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Continued from Page
Four
"The idea
that webstrings need exercise is very important. Exercise begets
strength "
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: What our experiences in nature can
show us about ourselves.
"My experience in nature
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings from plants.
Plants are what add the final decorations to nature, they are
beautiful, no matter how simple. I really needed this acitvity
it helped to clear my head and concentrate on my connections
with nature. Specifically I put on some soothing music and sat
with my Sea Onion (pony-tail palm) in front of me and communicated
with it. I learned that is important to study nature, to look
at all of nature as an "attraction", and you really
can communicate with nature. I don't think anything can strengthen
my trust of nature but I definitely trust nature whole-heartedly.
I believe a couple of the web strings were reconnected because
I felt something indescribable deep down inside of me, it was
really neat."
"My experience in nature
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings from looking
at and touching seaweed. I love discovering exotic-looking seaweed;
with colors ranging from bright pink and maroon to orange and
cream. Their textures can vary from smooth and squishy to rough
and bumpy. Seaweed reflects to me nature in its uncultivated
state- unlike parks whose trees have been planted and lawns that
have been watered by man, or birds that prefer city-life, or
even my houseplant. Instead, it conveys to me to world less tainted
by man, nature more independent of his influence. Even though
I am well aware of our pollution of the ocean, I still believe
that its life forms remain more pure from human influence than
many that we encounter on a regular basis on land."
"I especially believe
this is true when it comes to our "stories." I believe
that the nature on land is much more subjected to stories about
beauty, value, and importance than that of the ocean. I feel
much more free to exercise my webstrings with the nature I encounter
on the beach because some of it has remained free connotations
and stories. "
"When reading the Let
Earth Speak message board, I was very attracted to a message
from Aloha in Hawaii, who wrote about the ocean waves and tides,
and how the crashing waves cleanse and rejuvenate the soul. I
feel very much the same way, and found myself realizing that
even though there are many aspects of the beach that attract
me to it, it is the eternal sound of the waves' cycle that enters
my subconscious when I'm there, even if I don't focus on it.
"
"I was attracted to a
message from Tom in Canada who wrote about his webstring with
breathing. I have found this to relate to me especially when
I'm at the beach. The ocean has a distinct, refreshing, almost
exotic smell that adds to the natural experience of being there.
"
"Chris from Manhattan
wrote about how his experiences in nature helped him to realize
the power of God. One of the main ways I experience God is through
nature, and I believe that this is a huge reason as to why I
am so attracted to it, why it nurtures me and gives me a sense
of unity. "
I visited my tree again to
explore this activity. I find the tree to be one of the most
attractive and unique I've encountered. It is out on Campus,
by the lagoon. My experience in nature shows me I am a person
who gets good feelings from connecting with the processes of
natural entities, in this case the tree. I feel a connectedness
with it, and can see the random pattern of growth this particular
tree experienced, allowing a perfect spot to sit and contemplate
it's beauty. It's twisting vines show the struggle for sun and
the determination to live. I find that I share more in common
with this tree, and nature as whole, than I may have previously.
This activity truly led me to an appreciation of the kindred
feeling I have with nature. It definetly led me to feel as if
i'm part of a whole; the whole of nature. I've come to a better
understanding of the term webstrings and the idea of nature reconnection.
It is becoming clearer to me that I'm a lot more disconnected
than I thought or hoped.
