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How Nature Works: NNIAL Stories that Help Convey the Value and Outcomes of Nine Leg Thinking.
On these pages, the natural belonging, health, and support of nature's grace and regenerative powers provides hope for what we may regain by thinking with nine legs.
Our extreme disconnection from nature leaves a void within us, a unifying desire, an appetite to recapture what we have lost. We want to accomplish this to make ourselves more attractive to each other and to all members of the animal, plant and mineral community, of which we are part.
Note that nature's essence is a pulsating flow of attraction 'energy' That essense is an original appetite to grow and strengthen nature's desire to unify. It is
Nameless/non-literate
Intelligent,
Attraction, the fundamental core of
Love
NATURE'S ESSENCE: Responses to "What is NNIAL?"
"Thinking by using the NNIAL acronym brings my whole history with nature and humanity to mind:
The first N reminds me of "Now," that nature's upwelling attraction energy and its beauty only exists and operates in the immediate moment, the "Now" of life. The next moment, the attraction relationships are different, they have changed and grown into additional attraction relationships.
Since we are part of nature's pulsating flow of attraction power, the Now includes our stories about the past and future. We can only change these stories in the Now. The stories, however, are not nature.
Nature consists of a flowing river of self-correcting attractions that produce life-supportive, balanced relationships. These "attraction acts" are not stories, they are mutually supportive, Now, attachment relationships.
The second N reminds me that nature is "Non-literate" and "Nameless." It does not know itself, communicate or organize itself with words and stories, as does humanity. It organizes and operates via natural attractions that, in the Now, are consciously seeking fulfillment and attractively finding satisfaction by creating additional attractive relationships and attachments.
The I in NNIAL reminds me that nature is "Intelligent," that its wisdom enables it to wordlessly create balanced attractive optimums of life, cooperation and diversity without producing any garbage. "I" reminds me that, Intelligently, nature seldom displays or causes the abusiveness, disorders or isolation that we suffer. The latter are not attractive. They are mostly the effects of Industrial Society's nature-disconnected and conquering stories about the natural world. "I" signifies that each thing in nature has the intelligence to be that thing in purity and balance and to transform into other things when so attracted.
The fact that nature is able to peacefully actualize and sustain its attractive natural perfection on local and global levels demonstrates monumental Intelligence.
The A helps me sense that instead of using stories, from day one, nature continually has consciously grown and manifested itself through energetic natural Attractions and that they, moment by moment, become pulsating attachment relationships and new Attractions. In the "Now", the unpredictable life of nature's unfolding friendly "natural essence" is an upwelling, a flowing, bursting variable river of living strong and weak Attractions that balance out and manifest themselves to be every aspect of the plant, animal and mineral web-of-life community and its energies, including us and our psyche.
Our desire to survive is the attractive beat and rhythm of aliveness, the natural Attraction consciousness in us to continue living as ourselves in support of nature's survival. This vital desire consists of a congress of 52 additional fluctuating natural sensory Attractions that seek equilibrium. One of them is our Attraction to be literate, the rest are felt senses and sensibility awakenings that beg us to become literate about them so we may more consciously think and feel with their supportive grace. "A" includes that Attraction is the self-conscious pulse of Authentic, Ancient, Alive, Awareness in Action from moment one throughout the eons.
The L in NNIAL reminds me that what we experience as Love is the pulse of natural attraction in action. Our story world can attach our inherent natural Love to the attractive nature of the natural world, including ourselves and others, or we can attach and bond it to story-constructed technologies, blueprints and beliefs.Stories are a literacy that is usually disconnected from, and substitutes for, the ecointelligence of our inborn attraction to nature and its lasting rewards. Again, nature is an active relationship building aliveness, not a story.
Most of our disconnected stories produce destructive side effects. Detached from nature's life, these stories become a form of death. They are prejudiced against nature in that they do not contain the Intelligence of nature's attractive purifying and restorative ways. We have yet no story, or other substitute, for our innate love of the global Earth wisdom of authentic nature."
Since we know the "NNIAL" qualities of the universe that we see today, including ourselves as part of it, we can reason (theorize) that the essence of the original natural attraction contained the roots of these qualities. This brings new facts into play. The original natural attraction essence had to be alive in some way. It had to have some kind of motivation and consciousness and intelligent desire to grow, moment by moment, into greater attraction, to pulsate into becoming, through diversity, an ever increasing and stronger universal attractiveness whose balancing, self-correcting and purifying powers we experience today in nature and its beauty, around and in us.
