NATURE DEGREE: Intertwine Established Vision Quest Passage and Grand Ethics Puzzle

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest-a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
                                -Albert Einstein

This course, Einstein's World developed by Dr. Michael J. Cohen, enables its participants to 'discover how to prevent contemporary, nature-separated thinking from deteriorating personal growth and responsible relationships. Increasing your marketability, effectiveness and global citizenship by educating and counseling with nature using the Natural System Thinking Process.' The Natural Systems Thinking Process is an innate, multi-sensory, organic, experience allowing natural attractions found in nature to demonstrate and teach its wisdom. Living in the present moment and in harmony with its environment, nature teaches us to re-connect with our inner-nature, enabling us to re-connect that which has been disconnected. The following will describe important statements/concepts that I was attracted to (as well as, the senses' activated) during the course, why they are significant, summarizing what I will do with them…

    “Survival is an essence of Nature and its perfection.” (p.9) If it wasn't perfect, it would not have been able to have continued to thrive eons before mankind and will be doing the same for eons after man is gone. Within me this statement attracts the senses of; #52-sense of survival by joining a more established organism, #35-sense of self; friendship, companionship, and power, and #34-sense of emotional place, of community, belonging, support, trust, and thankfulness.

    “It (NSTP) empowers individuals to participate powerfully in strengthening mental health, and reducing physical disorders and chemical dependencies.” (p1-4) I was attracted to the Natural Systems Thinking Process when I first learned about it. The reason I am attracted to this statement is that it doesn't say or do anything that cannot be demonstrated and found in every aspect of the natural universe…in every moment. When I sense, and am in contact with my nature and that of the environment around me, I learn how to live in the moment…without fear. The attractive senses that resonate with this passage and my experiences are; #34-sense of emotional place, of community, belonging, support, trust, and thankfulness, #35-sense of self; friendship, companionship, and power, and #40-sense of humility, appreciation, and ethics.

    “Webstrings are what you sense, think, or feel while permitting yourself to be in conscious contact with our living planet; they make manifest the part of it that sensuously resides within you, your inner nature. By being reasonable and consenting to produce this moment, you have created this safe opportunity to enjoy and respect more fully your sensory way of knowing, which we have inherited from nature.” (p3-10) I sense that it is reasonable (#42-sense of reason) to live in the present moment as nature teaches us to do. We are but a piece of the grand puzzle, no more, no less. Everything we need to survive is within our nature, for natural environments embody this. It is the sense of humility, appreciation, and ethics (#40) that attracts me to this statement.

    “I discovered that this giant root attracted me because there is a part of me that longs to be consciously connected to Earth every moment, every place, to be open at all times to the message and lessons and energy there. It is so important to live in the moment by choosing to be alive. Nature is always there calling. All I have to do is choose to listen. Listen with my heart.” (Avery S.-Ch.6 Intro) This statement is attractive to me because I can sense, feel, the written words of the connection that is being yearned for…to fully live in each moment, connected with nature, the same as the root is intertwined within Earth. The senses that resonate within my nature are; #34-sense of emotional place, of community, belonging, support, trust, and thankfulness, #10-hearing; including resonance, vibration, sonar, and ultrasonic frequencies, #43-sense of mind and consciousness, and #52- sense of survival by joining a more established organism.

    “Excellent medical thinking and research have created surgical techniques that reattach an amputated arm back to the body. If reconnected properly, the arm will, in time, function normally. Part of this art is the reconnecting surgical technology our thinking has intellectually devised to bring the arm back into proper contact with the body. The remainder of the procedure is our intelligence to trust that once the reconnection is made, only nature itself has the webstring wisdom to heal the rupture and rejoin the arm and body as an integrated organism. We don't know how to achieve this final attachment; nature does.” (p6-3,4) This statement was particularly attractive because I have experienced this awareness and use of intelligence to reattach my right forearm. Since learning and actively seeking to become my truest nature via the Natural Systems Thinking Process…only once I learned to trust in my own nature (as is constantly being demonstrated in natural environments) did the true healing begin. The reconnection took place more than 20 years ago, but in the past couple of years have made more progress and am reconnecting sensitivities that were once completely severed and told would never completely heal. We, as humans beings, may never know how to “achieve this final attachment”…so long as we stay dis-connected from the whole of nature…the web of life. The senses that were attracted through this statement are; #9-electromagnetic sense and polarity, which includes the ability to generate current (as in the nervous system and brain waves) or other energies, #25-pain, external and internal, #26-mental or spiritual distress, #34-sense of emotional place, of community, belonging, support, trust, and thankfulness, and #35- sense of self; friendship, companionship, and power.