"Laura, I felt very connected
to your seaweed experience. You created a wonderful picture with
words. A good example of the ways that we can learn to use language
to support our experiences in nature rather than to create stories
about conquering nature. I also appreciated your statement "
I believe that the nature on land is much more subjected to stories
about beauty, value, and importance than that of the ocean. I
feel much more free to exercise my webstrings with the nature
I encounter on the beach because some of it has remained free
connotations and stories." The idea that webstrings need
exercise is very important. Exercise begets strength which is
exactly what we are trying to accomplish with this work-stronger
connections to nature. "
"I sat in my backyard
which is full of trees. The sky was a pretty clear blue with
scattered white wispy clouds and the light was beginning to grow
long as it was getting late in the afternoon. Here is what I
came up with: My experience in nature shows me that I am a person
who gets a good feeling from scattered light rays filtering through
the trees, pouring down up spotted patches of air, earth, and
plant. These very light rays that provide warmth when the rest
is cool, these very light rays that draw me back to the mountains
with my family, where the air was cool but full of loving people
who care about each others well being. This activity of finding
attractions in nature and then asking myself why it is I am attracted
to these things , helped me learn a little about myself because
I had to probe my innerself to decipher why I was currently attracted
to these things. I think I am attracted to long light rays that
every once and a while fall down upon me and give me warmth,
because they remind me of my family's house up in the mountains
we used to go to when I was younger. I came to realize how important
having people around you to support you and care about your well
being is. Maybe, in part, because the household in which I live
right now is far from anything like a family, or a tight circle
of friends. But even if I did live in a good household right
now, I still recognize the importance of a family whether I am
near them or not. "
"I think what you were
saying about the importance of family is so true! Now that I
have read your writing, mine makes even more sense to me. I think
much of my attraction to the groups of moving creatures was due
to a lack of close and dependable companionship like that I had
at home. I had not put this feeling into words yet, it was just
stewing in my subconscious, waiting to be intellectualized. Thank
you.
I also liked the part about
reducing your impact on the earth until the earth can easily
cover up what you leave behind... I hope that we are both successful
in this effort someday."
Your relationship with the
tree sounds like a real webstring connection. I enjoy this statement:
"It's twisting vines show the struggle for sun and the determination
to live." This struggle to live is very pronounced in trees.
They cannot mask where they've been like we can. Their 'honesty'
is refreshing. Even as you realize your sense of disconnection,
remember that at some level a deep connection made this course
attractive to you. You are now uncovering what had become hidden
amidst the disconnected stories. I'm glad that you are finding
your way back.
"My experience in nature
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings from the delicate
touches of the winds dance. For the activity I went on a bike
ride searching for some place where the natural world was all
I could see. I found a place on a cliff by the beach that leads
into a foresty area. I sat and touched the wind, I felt it touch
me."
The most important things I
learned were that physical is relative, relative is not constant,
and I am not constant, I am relative (I does not mean me). I
simply trusted nature to interact with me and it did. I felt
a convergance of sorts, within me, through me. The wind passed
me, caressed me and left me. I was a part of it. I was a part
of an action not mine but over me. I remained, and tightened
with a shiver as I stayed, but crept away to dance as well.
"My experience in nature
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings from the rythmic
tunes of nature. I am very much a listener and enjoy the harmony
that i find in the voice of the ocean and the songs of the wind.
Nature influences me. Inanimate objects can make beautiful music.
Nature provides a spiritual uplift for me that is very much a
necessity in collecting myself throughout the hustle of life."
"The object made me connect
with nature in a new way that alowed me to become closer to the
outdoors through listening, as i would do with a friend, but
this isn't really a new thing for me. I love listening to nature
and learning from her. Nature is the perfect therapy for me sometimes.
Secluding myself in nature's bliss provides for me and makes
me a more grounded person."
"Some of the other quotes
I liked were Aloha's from Hawaii. This person spoke of the soothing
powers in nature and also said, "Nature to me is a never-ending
circle of life that surrounds us and draws us into her bosom
to be comforted when we weep with despair. How do you measure
the significance of nature? I ask myself this every day."
I couldn't agree more with this quote and really like the awe
of nature, and natures soothing powers that it conveys. "
"Another quote I liked
was Robert Beam's who said, "...visiting the ruins of ancient
Native Americans who built homes from nature's bounty. Over eons
of time nature slowly reclaims that which she gave forth to sustain
those that have gone before." I like this quote because
it brings me to the awareness that we must exist more symbolically
with nature, and are perfectly capable of doing so. I would like
to at some time in my life reduce my impact on the earth to such
a minimal amount that nature can easily cover up and not be hurt
by what I leave behind. And for this I would need to learn much
more from nature so I know how to live without creating wastes
and take from the earth in only sustainable amounts. "
First some background... I
was sitting on the beach watching the sunset (at depressions,
for those of you from UCSB) after a satisfying day of surfing
and classes when I did this activity. Though the sunset was indeed
beautiful, with orangy-pink clouds against a darkening blue sky
that reflected in the sea and wet sand, the most interesting
(attractive?) thing I focused on was the movement of life at
this hour of evening. There was a constant stream of small insects
flying at about the level of my head as I sat that were all traveling
in the same direction. I couldn't quite figure them out, and
that made them all the more interesting. There were groups of
40-50 tiny birds chasing after the waves (baby sandpipers?).
