects are then existing
or can say "I am." Great insight, I hadn't thought
in this way before in relation to "I sense therefore I am."
" I returned to the beach
to experience At first, i merely tried to connect what i had
read on the website to what i could see in nature. i tried to
find webstrings. when i saw a bird flying high above the coastline,
i wondered how it knew where it was going. I then realized that
nature doesn't "know" things in the way that we do.
it was a webstring that gave the bird its direction, so high
above me in the endless sky."
"I then focused on what
i was attracted to. I enjoyed watching the tide come in as it
caught rays of light from the sunset. I was also attracted to
the calls of the sea gulls on the beach. i began to realize that
the tide was part of a "cycle"- the tide pools would
soon vanish, the birds would have to leave the feasts they had
found there. "
"Once i stopped analyzing
what i was seeing, i started exploring the rock i was sitting
on the way i had when i was a kid. it had fossils in it, and
as i began to examine it more, i realized that it was alive!
Seaweed tumbled off it in brilliant green festoons, and in the
pools hermit crabs scurried about. I touched one of the sea anenomes
with my finger- something i loved to do as a kid. a white little
animal squirmed around- i had never seen one before. it was a
great discovery: to know that i didn't know everything and that
i don't need to know some things 'label' or 'story' to enjoy
it. "
"I had forgotten how much
FUN it was to explore those tide pools of my youth! it had been
one of my favorite past times... and i had forgotten all about
it. or maybe not forgotten- it had just been suppressed by my
subconscious. my experience at the beach reawakened these sensations
of joy that i used to find in connecting with nature. perhaps
i had dismissed these feelings as being childish without even
realizing it. i was so joyful to feel those connections again,
to revive them and now know that i still have them! i want to
spend even more time at the beach now. i think that if other
people spent the quality time there like i did, i'm sure they'd
regain some of their sense of connectedness as well. i now believe
that this is some of the great appeal of surfing- why many surfers
are deeply emotionally involved in the activity. "
"The more time i spent
there, the more i felt like i was truly a part of it- i belonged
there, it was a part of me. i rarely ever felt so much like i
belong, even when i am with the people i love. i now realize
that true self-realization can only occur in nature (or as some
part of it). and that by realizing self-being in this way is
key in connecting with and relating to other people. i am already
experiencing how this course is going to improve my relationships
with other people greatly! i am beginning to appreciate them
much more."
"Reality is constituted
by how we perceive it, and that we have been taught to control
nature, so that is what we have done. I like to think of issues
related to these by way of an analogy. We have been disconnected
from nature and taught to control it for so long that our true
connection to nature has no longer become recognizable. This
is like if I were to only use my right arm in all of my activities.
After a while, the left arm would atrophy to the point where
it would no longer function as a working muscle, and it could
not perform the tasks for which it was designed. Our relationship
and inherent connection to nature, for many of us, has atrophied.
What we must do is exercise this muscle, and if we do so, I see
no reason why we cannot yield gains on the scale of what a one-armed
man would gain upon receiving an operational second arm. "
"I need to be more of
a leader than a follower, when I have an idea I need to follow
my heart when it is the right thing to do. I also need to be
more articulate in the way I voice my opinions about what is
wrong with society today. Lastly I really need to spend some
time in nature in order to get myself back online. "
"I don't think the activity
enhanced my self worth just my desire to go someplace really
remote in nature and contemplate my existence. I wholeheartedly
trust nature to show me the way in life."
"The activity reeducated
my desire to stand up for what I think is right. There are so
many times I don't do the easy things I should to help the environment.
I feel like the lawn situation where I use the pesticides but
still know they are bad."
"I especially found Leslie's
comments on the need for Northern California and winter. I also
Loved Janeanne's comments on the rain, it rarely rains in Tahoe
but when it does I love to go outside and get dreanched. I noticed
that the after rain smell wasn't present here though (major bummer).
In Tahoe after a rain there is this smell of freshness; it is
one of my favorite things."
"I have long waged a battle
regarding what attracts me in my yard and the labels others place
upon what I choose to have growing. I love overgrown, wild looking
yards and I am not fussy about specific plants. Once a neighbor
became so offended that I did not maintain a proper lawn that
they built a huge fence to block out my "jungle".
"It's very true that we
are influenced more by our labels than we are by the objects
themselves. I am aware of the fallen maple leaves upon the ground.
