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If we follow our webstring
attractions to nature, the life core of each of us, so many of
our fears and prejudices toward other people would be replaced."
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 can we learn from disconnecting
our psyche from its home and spirit in nature?
"It is cold, rainy and
windy here today, and as societal stories would have me believe,
I was warm and dry (therefore "safe") in my house all
day. Yet as I sat here reading the nature trail on my computer,
and doing the breathing activity, I found that even after I stopped
holding my breath, I still felt not quite right, as if I was
missing something. That something was the pure outside air of
the after-storm. I longed for the freshness, the coolness, the
purity of the air outside my "safe" house. So I followed
my webstring attraction and went out into the wind, the soft
rain, the yellow leaves dancing with water drops as the wind
blew through and around the many trees here in my yard. I thought
back to the trail and the give-and-take of nature in our breathing,
and how all of nature and all of us are interconnected. I trust
this knowledge...I love this feeling. I had learned before to
hold onto a leaf or a branch and breathe, and feel how that natural
thing is supporting me, keeping me alive as I keep it alive.
I then realized that what brought me outside now was the nature
within me wanting me to feel good, wanting me to breathe this
pure clean air, wanting me to feel that sense of expansion in
my chest and stomach and head when I deeply breathe in the coolness
of this rain-filled air. "
"A difficult thing for
me to do is to equate nature with other people, as I have a tendency
to be rather cynical at times of our human society. Yet as I
was standing out there, with leaf in hand, breathing, I realized
that if we can follow our webstring attractions to the nature
that is the life core of each of us, then so many of our fears
and prejudices toward other people would be replaced by this
same feeling I have toward the leaf and tree and air."
"What made me feel so
good about going outside to breathe was that I could really feel
how I was able to recognize and follow my natural attraction
to clean fresh air, and how I was able to recognize that while
I had been taught to feel comfortable with the "indoor-is-better"
story, it did not feel really good to me. It felt really good
to go outside, where the world is not linear or made of cement,
where the wind goes in all directions and never is straight,
where attraction strings are vibrating among nature a million
times a second, where holding onto a plant and breathing makes
me smile."
"This activity again challenged
me to think in a different way than I have previously. It made
me realize that there are a lot of things that happen that we
ungraciously dismiss as instincts. The ability to exist is a
phenomenal one, and it relies on the lives of plants and the
gases in our atmosphere.
There are a lot of things we
take for granted and in doing so distort our view of our surroundings.
I now understand what Mike means by the 53 senses we have to
connect with nature. Before I had though that somewhat odd and
ambiguous but now I have a solid understanding of it. "
"I participated in a nature
re-connecting activity. I didn't really go out into nature, but
I enjoyed this activity nonetheless. I went up to the eighth
floor of the library. The view was absolutely amazing. As I looked
out the window, I could see waves crashing against the shore,
majestic mountains, and blue skies. As cliché as this
sounds, I really couldn't tell where the ocean ended and the
sky began. I felt extremely relaxed. I thought that such a gorgeous
view would distract me from my homework, but I was actually motivated
to study. I learned that your breath helps to sustain all other
forms of life. Natural senses balance us personally by balancing
themselves and each other. Our senses are altered by our perceptions
and prejudices.
Once again, this activity has
improved my connection with nature in many ways. These activities
always open my eyes and remind me of important concepts and feelings
that I often forget. It is so refreshing to be reminded of my
connection to the world around me. The activity reminded me that
I am dependent on nature and nature is dependent on me."
"I also did the Breath
of life today in the evening when the sun had just set. I could
feel the wind blowing against me and felt a chill. I did not
feel separated but at one and almost as a part of that wind.
I felt a strong desire to take a deep breath of that cold fresh
air. It was a feeling so different from breathing the air in
my room as I type. The breathing felt like so much more then
simply breathing to survive, it was breathing to connect and
live with nature in harmony. It was incredibly refreshing and
filled my body with life and energy, something the air in my
room hardly comes close to doing. This reminded me of how great
it is to be in open air and breath natures air while in nature.