UNIVERSAL NNIAL QUALITIES:
Each of these natural powers is attractive and is a function that has grown from that fundamental Big Bang natural attraction in action.
It can be accurately said that this NNIAL attraction essence and its attributes is what the Universe has "given us."
Duality: Note that we spend much of our "story life" trying to define and answer questions that arise about the how? what? when? and why? of life, Earth and the universe. Each answer we come up with usually leads to duality (one or more additional questions and answers) and therefore more questions and arguments endlessly. This is because we learn to reject that aliveness, consciousness and other pulsating qualities of natural attraction (as above) are not questionable. Rather they are, and have grown from, the inherent, attractive potential of NNIAL an undivided, non-literate yet conscious, natural attraction energy in the original moment of the Big Bang.
This single, green, organic natural attraction unity can be seen as being a truth of the Big Bang moment, no matter its often fiercely argued origin or source. (See the Big Bang Water Analogy)
"If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts."
- Albert EinsteinFrom Michael J. Cohen
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NNIAL: The Natural Sense of Community"In Scotland, farmers are overturning their hay bales to exterminate rats that live beneath them. A trio of rats tries to flee but, unlike the other fleeing rats, these three stay closely together which limits their ability to escape. This attracts the farmers. Upon investigation, they find that the middle rat of the three is bliind; its companions are guiding it to safety. Deeply moved, the farmers do not kill these rats. Instead, in awe, they respect them."
From Arnold M.
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The Natural Sense of Community: West VirginiaConsider this event concerning the ingrained ways of a deeply rooted, theoretically unchangeable group of hard core killers. In the West Virginia mountains, an isolated, dedicated hunting club found a month old male fawn whose mother had been killed by a car.
For a week, these middle aged men, each with decades of devoted deer killing expertise, were attracted to feed the fawn formula from a bottle, which it suckled with half shut eyes of ecstasy. In return the fawn licked their hands, sucked their earlobes and sang them little whining sounds of delight from deep within.
When the hunt broke up, these men dispersed leaving the fawn eating grass and craving its bottle. They made vague promises to return to this remote place. They said they would, if time permitted, trek the mountain and feed the fawn. A few weeks later, one of the hunters phoned the others to see if anybody knew if the fawn has been fed or had survived. He discovered that without each other knowing it, five of the hunters often visited the fawn and fed it, so it was actually getting fat. Although the fawn might be shot by someone who did not know who the deer was, it lifted his heart to think that the fawn had a chance at life because some hardened deer hunters had gone out of their way to give it to him. Significantly, he knew for sure that none of his hunt club members would shoot it.
From Stan W.
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The Natural Sense of Community: Washington State
I recently participated in a hurried, almost stressful training program for people whose differences kept them arguing amongst themselves. They had little interest or time to hear an explanation from me of the unifying and healing benefits of the reconnecting with nature process and they therefore omitted it from their agenda. In the midst of this hubbub, a young bird flew into the meeting room through the door. It could not find its way out. Without a word, the behind-schedule, argumentative meeting screeched to a halt. Deep natural attraction feelings for life and hope filled each person for the moment. For ten minutes that frightened, desperate little bird triggered those seventy people to harmoniously, supportively organize and unify with each other to safely help it find its way back home. Yet when they accomplished this feat, they cheered their role, not the role of the bird. They felt like hero's for the moment and congratulated their humanity for its wisdom and compassion. In their story of the incident, the role and impact of the bird went unnoticed. They returned to the hubbub of the meeting, as if nothing special had happened. They completely overlooked that the bird had united them while it was there, something they could not do without its presence.
From Mike C.
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Natural Experience
A Story from Dancing Coyote, a Native American
"Mike, my people had no word for 'environment' Living in nature we only had what you are calling 'natural attractions,' no such thing as indoors. Why don't you try this? Think for two minutes now about an attractive experience you've had in a natural area, an experience that attracts you to want to have it again. What made it worthwhile? How did it feel? What was attractive about it? What were you sensing?"......................"Now, after these two minutes, notice how you feel: more content, peaceful, more self satisfied and alive? Doctors say lower blood pressure and less stress, strengthens the immune system, too. And that's just from bringing memories of natural attraction energies into your thinking. The real experience in nature was far more potent, that's what made it memorable. But what you ordinarily learn to do is disconnect from nature and find a substitute product instead. You bottle and sell something that produces similar results. Soon you are psychologically addicted to the bottled stuff and producing its profits and environmental side effects, too, rather than returning to, and giving added value to, the real thing, nature."