The "story" is that these leaves are now dead and should
be raked. Yet I am attracted to their color, a wide variety of
golds and pale greens, rusts, even burgundy. I love the rustling
sound they make when I walk on them. I appreciate the insulation
they provide for the plants during heavy freezes. However, the
people who prize LAWNS find these forms offensive in their own
yards. I know people who want to cut down a beautiful tree in
their yard because in the Fall the leaves "mess up"
their lawn. "
"The messages from these
sections make sense to me because I am already used to thinking
this way. I already have a mind set that allows me to turn off
labels and go with nature attractions.This course helps to address
the question: Is it possible for someone who buys into the manipulated
thinking process to shift their mind set so that they can appreciate
nature for what it communicates directly without labels?"
"Without a conscious effort
to connect with nature I believe that my nature separated upbringing
will force me to always feel like a stranger on earth. What I
am learning through this course is that it doesn't have to remain
that way. It's like those stars on the screen. When I'm not aware
of the sensory strands, nature is played out for me as if projected
on a flat screen for my entertainment. However with a connection
to the sensory strands, the nameless connections, nature becomes
a place within which I feel embraced. "
"Who am I? Before this
exercise I would have quickly answered: Artist, teacher, friend,
student etc. Now I'm not sure how to use words without them sounding
like labels. Electro-magnetically charged, carbon based, bio-chemical
entity? That sounds like I was manufactured in a laboratory or
belong on an episode of THE X-FILES. Yet, that could also describe
the tree I see outside the window and the birds I hear singing.
Although inadequate, it brings me closer to an identity that
makes me feel that I am connected to, not separate from nature.
While i find such an exploration of identiy comforting, I am
aware that many, many people would find that sort of identification
with nature as opposed to superiority over nature, to
be offensive."
"I enjoyed reading your
posts very much and found several areas where I felt a connection
to your ideas and experiences.v
"It's great that you are
already introducing this process in conversations with your friends.
Whether they agree or not, at least you are showing them that
there is another way to be in relationship with nature. You make
a good point when you say, "I read about realizing how all
of your actions are made by your choices. And many times we make
the choices without thinking about it." We usually don't
fully realize that our choices have consequences. When we think
more about the consequences, then perhaps we'll make better choices.
"Although I still cannot formulate a definition of the term
webstring, I think I'm beginning to at least understand it."
Nature will teach you about webstrings as you spend more time
listening and being open while in nature. "
"You say "it was
a webstring that gave the bird its direction, so high above me
in the endless sky" Great observation! "it was a great
discovery: to know that i didn't know everything and that i don't
need to know something's 'label' or 'story' to enjoy it."
Sometimes I fall into that "story" about having to
know a thing by it's name. Once I know the name, I stop looking
beyond the label at the real qualities that give the object or
creature it's meaning. I'm glad to hear that these activities
are already returning to you your natural attraction to joy through
being in nature and that this joy carries into your human relationships
as well. "
"That was a great analogy!
It goes a long way to pin point the effect of learning the connecting
with nature process. Thanks for your insights and imagery, There
is a voice in me that sounds like Karen's. Now it is becoming
more important that I find ways to express that voice. I enjoy
the sense of expanding the dimensions in my life through connecting
with nature. I am beginning to have an idea that not only do
I reach out to nature with sensory strands, nature also perceives
me as well. I am re-thinking the question "Who am I"?
Creating an identity that connects me more fully to the earth
than only what I do."
"It felt good to confront
the fact that I allow myself to earn money in what are often
nature disconnected ways. My sense of self worth is enhanced
because I also recognize that I can learn how to be more of an
advocate for the earth even within the job I have now. I believe
that my trust in nature to guide this process is increasing and
that the more connected I become to sensory strands, the more
I will recognize and express them as they present themselves
at work. The activity helped me identify a voice inside me that
I've not expressed much before. "
"Stanley Fish, being a
professor at Yale university, wrote about one of his teaching
experiences. He had two classes on the same day, in the same
room, one preceding the other. One day he wrote an assignment
on the board for the first class that consisted of a list of
authors. He left the list on the board and when his second class
began he informed them that what they saw was a poem and they
were to analyze it. The class did just that, they picked apart
the list forming it into an ancient Christian poem. This was
very interesting to Fish, the few names on the board had transformed
into some unknown author s poetry. All created in the minds of
his students. Fish had no intension of writing a poem on the
board. He wrote an assignment. It was his students that created
the poem. The students were told that what they saw was a poem
so they had no chance to perceive it as anything else. Out of
nothing they created a poem."
