Comments on: Back to Nature #5 Consciousness for Sustainabiltiy http://zone5.org/2008/01/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/ ...on the edge between Nature and Culture Thu, 03 May 2012 05:36:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Susan Butler http://zone5.org/2008/01/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/comment-page-1/#comment-17290 Susan Butler Fri, 08 Feb 2008 22:23:07 +0000 http://zone5.org/2008/01/27/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/#comment-17290 <p>So grateful and exited re these ideas! Yes, siene (sorry key after b out) v. important: the operinian revolution huge, took hundreds of years & was an immense liberation. We don't have that muh time now, yet we do have the internet. I was thrilled to understand (Jaynes, "The Origin of onsiousness in the Breakdown of the Biameral Mind;" Jung on primitive soieties without individual egos: his arheologial thoughts on how individuals invested all "ego" into their opulently outfitted heifs or kings, whom they loved to glorify and praise just as we love to do the same for our own egos today! also Kunstler, the Mexio ity part of "The ity in Mind;" Tarnas, "Psyhe and osmos") From these I learned that onsiousness has indeed evolved a lot in history and so may be poised to do so again. (!) This time it will be rapid beause now we are a new "animal" --a global network. (See Barabasi, "Linked") Yes, evolution and quantum mehanis the most important things in siene (also networks) beause for the first time we study wholes.This is itself an evolution. Your remarks on inner rather than outer tweaking reminded me of the last sentene in Diana Leaf hristian's "Finding ommunity," her hapter headed, "The Longest, Most Expensive Personal Growth Workshop You Will Ever Take:" "We set out to hange our world and now ommunity is hanging us." I say this is a time not only of Peak Oil, but also of Peak Ego. I like to exuse humanity of any blame for this by thinking of it as a natural suessional stage of onsiousness. Love the idea that yellow must satisfy the needs of all prior olors --so more nurturant than judgement or opposition! It is like the need to "eat" the shadow side of oneself to grow, ie enompass the duality of our bad and good by seeing and approving both at one time. Loosening "resistane" in this same way (allowing energy flow) also being thought of as the route to wellness from disease. The onditions for development of the awareness and motivation (morality) you speak of may generate naturally as the result of shok therapy if groups have to fend for themselves in risis... I had the awed awareness that, as you say, We Are Nature, when Darren Doherty passionately desribed his vision of how keylining (espeially that beause it is a broad-sale effort) and permaulture will, with rainwater alone, rapidly build soils and ponds, reating lush pasture, then forest belts, then linking these to form wildlife orridors, then evolving on, utterly reforming his terribly beleaguered land, Australia; whereas it is too late for nature, without us, to do this in a human time frame: in a moral time frame.</p> So grateful and exited re these ideas! Yes, siene (sorry key after b out) v. important: the operinian revolution huge, took hundreds of years & was an immense liberation. We don’t have that muh time now, yet we do have the internet. I was thrilled to understand (Jaynes, “The Origin of onsiousness in the Breakdown of the Biameral Mind;” Jung on primitive soieties without individual egos: his arheologial thoughts on how individuals invested all “ego” into their opulently outfitted heifs or kings, whom they loved to glorify and praise just as we love to do the same for our own egos today! also Kunstler, the Mexio ity part of “The ity in Mind;” Tarnas, “Psyhe and osmos”) From these I learned that onsiousness has indeed evolved a lot in history and so may be poised to do so again. (!) This time it will be rapid beause now we are a new “animal” –a global network. (See Barabasi, “Linked”) Yes, evolution and quantum mehanis the most important things in siene (also networks) beause for the first time we study wholes.This is itself an evolution. Your remarks on inner rather than outer tweaking reminded me of the last sentene in Diana Leaf hristian’s “Finding ommunity,” her hapter headed, “The Longest, Most Expensive Personal Growth Workshop You Will Ever Take:” “We set out to hange our world and now ommunity is hanging us.” I say this is a time not only of Peak Oil, but also of Peak Ego. I like to exuse humanity of any blame for this by thinking of it as a natural suessional stage of onsiousness. Love the idea that yellow must satisfy the needs of all prior olors –so more nurturant than judgement or opposition! It is like the need to “eat” the shadow side of oneself to grow, ie enompass the duality of our bad and good by seeing and approving both at one time. Loosening “resistane” in this same way (allowing energy flow) also being thought of as the route to wellness from disease. The onditions for development of the awareness and motivation (morality) you speak of may generate naturally as the result of shok therapy if groups have to fend for themselves in risis… I had the awed awareness that, as you say, We Are Nature, when Darren Doherty passionately desribed his vision of how keylining (espeially that beause it is a broad-sale effort) and permaulture will, with rainwater alone, rapidly build soils and ponds, reating lush pasture, then forest belts, then linking these to form wildlife orridors, then evolving on, utterly reforming his terribly beleaguered land, Australia; whereas it is too late for nature, without us, to do this in a human time frame: in a moral time frame.