Just thinking about it makes me want to go outside, which I think
I will do right now. "
"When I did this activity,
I didn't really have a sense of a certain aspect of my attractions
I was supposed to focus on. so I simply enjoyed my attractions
to the beach and ocean. There were no other people on the beach,
and it was a cool and cloudy day. Yet, the cloudiness didn't
affect me as much as it usually does. I accepted the clouds,
and even though the covered the blue sky from my sight, I still
enjoyed them. I realized that blue skies are a "story"
of what is beautiful and that clouds are a story of gloominess.
after realizing this, I was able to appreciate the clouds much
more. "
"I did this activity through
a sunset. I hiked to a place at camp where I have seen the sunset
many many times and I sat upon a fallen tree. As the sun lowered
in the sky brilliant colors arose and the clouds transformed
into modeled masses casting multicolored shadows upon the sky
and Earth. As the sun began to lower deeper and deeper in the
horizon. I closed my eyes. I don't know if anyone has ever sat
with their eyes closed at a sunset before but it is an interesting
experience. As I closed my eyes I first felt them struggle. They
wanted to open, and although I did not allow them to open and
that felt bad I instead tried to experience the sunset without
simply colors. The sunset happens at a beautiful time of day
and I felt the cool breeze, heard the breeze, the crickets began
their song and instead of feeling like a spectator I felt more
like part of the sunset. I felt attraction and community. At
that moment I could be anywhere in the sunset, not just sitting
on a fallen tree. After a while I opened my eyes, and although
the sun had fallen below the horizon I still watched now. But
as I watched I found myself spending less and less time looking
at the colors. Instead I felt my different senses become activated
in the environment I was a part of as it took hold of me. "
"The flies were bothering
me that day. and what annoyed me even more than the fact that
they kept flying into my face, was the fact that they annoyed
me. I've always been turned off by flies, and I realized that
perhaps it is because I always encounter flies near rot, garbage,
and smelly things that gives me the bad connotation of them.
however, I wanted to end my bad feelings toward the flies and
so I dedicated some careful thought toward them. I watched where
they landed and what they were doing. I realized that without
them, the beach would be much more "dirty" and "smelly"
because they clean up all of the left-overs the birds and humans
leave behind. all of the mountains of seaweed that spoil in the
hot sun and bodies of inedible crustaceans left to rot were being
cleaned up by the flies. I was so excited upon realizing this,
that I thanked the flies aloud and was able to appreciate co-existing
with them. "
"Sometimes, I feel very,
very alone, and these exercises have helped me to fill some of
my inexplicable voids with a sense of belonging and inclusion.
feeling like a true member of the web of life instead of merely
watching it has given me new perspective on life itself. "
"Sorry for the delay but
I am relieved now that I actually had time to do the activity.
For this activity I went to the ocean, specifically I went in
the ocean, and for a surf (in fact my hands and feet are still
cold from the water). As I was sitting around in between waves
the water came to me and it was of my immediate attention. When
I closed my eyes I was flooded with sensory inputs, indeed the
water is just as great without seeing it. Cool, cold, particularly
chilly water seeping through my wet suit, the constant hiss or
drone of waves crashing in closer to shore. Wooof. A waft of
salt air penetrating my runny nose. A deep breath and that lovely
taste of salt air immediately grounding me and letting me know
I am somewhere I love dearly. And that same air cool and fresh
telling me to take a deep breath and feel it fall deep into my
lungs. And then, I rise and fall while still sitting on my surfboard.
What was that, that just passed me? I don't know, I am still
sitting exactly where I was before? Ah a unbroken wave. Or rather
a wave of energy in motion about to transfer its form for someone
to enjoy. Then when I open my eyes, all is the same, the sight
of the water does not effect me.
What is it about the water
that grabs me. It is the touch, the feeling of being surrounded
by cold water penetrating my wetsuit. Surrounding my body and
pulling off the weight of the day. The water reminds me to enjoy
something greater than myself. I get to participate in the cycling
of energy through the intertidal system but I take nothing from
it as I participate. And the best part about the water is that
after I get out of it and go home and off about the remainder
my day, the water stays with me. Not being physically wet but
in the coolness of my skin as I slowly thaw out. I remember where
I just was, and how passive it was. This thaw period just keeps
me happy throughout the remainder of the day. and I am completely
content right now. "
"I found that I couldn't
hold my breath for very long. I wish I were as quick to abandon
other nature disconnected behavior. It really points out to me
how important my attraction for air is. Yet it is something I
don't think about very often. Only when I am conscious of not
getting enough."
"For the last part of
the activity I asked for and gained consent from my yard. I was
attracted to a plant that still has leaves on it. It began to
sway in a slight breeze, as if it were beckoning me to dance.
Sunlight was coming from behind and it transformed the drab leaves
into glowing ,delicately patterned treasures. The veins were
golden green dividing the leaf into burgundy segments. I marveled
at the beauty of the relationship[ between light and leaves.