"I also realize that I've
been making progress since beginning this course. I'm making
contacts with environmental groups in my area and i am also planning
to present Natural Systems Thinking Process workshop next spring."
"You said to me that you
don't understand what is meant by describing nature with "stories,"
what I meant and have taken from what was in the activity, is
that stories are things that we apply to nature because society
or our culture has taught us to think in this way. For instance
in your segment 1b you wrote that the non human world may possibly
be considered as not alive if using the statement "I sense
therefore I am" because our society has taught us that there
are 5 senses and non humans are incapable of feeling these senses.
But if we abandon this story and think about more than just the
5 senses, all is considered alive."
"I have felt very similar
feelings to those which you expressed when you said that "i
had forgotten how much FUN it was to explore those tide pools
of my youth! it had been one of my favorite past times... and
i had forgotten all about it. or maybe not forgotten- it had
just been suppressed by my subconscious. my experience at the
beach reawakened these sensations of joy that i used to find
in connecting with nature." I like that we can experience
the same emotions that we did as children even though we are
"grown up." All of the knowledge and experiences we
have had since our childhood excursions into nature have not
altered the way we experience nature now. I don't know if this
can be said for many of our experiences outside of nature. It
seems that our connections to nature are not cultivated as we
grow up, rather they can be maintained, but only if we recognize
them and take the time for their necessary maintenance. "
"We often know ourselves
better by our name than by how and what we sense and feel. Our
perceptions can engage you in making parts of the world disappear.
It is difficult to get people to understand something when their
salary depends upon them not understanding it."
"I wouldn't say that these
activities have increased my sense of self-worth or my trustfulness
of nature, but they have definitely opened my eyes. The activities
really make me think and re-evaluate my views. This activity
reminded me that the labels we place on the world shape the way
we know the world to be. It's easy to have preconceptions or
labels. This article reminded me to disregard PRE-judgments,
and not let them effect my views."
"I found so much of this
week's postings attractive. I think the weather really enhanced
our feelings toward nature. I know it did for me. I just love
to listen to the rain. I could really relate to Brandon's comment
about the "after rain freshness". I'm from Southern
California, so I have been spoiled with sunshine, but I love
the rain too. And there's nothing better than the day after a
good rain."
"I read the readings and
associated them to my weekend events with nature...the beach
and being out and about...its been a questioning weekend for
me Its completely weird that society shapes us to trust read
knowledge from a book more than what we experience in daily life."
"Economic status plays
far too important of a role in society. There's not much that
an be done to change that but it is something we need to understand
before being able to evaluate our connections with nature."
"Once a sense is rewarded
it tends to seek that reward again for further gratification"
Isn't this the truth? We want to continually go back to the things
that make us thrive. What if we were no longer able to do so??
I read a quote today that was directed to Roosevelt from a Native
American woman that was along the lines of what are you going
to do when you have used up all the resources in the quest to
make the ideal community, eat your money?? So true if you think
about it..."
"This activity brought
new thought to my mind. it reinforced the fact that it is all
right to get frustrated with the education system as I am currently.
everyone learns things in different ways Just because my perspective
differed from someone else's, mine is no lesser or better than
theirs. We need to learn from each other to all grow together."
"I like the postings for
the variety they provide. I can relate to Jane because i too
have been "under the weather" but just as the weather
here is turning bad i am beginning to feel better...but this
is the weather iI am used to from northern cal...I like fall
and winter. I love feeling provided for. The summary options
were rather enlightening. the more of the reading I did the more
i realized that Itruly do see the word through this sort of "perceptual
filter" which is inherent because of the way I have grown
up. i'm still trying right now to convince myself that this nature
connection isn't just some "crunchy" (as my friend
on the east coast calls us environmental people) mind set that
isn't going to get me anywhere. its only because I have been
taught so much about what is and isn't appropriate fields of
study...but I'm liking this, though its different... a new way
of thinking for me. "
"At first I was considering
the fact that the statement "I think, therefore I am"
was used as an argument for vivisection under the assumption
that animals don't think (at least not in the same way we do).
I thought perhaps an argument for plant and earth destruction
could be made from the "I sense, therefore I am" statement,
but then realized I was thinking in terms of the traditionally
acknowledged 5 senses (do plants usually see, feel, taste, touch
or smell?). With the proposed 53 senses, even rocks must sense.
As far as significant points go, I'd have to agree that, as a
whole, society places too much value on labels of "doctor"
or "lawyer" or whatever. I'm thankful that most people,
once you get to know them, are more that their labels."