Mmmmm. You know, me telling you this this makes my chest tighten up. I still feel the stress from, sixty years ago, being dragged from my desert family to the government indoor school (Cohen 2002 y). Makes me think you and I must be brainwashed to spend most of our life indoors. But, then again, your thinking was born and raised indoors. Maybe you just don't know any better (Cohen 2002 o). You were so young you can't remember the pain. But, it shows up in your stress, and in your fear of nature, and in your bigotry against us 'Indians' too. Unlike us, you applaud this crazy way of thinking."
From Mike C.
Act now: books, courses, degrees, grants, recovery, self-help: www ninelegs.com
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The fictional, but accurately parallel story of Gulliver and the blind island community convey a helpful essence of the incidents that appear on this page.
From Mike C.
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^^^
I thought late last year of changing my life in regards to living simpler and rented my house in town to friends and have been living out on my property in the woods with man, daughter and dog since January. I totally love it. When we had a cyclone out there in Feb. there was nothing as far as possessions or power to blow away... lots of trees down yet mostly very exciting and a good late summer clean up of all things. Our biggest concern was being with each other, dog included as the weather passed.
I especially have noticed that I am now stronger in my sense of who I am in relationship to the social paradigm that I work in and deal with. From this stronger sense of living outdoors self I have had way more energy for my work, and an identification of non-attractions clearly and faster. I sleep better... much better - I bath outdoors - I talk with birds in the morning while preparing breakfast and I have access to usual computer stuff in my house in town when I want it.
I recommend making the change, simplify and grow stronger.
From Gina C.
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The Natural Sense of Community: Australia
Paul: It's not hard to be outdoors where I live in Australia. And if one opens the front door and the back door at the same time, kangaroos will hop through, taking a short-cut to the billabong. On one occasion, I was impulsive enough to start walking (like Forrest Gump) into the outdoors of this big continent. Eighteen months down the track, I was still on the road but by now, a friend of the weather and no more chatter inside my head. That day I looked across the fields at a mountain range and impulsively, headed into the bush and up to the ridges that had never been settled by the colonists. Two years later, I realized that I had been on a pilgrimage for three and a half years; 5 times around Australia and along the entire length of the Great Dividing Range of the East Coast. I had come to the conclusion that I was me and nobody else (this was a source of great merriment); and a thought had formed in my head to "stay close to the water and be kind to the children". I had absolutely no idea what this meant; but it was comforting to know that I was not being told by some Wrangler to throw myself in front of a train to stop the troops from going to war.
In all, I spent seven years in the Australian bush welcoming a delightful surprise each day and addressing each of the local animals by name. The last period involved loving a woman, raising a child and building a stone cottage. When I eventually returned to make a contribution to society, I regarded the move as "flying on instruments" but it somehow seemed the appropriate thing to do with my life.Mike: Thanks for your letter, Paul. In case you believe that we need to have a majority of the population obtain your level of consciousness, you might appreciate http://ninelegs.com which is attempting to achieve this goal. Seems like you consistantly nineleg.
Paul: Yes, I lapped up 4 + 5 Legs with gusto.
Mike: You mention being "Wrangled" Here's what one of our student's just wrote about that: "Wrangler experiences have been a major force to be reckoned with in my life for the past couple of years, especially since I started this nature-connected counseling course. Exposing my wrangler voices in these exercises has been some of the best therapy I have ever given to myself. I also gain self-esteem when I hear others' wrangler stories, as I understand that this is a universal challenge, and not some major flaw in my personal character. I see the value in combining the 4 and 5 leg thinking into 9-leg, although I do not relate to the language at all, so I am constantly defining when I read the words. I do believe that I am sometimes an agent for supporting a learning environment for those around me, but I have much work to do in being the change myself first."
From Paul J.
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Integration
I have worked in the complementary healing field for over 30 years and after reading the course material and some of Dr Cohen's work I realized that the direct connection between Nature and the healing process can effect powerful changes in peopleās lives and that of the planet. The two are so intimately connected that the health of humankind is reflected in the health of the planet. How can one treat a human being without observing her/his relationship to the Gaia, the mother of us all?
I work mainly with women of all ages. I have young clients suffering from Anorexia Nervosa and various addictions, middle aged clients experiencing menopause and elderly women suffering from depression as well as various physical disorders such as arthritis and osteoporosis.
