The Threefold Gaze
A Spiritual Lens for a Flourishing Life
Web of Being
Seeking Transcendence through Nature
When asked about their spirituality, many, if not most, people make reference to nature. From the infinite vastness of outer space to the unfathomable depths of the ocean, it is no wonder that nature causes us to feel like a small part of something much larger. The aspects of nature that call to something deep within me include webs of connectivity, from root systems to neurons, and unexpected hints of life and consciousness that spark the imagination to wonder -- such as the startling discovery that the universe is humming!
HUMAN NATURE, FAERIE-FAITH, AND THE PAGAN SUBCULTURE
Dissertation by Sarah Goodrich
This text speaks to the human need for re-enchantment in the midst of a fast-paced, machine-driven world. The author argues that we are too "scientific" these days, in the worst sense of the word. Key concepts include:
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Reality - Who is to say that what is known empirically is more real that what is imagined or intuited with the perceiving senses?
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Imagination - Are there things that are invisible, yet still very real?
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Play - This paper points out that in past eras there were rituals and rites and festivals and all sorts of ways that play was incorporated into adult life. Modernism has robbed grownups of play!
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Ritual - Ritual is a sensual physical activity mirroring a larger Event. Ceremonial observance of the many rhythms of nature can restore a sense of "occasion" and ritual to our lives that was lost when technology rendered humans so detached from the movement of seasons.
Sacred Earth, Sacred Soul
by John Philip Newell
According to the Celtic Tradition, we humans suffer from "soul forgetfulness." Newell writes, "We have forgotten who we are and have fallen out of true relationship with the earth and with one another."
In this book, Newell traces the trajectory of Christianity through its Celtic lineage, which viewed the feminine as sacred and worshipped without temples, out under the skies.
This view offers a transcendent view of the Christianity that might-have-been.
The Hidden Life of Trees
by Peter Wohlleben
This book captures the imagination when it comes to the possibility that human beings are not the only keepers of consciousness in this world. The author walks the reader through an ancient forest, explaining how trees nurture their young, revere their elders, sacrifice for one another, and communicate information with remarkable speed and detail.
Reading this book gave me a whole new appreciation for the interconnectedness of all life.
“Singularity (after Stephen Hawking)” by Marie Howe
THE UNIVERSE IS HUMMING
Scientific American reports that scientists have discovered that "a background hum pervades the universe," and they are scrambling to figure out why.
In the June 2023 issue of the Atlantic, Adam Frank explores the implications for us humans:
"The whole universe is humming. Actually, the whole universe is Mongolian throat singing. Every star, every planet, every continent, every building, every person is vibrating along to the slow cosmic beat...
Every proton and neutron in every atom from the tip of your toes to the top of your head is shifting, shuttling, and vibrating in a collective purr within which the entire history of the universe is implicated. And if you put your hand down on a chair or table or anything else nearby, that object, too, is dancing that slow waltz.
The gravitational-wave background is huge news for the cosmos, yes, but it’s also huge news for you. The nature of reality has not changed—you will not suddenly be able to detect vibrations in your morning coffee that you couldn’t see before. And yet, moments like these can and should change how each of us sees our world. All of a sudden, we know that we are humming in tune with the entire universe, that each of us contains the signature of everything that has ever been."
This is Transcendence!
The realization that we are literally vibrating in unison with everything that was, and now is, in this universe. If you ever needed evidence that you are part of something larger than yourself, woven into a web of being, stitched into a greater story, this is it!
Transcendence and Dreams:
A Macro and Micro Perspective on Matter and Mattering
Once upon a time, panpsychism, the view that all things have a psyche or soul, dominated human thought. Enlightenment science strangled this view, but more recent scientific discoveries demand we give it another look...
"This collection of 47,000 genetically identical stems is said to be one living organism because every stem shares a collective root system. Though the individual trees average at 130 years old, the root system is 80,000 years old, also making it the oldest living organism in the world"
- Sophia Christou)