"Earth taught me something
after this activity! Possibly unrelated to the reading. I was
looking out at the ocean from atop a cliff where I was doing
some studying, but instead of looking at the waves as waves,
I saw them as moving abstractions. It was as if I was looking
beyond the waves, to see something that was more simple but also
more complex. Very difficult to explain. I walked around staring
at different things for a while with my mouth gaping. (no drugs
involved!) My words don't do this experience justice."
"By thinking about ourselves
as entirely separate from nature, we tend to block out nature
and not give it value in our everyday lives. We are absorbed
in our own lives and tend to ignore anything that "stories"
(like advertising) don't tell us will better our lives. (Maybe
someone should run some ads for nature: try nature now, get chicks/guys,
be the first one on your block!) In ignoring nature, we don't
reap the benefits that connecting with it can yield. We just
pass it by, unseeing, because we are told that it is unimportant."
"The ecopsychology course
has factored into it, somewhat, making me more clearly define
my values to myself."
Continue to Page
Five of this Archive
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Continued from Page
Two
"Obviously
more good experiences in nature add to my strength and spirit.
"
Page Topic: Exploring our good experiences in
nature
"There are many places
I have had life-affirming experiences at, but there is one particular
experience that always stands out for me. It was the day I learned
about the consciousness of rocks. I was at Jenny Lake up in the
Sierra's at sun down. To briefly describe this experience is
to do violence to it, but in short, the lake is a "puddle"
in this great basin carved out by some ancient glacier which
also took away a good third of this mountain peak, leaving it
a "cut away" mountain (like the "Invisible Man"
I had as a kid). As the sun set over the west ridge of this cut
away, the shadow crept along the concave skeleton of the mountain.
I watched this for what seemed a very long time, and then I climbed
up to that zone where the rock slowly gives way to soil and then
forest. I got down on my hands and knees and studied the many
life processes that step by step and ever so slowly turned this
mountain into forest soil--from rock to lichens to rooted plants
to forest canopy. For the first time I had a sense of the loooong
and slow consciousness of the stone people. The whole event was
also backed up by a jammin' forest symphony of woodpecker percussion
and avian arias. The deer were also out for their evening supper.
"
"This experience is a
deep part of my sense of self and my place in the world. That
is why it is the first to pop into my mind when I think of significant
places in my life. "
"Nothing is stronger that
the rock solid base of all life on Earth. Now rocks are not just
rolling around like marbles in my hollow head, but are a stone
foundation for my heart and affinity for the world. Obviously
more good experiences in nature add to my strength and spirit.
"
I have always have had a fascination
with nature. Nature seems to hold so much power and wisdom yet
it is gentle, giving, and loving. Nature is where I base my spiritually.
Within it lies a power that connects all things. Something that
is beyond human thought and reason. It is just pure feeling.
It transends cognitive reasoning and perception. Within nature
lies so much love. To be in the flow of nature is to be at peace.
Through this connection intuitional wisdom can be achieved.
Obviously humans have lost
their connection with nature. I feel that this connection is
key to happiness, understanding of the true workings of the world,
and survival. Humans must understand a new and higher perspective.
To be in the flow of nature is to tap into intuitional wisdom.
Without this understanding of a larger perspective how can any
other endeavor be successful? Our society is in turmoil because
we have lost the love and understanding of nature. We need to
re-immerse ourselves with nature. There is a beautiful and unexplainable
force that connects all things with such fluidity and love. I
hope to someday become in touch with it.
It was interesting learning
about the 53 senses and the strings that connect everything.
I wasn't a wholly new concept to me but it was interesting to
try view and understand the world from a sightly different understand.
The readings really showed me how nature can be such a wonderful
mirror with which to view the self. I'm not sure that it enhanced
my sense of worth or trustfulness of nature. However it was warming
and very thought provoking. It definitely induced a longing the
be within nature and reminded me of how important nature is to
human existence. I enjoyed reading everyone's responses, especially
hearing about people's personal experiences with nature.
"Well, to use the language
of the History of Religions, it was a kratophany--a manifestation
of the sacred in place. I experience the collapsing of thousands
of millennia and even the future into that one tiny place at
the biotic edge of this great garnet bowl--the universe in a
grain of sand and lump of soil. Time and self were absorbed into
place."
"The experience activated
my sense of time, of extension in space, of weight. My sense
of sight, sound, touch, taste, smell and aesthetic. My sense
of breathing. My senses of small and large, near and far, high
and low, then and now, why and how and my sense of where I am
in the cosmos. Most importantly, my sense of being an Earthling.
