Shifting Consciousness through Nature Connection
A solution for climate issues
*note - this post is too long for email. Please go to Substack to read full article.
After teaching my workshop at Earth Beat Festival, I received quite a few messages and feedback from participants who wanted to have digital access to the course. So, I have compiled my Slides and important talking points to bring you…
So, what do I mean by this title? In autumn 2023, I was visiting one of my best friends Emma in the Central Coast of California. We were discussing my experience with entheogenic/psychedelic medicine and how it taught me to surrender and let go of control, especially to something bigger than myself, a higher source of power that comes from these plants. Emma responded saying she felt the same with her surfing. When she surrendered to the great power of the ocean, her surfing improved, she shifted her consciousness like I did with psychedelics and she felt a greater connection to nature. And that was when the hypothesis clicked for me - could shifting consciousness through connecting to nature in various ways make humans more sustainable, thus improving climate issues?
Human consciousness is often compared to a stream—it is constantly changing, but always flowing smoothly. The way that your thoughts drift from one topic to another can feel effortless even when the thoughts you're having are dramatically different. If one moment you're thinking about this presentation and the next moment you find yourself thinking about your underwear, you can thank your current state of consciousness.
ASCs, or altered states of consciousness, have likely been part of the human cognitive repertoire for at least 100,000 years, if not longer. Art composed of motifs indicating sensory deprivation and commonly-associated forms of visual hallucination can be seen as early as 70,000-100,000 years ago in caves in South Africa. Archaeological evidence for institutionalized ASCs has been found in human societies across the globe and throughout human history. Such as in Pre-Columbian Maya society ritually consumed balché, a mead-like drink made with a hallucinogenic plant.
However, contemporary mainstream culture does not fully embrace these practices in rituals, healing practices, or as part of ordinary life. The idea that bodies might be possessed by demons, witches, or spirits, especially because of religious mandates, prevents people from allowing for ASCs.
But, arguably, humans who used ASCS regularly were more connected to nature and the earth AND we had less anthropogenic climate issues.
Research also suggests that the nature-deficit weakens ecological literacy and stewardship of the natural world…
We are looking for a cognitive shift in awareness to get closer to nature.
It brings an awareness that nature is inherently essential to preserve because we are nature as nature is us.
Nature is essential for the survival of the human race.
A big piece is surrender and letting go of control. Getting out of the cognitive behaviors we have been programmed with from colonized society. We need to find a way to follow the laws of nature > capitalism.
And it activates the long-lost memory of an instinctive activity that humans have been doing since the dawn of time. Suddenly you see the forest, your backyard, and your entire life with new eyes; a sudden urge to go face plant into a vast flower meadow
Awareness outside sparks it inside
Living in these communities, we slow down to follow the patterns of nature - living cyclically and cultivating awareness. I felt this while living in Terra Mirim. The truth is, when we feel better, we want to continue this feeling and there is ecopsychological scientific evidence that these types of communities are healthy for not only humans, but the planet.
We are changing our brain chemistry through exercise such as releasing endorphins and being put in a heightened state.
Similar to outdoor sport, we are actually changing our conscious brain chemistry. Sustainability literally becomes survival. An interesting study that I would love to be done is on raw foodists. I have met many across the world who have very similar environmental views and deep conscious and spiritual revelations. Does eating pure plant based raw living food open some sort of higher portal?
We must honor that we originally learned this tradition from Native Americans, however, ecopsychological groups and rehabilitation programs do amazing work in this field.
Also, to use herbs (if one choses to use a substance to induce this state), we need to take care of the planet to grow them.
Entheogen literally translates to “creating the divine within.” They are spiritual medicines that bridge the gap between indigenous cultures and modern science. Such plants and fungi (also animal medicines) have long been used to induce altered states of consciousness and sensory experiences during religious or spiritual practices. These sacred earth medicines are typically taken in ceremony and must be used with cultural competency. These have been taken for thousands of years to directly connect to earth.
It is also important to note that you should look to YOUR local land for medicine. You do not need to travel to South America to experience entheogenic medicine. For example, New Zealand has a variety of native psilocybe species that can help go inward to find expansion and connection. Utilize what grows around you and get deep into the fascinating education!
Not directly in nature, but bring this shift of consciousness to find the desired result. However, all can be done within the context of nature.
WOW! this is quite an informative, thorough and deeply fascinating presentation. I bet your audience was fascinated at your talk. Thank you for sharing it.