They moved fluidly together, of one mind.
So, though everything (besides
walking by the construction work on the way back) about my time
doing this activity was rewarding, I'd have to say that my experience
in nature shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings
by watching the instinctual movement of creatures in nature.
I must wonder how much of what we humans do is caused by a similar
instinctual urge to "move with the flock." I sometimes
wish that our species were able to depend upon each other like
these other creatures can. I suppose that this might sacrifice
independent intellectual thought. hmmmm.
My nature experience shows
me that I am a person who gets good feelings... by visual observation
of differences in color and texture, the newness in some things
that surround me at the same time I am surrounded by decades
of life, death and renewal. The "color and texture"
part of this was, I think, what I was trying to relate about
my nice day on the cliff; appreciating parts of a whole for their
own unique value. I also like the part about life, death and
renewal. In nature, even death is comforting, in a way, because
it is just another part of the cycle.
My nature experience shows
me that I am a person who gets good feelings... when I stop to
breathe in the nature that is around me. I clear my mind from
other thoughts, and I concentrate on the environment that I am
in. I hear new sounds, I smell new smells. I feel gentle breezes.
I detect humidity. Animals come out from hiding and show me their
presence. I walk away knowing that there is a much larger world
to learn from within the short distance that my body can sense.
Ahhhh, refreshing indeed! The
best way to relax.
"In my search for a private
place to reflect upon my role in the worldly community, I hoped
to find a place completely secluded from society and unadulterated
from mankind's tools. After searching for a while I realized
that the only way I could view the uninhabited and uncorrupted
world was if I faced westward, towards the ocean, and blocked
out the unnatural world behind me. after staring at the glistening
waves forming on the horizon and vibrant sun beaming through
the clouds, I decided to face north and use my senses to contrast
the beauty of nature to my left to the unnatural world to my
right. The contrast was so extreme. the presence of fences, drainage
pipes, and machinery demonstrated how society has reached to
the edge of the beaches, to the edge of disaster. scattered chip
bags and soda cans showed me just how freely mankind has encroached
on nature, without considering the fact that we are not the only
creatures in the world. what about the birds flying above the
ocean or the insects crawling through the sand? Animal life is
not the only life affected by man's actions. The seaweed floating
on the ocean's surface proves that both plants and animals in
this worldly community are at risk of suffering from human behavior.
the sand running through my fingers reminds me of an hourglass
measuring the time people have to make a drastic change and save
our world. "
"My experience in nature
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings when the warmth
of the sun breaks through the shade of a tree and hits my face
with a wave of pure energy. "
"I liked the passage :
My nature experience shows me that I am a person who gets good
feelings. When I watch the force of the storm, it shows me an
intense beauty. The storm tells me that even though nature is
gentle and soft, it can also be destructive and dark. This passage
reminds us in the beauty in everything and the intensity and
strength that lies within us all as parts of nature; that life
is not all soft and fluffy but filled with energy and emotion
as well. "
"This experience was a
nice one. I liked the simplicity of it and how it showed how
simple our connection with nature is. "
"I very much enjoyed your
posting, and I agree with Lori that you are able to paint a vivid
picture of your experiences - I almost felt like I was there
with you. I was especially attracted to your statement that "One
of the main ways I experience God is through nature, and I believe
that this is a huge reason as to why I am so attracted to it,
why it nurtures me and gives me a sense of unity." A few
years ago I was walking up the trail to Bridal Veil falls in
Yosemite. At certain points along the trail it is like a monsoon,
as water from the falls drenches you. Even though my family is
not very religious and I myself had not been, I felt a connection
to something much larger than myself as I walked along that trail.