"
"Without what I've learned
from classes, books, people and TV, I would not have had much
of the context of experience and knowledge of geography, geology,
soil biology, plant biology, astronomy, atmospheric science and
acoustics, hydrology and the many cultural notions of the consciousness
of rocks and mountains. The experience itself, though, did not
come from any of these sources. It came immediately from my full
participation in the moment and the place, such that self, time,
and place we integrated into a singe existence."
"I recognize that the
ability to register and retain attractive sensory contacts with
nature are innate, but I also have learned that we don't notice
what we're not interested in nor remember what we failed to notice.
These things are in there somewhere (that's why hypnotism is
interesting, no?), but if we are not conscious of them, then
they do little good for our physical, spiritual, and social development.
"
"I've been coming to my
own conclusions about "reality" and how things are
only how we perceive them because of what we've been told all
of our lives by society. This applies extremely well in the case
of nature. I was sitting on a bench with a friend of mine the
other day looking at the sidewalk, the grass and a small patch
of some brush that was growing. They were all separated unnaturally
by a gardener who made sure the brush would remain at the same
size, the grass would cross the line, etc. I commented on this
to my friend and he replied with a common response. We discussed
how our attitudes as humans are taught to be that we should dominate
nature when we should really be a part of it. "
"The activities of Part
1B, the different pictures, many of which I've seen before, all
help to see this truth. Reality is simply how you perceive it.
Many times by taking a step back you can see how your previous
view of reality was in some way incorrect, or fogged. I saw one
of these, the old lady who is also the young lady looking away,
in a good book I read about realizing how all of your actions
are made by your choices. And many times we make the choices
without thinking about it."
"At any rate I found this
extremely beneficial and to back up what was only fermenting
in my mind: The world of cities and cut grass with sidewalks
around it isn't natural. I feel something unique and different
in a natural setting. "
"I enjoyed the way this
activity made you think about things and see a lot of things
objectively. I had quite a positive experience with it. Although
I still cannot formulate a definition of the term webstring,
I think I'm beginning to at least understand it."
"I am sure that we may
consider ourselves more ecologically aware and do our part to
help the environment, but we still do our fair share of polluting
whether consciously or not. Yet, we see beautiful sunsets and
sunrises, and feel terribly trustful and comfortable in nature.
For this I am greatly thankful because if nature did not unconditionally
love us, we would be being put through one hell of a time. I
like what you wrote though, keep it up. "
"I would say I reinforced
or reminded myself about the aspects in nature that I really
like. When I think about the many pre-sunrise surfs I have had
I come to think about all the colors that slowly march across
the sky as the sun gets closer and closer to peaking above the
horizon. I love the contrast in colors from the east where bright
gleaming rays of light spear through the clouds and then down
on me providing a little warmth to a chilly morning and then
to the west where the sky fades up from a dark blue along the
horizon into faint hues of pink and purple. These are the things
I enjoy, recognizing the ability of nature to create beauty day
in and day out. And the fact that it is just me and nature out
on these mornings just adds to the specialness of them to me."
"One of the most attractive
experiences I have ever had with nature was climbing to Glacier
Point at Yosemite. It is a four mile hike up 2000 vertical feet,
uphill all the way on steep switchbacks. You never think you
are going to reach the top but when you finally do, you look
over the edge at the whole valley in all of it's majesty. To
say it is breathtaking is an understatement! It is a feeling
that is indescribable and exciting, one that everyone needs to
feel. I hope I will get to experience that feeling many times
in this course."
"I found it interesting
that the other people all seemed so exuberant about the whole
prospect of things. People all seemed to be entering the program
and focusing upon events in their life that connected them to
nature and hoping to capture those feelings more(myself included.)
After further thought I don't want to chase after those feelings,
scrambling for edible fragments of my past, as I do that enough
anyway. I am instead interested in finding new feelings, connections,
webstrings, or whatever that will define the ever-changing and
moving experiences of myself. "
"I too have felt a strong
connection with nature. Some of my strongest feelings of connection
with nature have occurred when I was in the Julian mountains.
It has been there that I have actually forgot about the many
stress's and busy days of life at home and in the city. It has
been there when I have felt as a real part of something and not
just a busy ant doing all his work, separate from everything
else and fighting for himself. My strongest connections have
also occurred at unplanned moments when all of a sudden something
almost magical occurred and I and those around me sensed a closeness
and a spiritualness that I experience on an incredibly rare basis.
