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Program
Outcomes:
an online program participant, shares his results from a nature-connecting
activity.
UNITY IN NATURE: IS NATURAL
REASONING AS RELIABLE AS LOGICAL THOUGHT?
I went out into the backyard
at the place I rent, and I have to say that I was thinking that
the cars driving by would irritate me. But when I sat down and
just asked for permission to be there immediately I smelled sweet
blossoms from some of the bushes around the yard and noticed
all kinds of tiny flowers, colors and shades I hadn't noticed
before. Really all the different plants, many people would call
weeds, and the few trees there, make it a beautiful place, so
I thanked the area and felt happy and peaceful. Just before this
reasoning I was starting to feel stressed thinking about how
I was going to get all the things done that I need finished soon.
I was particularly struck by
the Carl Jung saying that our feelings are as reasonable and
consistent as abstract thinking. I thought after doing the exercise
that maybe my feelings have been more consistent than my abstract
thinking, I just haven't been listening to them. This activity
helps me remember that my feelings are as consistent or more
consistent than logical thought. That creating awareness of the
natural world around me through being thankful really opens up
my senses. That I need to make time to reconnect with nature,
even in very busy times.
I'm just happy that the back
yard of this place is such a nice place to go, I would be sad
if it weren't there, I think I'm becoming more aware of it everyday
in a deeper way. It is like nature took my senses, (once I was
paying attention and being thankful), and hit me in the face
with all the beautiful things that I hadn't noticed before. I
trust that nature can provide that feeling anytime I want to
take notice.
I felt like this natural reasoning
activity showed me that I can't really go looking for things
of interest in the world, maybe I'll find a few things this way,
but what would be more beneficial would be to open my self to
sensing what the natural attractions of the world have to show
me.
I felt myself attracted to
what Sheri said about not feeling right around environments that
are kept too "pristine" or artificial. I really prefer
the wild arrangements out in the forest and along wild shorelines.
I like what Karen said about learning to let go and shed the
old, it was a preoccupation with the dead leaves, on the fern
she described, rather than being absorbed by the new growth.
It seems like the "new growth" is everywhere but it
is hard to "see" when your focused on the old dead
stuff. I felt attracted to Tamlin's experience in the woods as
darkness fell, especially the interesting sounding glow worms.
It just reminds me of the magic of nature, especially at night,
when we usually go inside. I went out the other night after reading
her post and saw a planet near the crescent moon just above a
red/pink sunset, I thought there could be a no more beautiful
picture.
I think a prime value of natural
reasoning is to remember the importance of being thankful to
the natural world for the wonderful webstring
senses it gives us. Especially to remember that people are part
of the natural world. I am thankful to others for the many things
they have given me, but I tend to forget that people are part
of the natural world/nature also.
Thankfulness and respect are
key to building well being. Abstract thought alone separates
us from the logic of our senses. With our senses enlivened through
these activities, a world opens conspiring to fill us with joyful
connection.
After sleeping on these ideas,
I actually feel like I do when I have a good dream, like I want
to experience it more, I feel drawn outside more, I want to see
if it's still as real as it seemed before.
I have put the idea that my
feelings are just as reliable as logical thought into a safe
place. I really have ignored feelings that I "knew"
were right at times in my life, but I thought I had better logical
reasons for disregarding them. I wonder how many feelings I'm
still disregarding just because I'm not aware of them, just like
the reading where people said the
color printed name, rather than the real color they sensed visually.
Act now.
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Psychology by doing it.
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