Case 1: Anorexia Nervosa
This client is a 17 year old girl who has had a history of depression. Since she was a small child she felt she didn't belong here and has great difficulty with eating. She was diagnosed as anorexic 6 weeks ago, and had suffered heart problems as a result. I started working with her after this diagnosis. I found that she also has a problem with being grounded. I intuited that this was her first incarnation on Earth, and that she felt lost and disoriented here.
I felt it the most important aspect of her treatment was to get her grounded to help her feel safe. This involved getting her to connect with earth as an element and as Nature by being in a beautiful natural area and connecting to the environment in a focused way as outlined in the NSTP course. She spends time in Nature daily and has made good progress. She now eats three meals a day with enjoyment. Her weight has picked up; her depression has lifted and for the first time she has expressed joy at being on earth.
Case 2: Menopause & depression
A 56 year old woman has been experiencing symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, depression, tiredness and loss of enthusiasm for life over the past year or so. She came to me about 4 weeks ago.
She lives in town and previously had not had much experience in Nature besides holidays at the sea. All her children had left home, and her marriage was "boring and lifeless". I started her treatment with a ritual to help her acknowledge moving into the wise woman or "Crone" archetype. She now has an understanding of the spiritual aspect of this time of her life, and that she is being drawn to connect in a stronger way to the earth. She now has taken up gardening as well as spending time using the NSTP exercises in nature. She is also taking Black Cohosh herb to assist with the physical symptoms.
The change in this woman is very positive. She has vigour, enthusiasm and energy and is passionate about nature. She now regularly walks with the mountain club and has lost weight.
From Diana W.
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The Natural Sense of Community: Maryland
Where we live, on the Eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in and out like fingers slimming at the tips. They curl into the smaller creeks and coves like tender palms.
The Canadian geese know this place, as do the white swans and the ducks who ride an inch above the waves of Chesapeake Bay as they skim their way into harbor in the autumn. By the thousands they come home for the winter. The swans move toward the shores in a stately glide, their tall heads proud and unafraid.
They lower their long necks deep into the water, where their strong beaks dig through the river bottoms for food. And there is, between the arrogant swans and the prolific geese, an indifference, almost a disdain.
Once or twice each year, snow and sleet move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, or the creek shallow there is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.
It was on such a morning near Osford, Maryland, that a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Across the river, beyond the dock, the snow laced the rim of the shore in white. For a moment she stood quietly, looking at what the night storm had painted.
Sudden she leaned forward and peered close to the frosted window.
"It really is" she cried out loud. "There is a goose out there!" She reached to the bookcase and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Into their sights came the figure of a large Canadian goose, very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to the ice.
Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They moved in their own singular formation, graceful, intrepid, and free. They crossed from the west of the broad creek high above the house, moving steadily to the east.
As my friend watched, the leader swung to the right, then the white string of birds became a white circle. It floated from the top of the sky downward.
At last, as easy as feathers coming to earth, the circle landed on the ice.
My friend was on her feet now, with one unbelieving hand against her mouth.
As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life he still had might be pecked out by those great swan bills.
Instead, amazingly instead, those bills began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again; it went on for a long time. At last, the goose was rimmed by a narrow margin of ice instead of the entire creek. The swans rose again, following the leader, and hovered in that circle, awaiting the results of their labors.
The goose's head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free and standing on the ice. He was moving his big, webbed feet slowly. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if he had cried "I cannot fly!", four of the swans came down around him. Their powerful beaks scraped the goose's wings from top to bottom, scuttled under its wings and rose up its body, chipping off and melting the ice held in its feathers.
Slowly, as if testing, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go, brought them together, accordion-like, and spread again.
When at last the wings reached their fullest, the four swans took off and joined the hovering group. They resumed their eastward journey, in perfect formation, to their secret destination.
Behind them, rising with incredible speed and joy, the goose moved into the sky. He followed them, flapping double time, until he caught up, until he joined the last end of the line, like a small child at the end of a crack-the-whip of older boys.
My friend watched them until they disappeared over the tips of the farthest trees. Only then, in the dusk which was suddenly deep, did she realize that tears were running down her cheeks and had been for how long she did not know.
This is a true story. It happened. I do not try to interpret it. I just think of it in the bad moments, and from it comes only one hopeful question: "If so for birds, why not for man?"From Marlow S.
Continued: enjoy additional personal first-hand NNIAL related stories
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