Although these experiences are incredible, they are also something
I do not wish to feel all the time as they are defining moments
in my life and incredibly powerful. They mean so much because
of this. "
"This activity mainly
permitted me to realize and reaffirm some of my beliefs about
nature. It reawakened a passion for the outdoors and the mountains
that I had been forgetting about a bit. It excited me more about
the next time I will go to the mountains or some form of nature.
"
"This activity has begun
to enhance my sense of self-worth appreciation of nature. I also
had a revelation as a result!! I have a plant that I keep in
my dorm room, and try to rotate it from my desk to the top of
the microwave (next to the window sill) so it can get some sunlight.
And right after I did the exercise, I realized that the newest
stalks and leaves of the plant were extending and bending toward
the light!! I was very excited about this webstring discovery
in my very own room, but there was no one to share it with who
would take me seriously. My roommate rolled her eyes and my boyfriend
told me that I was wrong, and that this is only a physical/ biological
trait, nothing more. So I'm looking forward to reading all of
your responses to 1A and relating to and learning from your experiences!
"
"I think your example
of the plant's attraction to light is great, and Hristo, your
comments on it were right on. As I see it, if we chose to, we
could simply explain the orientation of the plant toward the
light source as biological and nothing else, and most people
would likely be satisfied with that explanation. But it is no
less true that the plant has an attraction to the light would
not accurately be portrayed simply by looking at it scientifically.
To me, science is no more true than emotions and webstring attractions."
"In regards your rather
disappointing experience with your roommate and her boyfriend
I'd like to point out something. I find that most people are
simply relying on what they've been told to perceive things as.
A lot of times people don't go by what they feel and perhaps
know to be true but simply on what society and everyone else
has told them. For example they might believe nature is simply
a series of biological processes for which we can only take advantage
of in a technological sense. But we can also use it emotionally,
as you've mentioned. At best we can hope to persuade these people
to at least question some of their beliefs, and those who refuse
we can only hope to change through our own example. "
"My most memorable and
important positive experiences in nature come from frequent visits
to the woods, to a fort, in my hometown Austin, TX. In fourth
grade a friend down the street from me built this fort in the
nearby woods, now virtually surrounded by houses, save one strip
not being developed. Deer live in the forest and the other nearby
strips as well. "
"The fort was rather bland,
though well built when myself and a few of my other friends started
regularly going down there to hang out and spend the night. We'd
build campfires and simply have a great time hanging out in the
woods. "
"The fort is simply four
corner stone trees with barbed wire and horizontal logs supported
vertical logs and sticks that make a four cornered open aired
fort. We brought an old couch and a few chairs and it quickly
became my favorite hangout. "
"I think that I enjoyed
the fort so much because there definitely is something inherently
pleasing about being in a natural setting. Especially when I
feel comfortable with my good friends. Whenever we'd go to the
fort, we were almost in another mode, when we'd come back out
to the street it would seem almost foreign, different. The morning
was one of my favorite times at the fort, so we'd spend the night
ceremonially whenever something important happened: leaving for
college, etc."
"I savor my moments in
pure nature, without the presence of the ugly boxes we refer
to as buildings. There's a cold feeling in big cities. My best
experiences in nature were definitely at the fort. I look forward
to going back home and I'm sure I'll go out to the fort with
my friends. "
"When I read it I noticed
it was a lot like Dr. Cohen's lecture and I felt a lot of the
same feelings this time as I did during the lecture. I need to
reconnect with nature I am detached from some of the natural
webstrings I am not detached from all of the natural webstrings.
"
"My soul felt very guilty
for being disconnected from nature for so long. It is excited
and remorseful at the same time. I have to say that starting
this course has inspired a number of emotions in me mostly good
but enough that are depressing to notice. IS ANYONE ELSE FEELING
THIS? I found everyone's' experiences very attractive you all
are very lucky. "
"First of all, I'd like
to promote the use of the word "webstring." I like
it and it appeals to what I conceive of natural attractions.