“Observation IV: As I continued along the trail, I had the sense of 'whispering' just in front of me. 'There's the one who asked permission to be here”. And each time I 'heard' this, I thanked them. I was surprised at the number of animals that seemed undisturbed by my presence. I had not seen so many animals on my previous walks here in the park. And the sweet voices of the birds touched and open my heart. It felt like a mutual “love fest”. That's the only way to describe it for me. As I was being gifted by their voices, it seems that they were feeling gifted by me asking permission and my increased awareness. What a beautiful flow. The amazing thing I learned is that it is so simple! Just honor, respect, and ask permission…and what a “love gift” I received.” (p7-12) This entire statement is attractive to me. Her awareness now sensed the things, plants, and animals that were always present, just out of awareness and connection. In asking for permission, nature “gifts” us with the wisdom we have always known, just became dis-connected from. Just “honor, respect, and ask permission”…so simple…so rewarding. The senses attracted in this statement are; #10-hearing; including resonance, vibration, sonar, and ultrasonic frequencies, #32-elctrmagnetic fields, #34-sense of emotional place, of community, belonging, support, trust, and thankfulness, and #40-sense of humility, appreciation, and ethics.

“Webstrings help us become more aware of nature's intelligence.” Dr. Dawkins (p7-12)   In seeking the intelligence and wisdom of something that will always survive (nature), our connection via webstrings allows us to tap into this ancient way of being and integrity. The sensitivities attracted within me are: #42-reasoning, including memory and the capacity for logic and science, and #52-sense of survival by joining a more established organism.

The significance of these attractions for me are, multi-fold and linked to one another…just as it is with nature and the sensory web of life in the natural universe. Doing the activities in Einstein's World have:

-increased awareness of my own being and the natural environment around me
-provided examples of our interwoven and shared experiences in the natural world, that create a wise, living, web of life in which we all play a part
-demonstrated the relationships with nature through sensory-webstrings and their benevolent sense of well-being, community, and trust
-given clarity and purpose to my own life-path, journey, and healing, which has evolved from life's experiences and personal dis-connection and re-connection with my true nature

These attractions have fostered an awareness and vision that is both, exciting and trustworthy of every sense in my being. Having participated in the Natural Systems Thinking Process and Einstein's World, as well as, having witnessed and experienced the loving, healing, wisdom nature provides in each moment…I will be taking this knowledge and presenting it to the Wounded Warrior Project for returning veterans who have become dis-connected from their natural world. In doing so I will also be taking the next step towards my own vision quest…creating a place in nature where we can re-connect with our inner-nature to heal our dis-connected psyche and nature.

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Achieve a degree or certification that strengthens your contributions as a counselor, healer, teacher, environmentalist, coach, therapist, spiritualist, leader or health and wellness mentor.

You may obtain an Educating, Counseling and Healing With Nature degree or certificate in conjunction with:

INSTITUTE OF GLOBAL EDUCATION
Special NGO consultant United Nations Economic and Social Council

PROJECT NATURECONNECT

Readily available, online, organic psychology tools
for the health of person, planet and spirit

P.O. Box 1605, Friday Harbor, WA 98250
360-378-6313 <nature@interisland.net> www.ecopsych.com

ADVANCED ECOPSYCHOLOGY IN ACTION

The Natural Systems Thinking Process

Dr. Michael J. Cohen, Director

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All programs start with the Orientation Course contained in the book
The Web of Life Imperative.