All living things are inherently connected

 

            Because all matter is energy and all energy is matter, every living thing on the planet is in a state of infinite connectedness. We’re all made out of the same stuff. How we interact with other humans, nature, cosmology, and consciousness itself has a cause-and-effect relationship to the well-being of ourselves and our ecosystems. Most of us feel a peaceful bonding with nature when we take a stroll in a lush forest or sit by the side of a graceful stream. We feel connected. We feel part of something bigger than ourselves, and the feeling strokes our souls and brings respite from the stresses of life. But is it something more than just a good feeling that connects us to nature?

            Studies show how plants and humans react similarly, if not identically, to the same chemicals. In the early 1900s, physiologist Jagadis Bose covered large, mature trees with a tent and then introduced them to chloroform, which they breathed through their stomata. The trees could then be uprooted and replanted without them going into shock. He also found that the plants’ pulse rate was reduced by morphine, similar to humans. If a plant was given too much, Bose gave it atropine which revived it just like humans. He also discovered that alcohol could make a plant drunk and give it a hangover the next day. No matter what chemical he tried, Bose found that the effects on the nervous systems of both plants and humans were identical. This makes absolute sense because our bodies' neurochemicals were also part of every form of life way before humans appeared on the earth.

            If we explore how nature is connected to itself, we will see how that same connection is also the binding agent in all living things, humans included. All of nature is connected by mycelium, a fungus that spreads like an information superhighway acting as a bridge between all plant life. Without mycelium, trees could not communicate with each other to support growth and prevent diseases and pestilence or even share stored water during periods of drought. It helps plants reach maturity by breaking down harmful toxins in the environment and turning them into useable nutrients. Some think this fungus can build new structures and even help us occupy a new planet.

It's clear that mycelium is the neurological network of nature that infuses various habitats with information-sharing membranes. Mycologist Paul Stamets said these membranes are aware, react to change, and collectively help keep the environment healthy. He said, "I see the mycelium as the Earth's natural Internet, a consciousness with which we might be able to communicate. Through cross-species interfacing, we may one day exchange information with these sentient cellular networks. Because these externalized neurological nets sense any impression upon them, from footsteps to falling tree branches, they could relay enormous amounts of data regarding the movements of all organisms through the landscape."

Earth's natural internet tells us that all things on earth have consciousness, including animals, plants, water, and minerals. Everything. Because they are made from energy, they contain consciousness, and we can gain much in the spiritual awakening by literally hugging a tree. All consciousness can communicate if we learn how to be still and feel vibrational energy. Nature does it. Humans do it. So, it stands to reason nature and humans can communicate with each other, draw energy from each other and become one in spirit.

We must return to a perspective of anima mundi, a Latin term for "the soul of the universe," which suggests an intrinsic connection between all living things on the planet, which relates to the world in much the same way the soul is connected to the human body. We must see the cosmos as alive and the earth as a living being. We must recognize that our living soul is connected to the whole of nature and that tapping into that connection can provide us with spiritual clarity, a deeper understanding of others, cosmic enlightenment about the universe, and even link us with another dimension. The concept implies the existence of an intermediary connection or link between spirit and matter. If that sounds a bit optimistic, it probably is if you don't put your whole heart and soul into this perspective.

Our spiritual energy levels can literally be increased as we commune with nature, and we, in turn, can endow nature with our own spiritual energy. Concentration, meditation, and willfully attempting to give and get energy can be mutually beneficial because, again, we're all connected. I'm not just talking about a peaceful, sanguine camping trip, but rather, becoming completely immersed in nature's luminosity that magnifies your spiritual vibration over time. In this state, might it be possible to pierce the veil of physical and spiritual while physically alive? Does it mean our intuitions are actually literal predictors coming to us from all those natural and cosmic connections? And when we get really good at it, can we spiritually will our soul or consciousness to travel to different places throughout the universe? Yes, again, because everything is connected.

Many who have had Near Death Experiences or believe in astral projection (an intentional out-of-body experience) know it is possible through expanded consciousness. But it all starts with putting ourselves in harmony with nature and viewing ourselves as part of the mycelium super-highway that connects us. In India's most sacred books, the Vedas is a teaching that the human body is composed of and related to the Earth's five elements.

According to Dr. Pankaj Jain, "The human nose is related to earth, tongue to water, eyes to fire, skin to air, and ears to space. This bond between our senses and the elements is the foundation of our human relationship with the natural world. For the Vedas, nature and the environment as not outside us, not alien or hostile. They are an inseparable part of our existence, and they constitute our very bodies."

I'll end it here by quoting Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas (a Coptic text): "His disciples said to him, "When will the kingdom come?" Jesus said, "It will not come by waiting for it. It will not be a matter of saying 'here it is' or 'there it is.' Rather, the kingdom of the father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it."