"
"When I did the activity,
I reflected on my experiences with the beach. As I mentioned
in my intro, I was born and raised in San Diego and have many
personal ties to the ocean. I am very excited about being at
Santa Barbara now because I have a new beach to discover and
experience. The activity made me realize that even though I love
and appreciate nature, I do subconsciously cut and injure webstrings
within and around me. This was somewhat disturbing, and I am
hoping that as the course continues, I will learn ways in which
to stop myself from doing this, as I now am unaware. Another
important thing I learned from doing this exercise was that even
though I fully believe the concept that webstrings are a form
of unconditional love, I have yet to truly experience them in
this way. I also realized that my occasional bouts of undue depression
may be a result of isolation from the web process, as I sometimes
become deeply and sad and troubled without ever having a clear
"reason" as to why. "
"Laurel you wrote that
you never thought of nature loving you back but considered that
all you experience in nature despite of how you act towards nature.
I am sure that we may consider ourselves more ecologically aware
and do our part to help the environment, but we still do our
fair share of polluting whether consciously or not. Yet, we see
beautiful sunsets and sunrises, and feel terribly trustful and
comfortable in nature. For this I am greatly thankful because
if nature did not unconditionally love us, we would be being
put through one hell of a time."
"I have had many incredibly
wonderful experiences in nature, almost all of which have been
in the past 6 or 7 years. I have found that these times draw
me back to them again and again, and as I incorporate these experiences
into myself, I feel better as a person. It is as if I am drawn
to the strength and beauty of nature within me, as well as being
deeply attracted to the natural world around me. I know that
I grow in spirit as a person with each and every natural connection."
"Whether it was our summer
day on the shores of Bow Lake in the Canadian Rockies, or watching
Orcas surface off the coast of San Juan Island, or running through
a sunlit high-mountain pasture after a thunderstorm in the San
Juan Mtns of Colorado, the experience brought me peace. My sensory
attractions were to the colors of earth and sky, the feel of
the wind, the warmth of the sun, the sounds of the Orcas, the
aspen leaves dancing, the textures of tree bark, the motion of
clouds, the softness of the rain turning to icy hardness of hail.
And I was, and am, attracted to the feelings....those of peace,
serenity, and joyful play....those of community and friendship
with my natural world family. I become all these feelings...I
become who I really am. "
"I was not taught any
of this as a child, or in school or by reading...in fact I was
a terrified rebellious kid/adult who used to hang out in bars,
drinking and smoking and always searching for...something! Yet
my nature connections seem to have always existed within me,
even though as many people, I was blinded to it by society. Now
I feel so fortunate to have allowed that tiny window to open
up in my societal armor, through which nature in me and around
me made this profound connection. This connection feels good,
it feels ancient and wise, it feels supportive and caring and
peaceful. Nature tells me all living things share this connection.
Underneath all the "stuff", this is how I experience
Life. "
"I did this activity sitting
in my yellow-leafed yard on this warm day...as I recalled the
natural areas I have experienced, I felt at great peace, smiling
and laughing, with a profound sense of well-being. It strengthened
my belief that we have an ancient, inborn connection with the
natural world...that in fact we are nature. That silent contemplation
on past good experiences can and do reconnect us to them and
their rewards, right now in the present moment. That during each
moment we can choose to seek and find a natural sensory attraction
and follow it to feelings of peace, love, fun, oneness, and happiness.
The activities enhance senses of self-worth and trust in nature,
absolutely, every time!! This is why I love the earth so much.
"
"The part of me this activity
identifies is that part of me that is the Orca at play, the aspen
leaves shimmering, the clouds billowing and floating, the water
rippling with sun sparkles, the peace of the high mountain meadows
in summer, the laughter of deep friendship, the deer with big
soft eyes and flicking tail...the connection I share with all
life around me. "
"Sounds like you had an
amazing experience with nature when you were young. how wonderful!
your experience gives me more conviction of the "webstrings":
even though you had probably never heard of "webstrings"
when you were young, you still had that connection with nature
and it seems to have stayed with you through maturity. I'm just
curious to know if you think that those experiences shaped a
large portion of who you are, and if they affect your relationships
with other people? "
"An experience in nature
that I enjoyed very much was several years ago when I lived in
a rural area with several hundred acres of woods just beyond
my backyard. The woods were quite marshy and the ground was always
covered with soft, green moss. The water undermined the root
systems of several trees and they had long ago toppled over.
Their roots stood up and were also draped in moss. I loved to
draw the tangled root branches which were like magnificent sculptures.
I enjoyed the gentle sounds of the woods: The trickle of water
over stones, twittering birds and breezes. Over many months I
also began to sense a powerful energy dwelling in the stillness.
I felt that nature was speaking a language I had once known but
had forgotten. I think that nature planted a seed in me that
this course is helping to grow."
"At the age of twelve
I went to glacier National Park in Montana. During this trip
I was able to experience nature in a way that I never had before.