I closed my eyes and gently held a leaf. The breeze caused the
plant to tug and I felt even more powerfully an expression of
its life. I heard the delicate rustle of leaves on the ground
around me that I hadn't noticed with open eyes. Before ending
the activity, I gave thanks for being allowed to participate
with nature. In a way, I really did have the sensation that we
were dancing together."
"I felt angry, sad and
somewhat helpless after reading about the young people who lost
their wilderness area. Of course to so many people that spot
must have appeared to be a chaotic tangle. After doing the above
activity I understand the connection they must have made to that
place. I don't want to feel helpless though. It makes me want
to teach this process more than ever. The more people who feel
connected to nature, the better chance of creating advocates
for the Earth. "
"I learned that shifting
into attraction/sensory strand mode continues to be a satisfying
experience which means that I will seek out this state more and
more. The beauty and detail that abounds in even a small space
is astounding. My backyard feels fluid. It is not a static entity.
It is a complex system of living creatures of which I happen
to be one.
I know that I depend on the
stories that tell be that weeds are bad and need to be killed.
Yet the leaves I observed in the activity was quite the opposite.
I saw beautiful colors, interesting behavior, and mutual attraction,
the sun and myself, to a plant."
"When I first starting
reading the passages I found them hard to believe or relate too,
but then when I got to Station 8 and 9 it started to make sense.
I started to understand what was meant by everything that was
being said. When I finished reading the trail I also had a much
better understanding of the 53 senses and how to try to be in
touch with them. "
"I was reading Linda's
part four posting and I felt the same way when it came to breathing
in my stuffy room. I had a strong desire to go outside and get
some fresh air. I didn't go outside right away, but after I read
Linda's posting, and finished the trail I decided to go outside.
I immediately felt better. I felt refreshed, energized by the
sun and cool air, fresher and healthier. This has taught me that
I can find some joy by following my simple desires to go with
my instincts. "
"I stood up and went outside
to find some natural surroundings in order to complete this last
activity. I was tired of staring at a computer screen and sitting
in this uncomfortable chair, so I gladly went out to find the
"most attractive" natural things around me. I thought,
finally, all of this talk about connecting with nature and now
I was finally going to get out of my closed off room, away from
the computer, to connect with nature. It was such a relief to
go outside in the fresh air and relax for a few minutes. I immediately
felt the cool, refreshing breeze gently grace me, breathing it
in graciously after having to sit in my stuffy room for so long.
I closed my eyes and heard the breeze rustling the trees with
faint bird cries in the background. I could even make out the
crashing waves in the far off distance.
I really realized at this moment
how fortunate I am to be living in Santa Barbara, where right
outside my door I can see a lagoon and the beautiful ocean. The
natural smells of trees and water were a nice change from my
dorm room. Even though my eyes were still closed at this point,
I could see the bright sun shining down on me. I then opened
my eyes and it was even more beautiful than when I had first
walked out there. The water was glistening in the sun as ducks
went swimming by. The trees were green with touches of brown
to really give it that natural look. And even more prominent
was the color blue everywhere. The bright blue sky with little
patches of white clouds here and there. The blue ocean as far
off as I could see. It was a completely picturesque scene that
made me feel close to nature. I breathed in and out feeling the
webstring that I really am and often forget about. It was beautiful
and refreshing and a great highlight of my day. I had no other
choice than to feel this way because it is my natural instinct
for the fact is that I am part of nature, and it is part of me.
"
"Enjoying the stars is
always a blessing in life (thanks for reminding me about enjoying
stars Adam). We are so fortunate to have clear nights when we
can gaze up into the sky and be amazed.
After taking the time to lay
on the grass and relax, I opened my eyes and gazed both up into
the sky and then into the fire and there was a sense of connection
within me. Nature didn't provide my with an epiphany, but it
did add to my day, uplifting me a bit. Every little connection
like this adds up and all in all can really brighten a lifetime...enjoying
the sun earlier today was wonderful as well. There is a comfort
in enjoying bright lights in nature (the fire and the stars in
the sky) I'm not sure exactly what it is about the brightness
that attracts me in such a way. Perhaps it is the fact that it
puts me in a trance-like state in which I don't really worry
about all the other things going on in my life. its nice to have
these kinds of distractions. I need to take the time to distance
myself from the American society that becomes such a part of
me...the consumer society...the idea that goodness is based on
things, grades, jobs, etc....but this is difficult in that it
is such a fact of life. i really do enjoy the moments when I
can forget about these facts of life and just gaze into nature's
bright lights."
Continue to Page
Eight 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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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
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Dr. Michael J. Cohen, Director
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