]]> By: Albert Bates http://zone5.org/2008/01/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/comment-page-1/#comment-16759 Albert Bates Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:14:08 +0000 http://zone5.org/2008/01/27/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/#comment-16759 <p>I found this whole series to be right on the mark for the times we inhabit and the choices now immediately before us. If we lack the critical mass to step over to the next lily pad, then the human experiment, and quite possibly much of remaining life on Earth, will end and the Fifth World will begin without us. That appears to be the default option on our current line of progression. Alternatively, we still have a choice -- one involving consciousness, transcendence, and epiphany. What lies behind that door is truly wonderful. There are those among us already through the door, pulling others to join them, and there are those trying hard to slam the door shut and bar it. We have the burden of our own evolution from slime and fang, and yet we also have a biological platform presumedly up to the task. To quote Nate Hagens, "Optimism leads to increased frontal cortical activity which itself is a strong predictor of idea generation, positive emotion and overall liveliness of thought. Similarly, sadness is marked by decreased activity in the frontal cortex, which has the negative side affect of reducing the number of overall thoughts and ideas produced." Optimists can be realists, even now. What lies just ahead is a severe dislocation. Its psychological foreshocks are now washing over us, creating anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, and negative reactions. Overcoming that with affirming, positive, hopeful visions is more than merely spiritual, it is essential to our survival. It is easy to say (or deny) we have screwed the pooch, find some rock to sit on, and watch it all collapse. But we have to get up, make soil, de-consume, and save the planet. That takes a consciousness shift.</p> I found this whole series to be right on the mark for the times we inhabit and the choices now immediately before us. If we lack the critical mass to step over to the next lily pad, then the human experiment, and quite possibly much of remaining life on Earth, will end and the Fifth World will begin without us. That appears to be the default option on our current line of progression. Alternatively, we still have a choice — one involving consciousness, transcendence, and epiphany. What lies behind that door is truly wonderful. There are those among us already through the door, pulling others to join them, and there are those trying hard to slam the door shut and bar it. We have the burden of our own evolution from slime and fang, and yet we also have a biological platform presumedly up to the task. To quote Nate Hagens, “Optimism leads to increased frontal cortical activity which itself is a strong predictor of idea generation, positive emotion and overall liveliness of thought. Similarly, sadness is marked by decreased activity in the frontal cortex, which has the negative side affect of reducing the number of overall thoughts and ideas produced.” Optimists can be realists, even now. What lies just ahead is a severe dislocation. Its psychological foreshocks are now washing over us, creating anxiety, insecurity, self-doubt, and negative reactions. Overcoming that with affirming, positive, hopeful visions is more than merely spiritual, it is essential to our survival. It is easy to say (or deny) we have screwed the pooch, find some rock to sit on, and watch it all collapse. But we have to get up, make soil, de-consume, and save the planet. That takes a consciousness shift.