One specific moment stands out in my mind. My parents, brother
and I decided to go to a secluded lake because all the major
lakes were full of people. We walked for hours until we came
to the lake. This lake had a thin layer of mist over it, but
visibility was not obstructed. The flora and fauna stretched
to the edges of the bank and decomposing trees lay in the water
close to shore. There were no boats, no fishermen, and no tourists
taking photographs. Evidence of wildlife was shown when a huge
moose cross the water across the lake. Since the lake was void
of humanly sounds, I could hear the sound of water as the moose
stepped along. This was probably the only time that I have been
in a habitat that was untouched by man."
"I had many different
reactions to all of the different things presented to think about.
Things were talked about involving nature and I often forget
to be aware of my surroundings and appreciate them. I know and
understand the concept of all the strings but it's true that
when one is out and looking at nature, you often don't see all
of the connections. Nature seems so free and alive that to analyze
it in a more technical nature is often not my natural response.
Nature is completely unconditional accepting everything and adapting
to the process of life. "
"One thing that I found
very ironic is that as I read more and more, I began thinking
of my day and my little involvement with nature and realized
I was sitting here, in my room, and looking at a computer screen
talking about such in-depth concepts of nature. Completely detached
from nature with the exception of my mind remembering experiences
or picturing places. I found it odd that it was such great, mind-provoking
reading on nature, and I was sitting in a room closed off from
it all. It makes me all the more aware of the fact that I need
to make a conscious effort to keep in touch with nature. Somewhere
it said something about your life losing potential because of
this but I believe as long as we avoid all the harms around us
and focus on connecting with nature, we are all fine. Everyone
at times will feel lonely or sad or stressed, unfortunately,
but it is not based on simply our isolation from nature. These
are the most important times to reconnect with nature and we
can't blame disconnection as the cause of these distresses. Basically,
nature is an important factor for our sense of self in our lives.
Nature can soothe the hassles of everyday life which makes it
all the more important that we take care of it. "
"I did this activity simply
by reading, stopping to think and continuing. I took several
breaks and walked outside, did other things between finishing
this assignment. This activity didn't teach me three things that
I could just state or explain, it just caused me to think about
many things I really hadn't considered before. It made me get
past the simple nature is beautiful, make sure we preserve it.
It made me look more at the structure of nature and myself, comparing
the two. It made me contrast the different aspects and ideas
turning inside to myself, placing some statements that I had
never really thought of that described some responses in me that
I wouldn't have realized or expected. This activity didn't have
any huge life altering affects but it did make me look inside
a little more than usual. It made you truly analyze some things
in depth, that aren't usually placed before you to think about.
It just made me think of how much nature helps me in getting
through those everyday problems of loneliness, sadness, and stress.
"
"I also agree with those
of you who feel that the term "webstring" is an apt
one. To me, it brings images to mind of interconnectedness and
also of fragility. A string can so easily be cut. So the word
webstring reminds me both of the mutual dependence among webstrings
and of the need to be maintain the strength of these connections.
"
"I like your statement
that "I think that I enjoyed the fort so much because there
definitely is something inherently pleasing about being in a
natural setting." It reminds me of how I have felt this
week. I just started a new job, and outside my office is an open-air
courtyard with a natural setting - a stream, ferns, trees, rocks,
etc. Whenever I look out at this setting, I feel this strong
attraction to go to it, yet I can't. It seems like I was attracted
to what would be an inherently pleasing experience, but I was
trapped in an office. I think the inability to go outside frustrated
me, as I knew that I was drawn outside yet could not go. Maybe
I'll just take my desk outside! "
"The environment has always
been one of my most influential interests. There's something
about nature that is a release for me, it's spiritual, claming,
inspirational, and so much more. From my days as a little girl
there has always been an attraction to the outdoors, which is
one I see myself maintaining throughout life. I want this attraction
to be able to be enjoyed by those who come after me, in the scope
of the world's timeline. I can't possibly imagine the world without
the preserves of nature, some of which I have been lucky enough
to enjoy. It would be an incredible misfortune if the selfishness
of man destroyed nature's beauty for the rest of humanity."
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EDUCATION
Special NGO consultant
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated
Ecology
PROJECT NATURECONNECT
The
Natural Systems Thinking Process
In cooperation with
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and
Portland State University
Readily
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the health of person, planet and spirit
P.O. Box 1605
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360-378-6313
send email
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Dr. Michael J. Cohen, Director
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