Due to my upbringing I don't know if I would describe it as God,
but it was certainly intense, and very spiritual. Perhaps we
are experiencing events in nature in similar ways.
"I find it easy to doubt
a higher power when in the business of a city. One can sense
the beauty and power and feel a more distinct reason for leaving
in nature. I have trouble believing in the Christian God however
in nature I have experiences that demonstrate a higher power
and purpose, which created the natural world. And this is one
reason I enjoy nature so much."
"I just wanted to say
that you've thoroughly impressed me with your descriptions of
nature. So far each time I've been able to feel the place, experience
it. They haven't seemed to lose anything in the translation from
physical preference to email. I'm now thoroughly convinced that
if there is a higher power, her main method of communication
is nature. I truly feel an awe of what has been created when
I'm in natural settings. I don't feel this in human settlements.
The fact that many people have also seemed to express this experience
means there is some validity in this."
I couldn't agree more. I think
this is especially valid considering that among our small group,
both religious and non-religious people are encountering similar
experiences. It makes me wonder whether we are all feeling the
same connections, but interpret these connections in different
ways due to our predispostions. For instance, a Christian would
interpret this connection as God, and a Hindu might make some
connection to Atman, and so forth. But I think that, essentially,
all interpretations of these experiences are valid, and can be
true. What do you think?
I feel the same way. And, for
me, it is a comforting feeling to know that we are not isolated
from this whole, but rather an integral part of it. I am reminded
of our feelings of connectedness to a higher power of some sort.
This whole that we are a part of is truly a powerful and sometimes
mysterious entity, and I think it would be a shame if we were
to go our whole lives, as many will, without recognizing and
interacting with it. I am so glad that we are not doing this.
"My experience in nature
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings by relaxing
and letting my mind slow down. From holding a dandelion (one
of the white puffy ones that you can blow apart to make a wish)
and letting lightly tickle my face, I was able to laugh for a
minute, and forget about my homework and such things."
"My nature experience
shows me that I am a person who gets good feelings by watching
the waves roll in with the moving of the tide. Allowing Mother
Nature to cleanse my soul with her softening whispers in the
wind, delicate uplifting with her sounds, and rejuvenating escapes
into her waters. Nature to me is a never-ending circle of life
that surrounds us and draws us into her bosom to be comforted
when we weep with despair. When I feel the wind fly through my
being, standing on top of the volcano or valley, I know that
I am one, we are one and the universe comes complete with my
acceptance. How do you measure the significance of Nature? I
ask this question myself everyday. I really liked this activity
because of its simplicity. It enabled me to find a peace within
my mind. It connected me to the calmness of nature."
"I liked this person's
response. I think I was drawn to it so closely because of the
ocean."
"It is cloudy and a bit
wet here today, and after working inside all day I am extremely
drawn to being outside. I am so used to being outside, working
there with all the life all around me. Today on the grass there
are lots of yellow leaves which have fallen from the two big
liquid amber trees...I feel an immediate attraction to them,
as well as to the hundreds more that remain on the trees here.
I sit down among them...it feels good to be among my colorful
family. I close my eyes and breathe...I feel a sense of freedom
and openness when I breathe clean outside air. One light yellow
leaf catches my eye...I hold it to the light gray sky. It looks
like a tree within this leaf. The leaf veins look like a tree
with branches stretched out and up, as if rejoicing for its life.
I feel myself being a tree, with arms outstretched to the sky.
This brings me so much peace and joy...I feel such a sense of
well-being and purpose knowing I am a part of this leaf, this
tree and all others."
Continue
to Page
Six
of this Archive
| |
.
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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Why not master the critical
whole life and wellness factor in nature that your education,
to your loss, often omits?
INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL
EDUCATION
Special NGO consultant
United Nations Economic and Social Council
Applied Ecopsychology/Integrated
Ecology
PROJECT NATURECONNECT
The
Natural Systems Thinking Process
In cooperation with
Akamai University
and
Portland State University
Readily
available online organic tools for
the health of person, planet and spirit
P.O. Box 1605
Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-6313
send email
...www.ecopsych.com
Dr. Michael J. Cohen, Director
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