]]> By: Anna O'Kelley http://zone5.org/2008/01/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/comment-page-1/#comment-16733 Anna O'Kelley Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:28:41 +0000 http://zone5.org/2008/01/27/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/#comment-16733 <p>Hi Graham,</p> <p>I’ve been following this series with great interest. You’ve clarified many things for me and put them into a framework that makes sense of much, and in particular that “perplexing question” (“Why do so many people seem to be in denial….result in the end of our current way of life?”). Evolving into yellow involves, as you say, a willingness to hold one’s views less tighly. Personally, this has left me vulnerable to being swayed by many different voices.</p> <p>Green said: ‘We humans are the problem. After the great die-off the earth will find it’s own balance.’ Orange said: ‘Can’t you see how muchTechnology has achieved? It has got us into this mess, and it will also get us out of this mess.’ Blue said: ‘You want to change things for the better? Get a good education, a job, join a political organisation. You can only change the system if you’re a part of it. You can’t just hang around and dream of sustainability. And: How dare you be so ungrateful for all we provided for you!’ Red said: ‘Leave me alone, you and your gloom and doom! I have a right to live my life the way I want to live it.’ Purple said: ‘Your actions are too much dominated by your brain. Be more intuitive, go back to nature, and all you wish for will come to pass!’ … And my own poor little ‘Beige’? ‘I want to survive, but…. Its all getting a bit complicated!!!</p> <p>Thank you for shedding light on the origins of these voices and their limitations. Evolving into ‘Yellow’ is only possible if we stop fighting and blaming these voices. We need to acknowledge that they are part of our human heritage. We also need to be strong enough to transcend them, even if many around us (and just about all those in positions of power) are not ready to do so yet.</p> <p>I think it would be interesting to examine what gives humans the motivation and strength to evolve into ‘Yellow’. I feel that those people who are ‘living the solutions’ - those who are planting the trees, building the cob houses, harvesting the permaculture gardens - have a huge role to play in inspiring people to move towards yellow.</p> <p>Best wishes, Anna</p> Hi Graham,

I’ve been following this series with great interest. You’ve clarified many things for me and put them into a framework that makes sense of much, and in particular that “perplexing question” (“Why do so many people seem to be in denial….result in the end of our current way of life?”). Evolving into yellow involves, as you say, a willingness to hold one’s views less tighly. Personally, this has left me vulnerable to being swayed by many different voices.

Green said: ‘We humans are the problem. After the great die-off the earth will find it’s own balance.’ Orange said: ‘Can’t you see how muchTechnology has achieved? It has got us into this mess, and it will also get us out of this mess.’ Blue said: ‘You want to change things for the better? Get a good education, a job, join a political organisation. You can only change the system if you’re a part of it. You can’t just hang around and dream of sustainability. And: How dare you be so ungrateful for all we provided for you!’ Red said: ‘Leave me alone, you and your gloom and doom! I have a right to live my life the way I want to live it.’ Purple said: ‘Your actions are too much dominated by your brain. Be more intuitive, go back to nature, and all you wish for will come to pass!’ … And my own poor little ‘Beige’? ‘I want to survive, but…. Its all getting a bit complicated!!!

Thank you for shedding light on the origins of these voices and their limitations. Evolving into ‘Yellow’ is only possible if we stop fighting and blaming these voices. We need to acknowledge that they are part of our human heritage. We also need to be strong enough to transcend them, even if many around us (and just about all those in positions of power) are not ready to do so yet.

I think it would be interesting to examine what gives humans the motivation and strength to evolve into ‘Yellow’. I feel that those people who are ‘living the solutions’ – those who are planting the trees, building the cob houses, harvesting the permaculture gardens – have a huge role to play in inspiring people to move towards yellow.

Best wishes, Anna

]]> By: Gareth http://zone5.org/2008/01/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/comment-page-1/#comment-16674 Gareth Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:55:39 +0000 http://zone5.org/2008/01/27/back-to-nature-5-consciousness-for-sustainabiltiy/#comment-16674 <p>This seems like an awful lot of words to say that we need more people to think about the planet as a whole if we are going to survive. Granted I'm missing some subtle stuff but that seemed to be the gist of it. The model is interesting but what real use it it?</p> <p>What I'm interested in is what happens once people care - long-term global approaches or piecemeal geographical/sector-specific attacks on the problem. Local stuff in your town. Stuff in your house. I just can't see where this consciousness stuff gets us.</p> This seems like an awful lot of words to say that we need more people to think about the planet as a whole if we are going to survive. Granted I’m missing some subtle stuff but that seemed to be the gist of it. The model is interesting but what real use it it?

What I’m interested in is what happens once people care – long-term global approaches or piecemeal geographical/sector-specific attacks on the problem. Local stuff in your town. Stuff in your house. I just can’t see where this consciousness stuff gets us.

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