So often in our modern world, we are conditioned to perceive our reality through a fragmented lens that: severs body and mind from spirit; segregates science from the sacred; separates culture from planet; disconnects self from other. This false sense of separation is perhaps the single largest global issue on our planet. It is separation that allows one to cause harm, steal, cheat, even murder another. It is separation that allows humans to ravage the Earth, strip her of her natural resources, giving little to nothing in return but garbage, for one's own personal gain and convenience. It is separation that veils the beauty of life and the ability to witness the magic that is occurring in each and every moment. It is separation that allows one to judge another for how they look, think, or act when we have more in common than we do in different. It is separation that polarizes individuals who may think differently than another, when at the end of the day, we all want the same thing which is to be seen, heard, loved, and have a sense of belonging in the world. It is separation that urges one to turn their heads and look the other way when passing a man on the corner begging for change. It is separation that allows man to wage war against another, steal another man's land, draw illusive boundaries and build walls that divide us from one another. It is separation that makes us believe in individualism, scarcity, supply and demand that sets us against one another in competition. It is separation that fragments our mind, body, and spirit, detaching us from our own full potential to doubt and even fear the power and wisdom that is innately within us. It is separation that blinds us from our true nature, our purpose in life, and what it truly means to be alive.
What if separation was an illusion? A device to strip away our ability to strengthen and amplify each other's dreams by uniting as one in sacred harmony so that those in power can use their power to manipulate and control the masses to their will. What if there was another way to live, to dance with the world, to be? What if instead of creating boundaries and division from our own full potential as humans, we chose to live in our fullest, most expansive state as unified, whole, complete, One? Or perhaps life is simply a process of remembering this truth, a sacred contract of the Collective Soul returning to Earth again and again to remember the truth of itself.
If we look beyond our social conditioning, we can see sacred interconnections are the fundamental building blocks that conduct the grand orchestration of life. Providing not only the interdependence of each of our physiological systems within our bodies, but can also be found everywhere in our external world from the dynamic interplay of our geographical environment, to our near identical DNA that we share with each other, to our similar hierarchy of needs as humans, to our common desire to know what exists beyond this material plane, and so much more.
Interconnection within Earth’s Ecosystems
Planet Earth is perhaps the most obvious example of oneness with her myriad of ecosystems that interplay and interdepend on one another for the coherence of the planet. Scaling from the tiniest, near untraceable to the naked eye microorganisms in the cells of every living thing, to the vast and ever expansive microcosms of our solar system, every single organism depends and relies on a complex interweaving of systems that orchestrate their part in the grand web of life. The sun, as the ultimate source of energy in the center of the solar system, has a gravitational force that pulls Earth to the precise distance that makes life on this planet possible. Plants, also known as producers, synthesize sunlight to create energy for ecosystems to survive. Animals and insects, also known as consumers, eat the plants and transfer energy from one trophic level to another. Larger animals eat those consumers creating a dynamic and interconnected food chain. When organisms die, decomposers like fungi and bacteria break down the physical structure releasing nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen back into the environment which is then used by the producers (plants) to continue the process of photosynthesis, unifying the ever circling web of life.
Looking at the world as a whole, according to National Geographic, tropical forests produce approximately 34% of the oxygen on earth. Even the seemingly desolateness of the desert contributes to Earth’s biodiversity as valuable dust from the desert floor travels thousands of miles to feed ecosystems within oceans and forests the vital nutrients like iron that are necessary for these environments to survive. This complex and dynamic web of life is evidence of the first law of thermodynamics which states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed, however it can be converted from one form to another. If energy cannot be created nor destroyed, then it is the same singular mass of energy that is simply being recycled into various forms and extensions of itself. This is the direct reflection of oneness.
Interconnection of Humanity and Nature
Like all living things, humans are also dependent on nature for survival. It is Earth’s ecosystem that provides the water that we drink, the food that we eat, the air that we breath, the natural resources necessary to build every day products. Yet, we live in a time where humans have learned how to manipulate nature for their own personal gain. Growing large monocrops that strip nutrients from the soil, completely disregarding the cycles of nature that create balance and restoration of these vital nutrients. Many also use herbicides and pesticides to kill off any species that may destroy or compete with a particular crop that is growing, ignoring the importance of biodiversity for ecosystem resiliency so that they can grow more food on a smaller piece of land. Human intelligence has allowed humans to quickly climb the top of the food chain. Yet, why can’t this same intelligence be used to recognize the complexity and fragility of these interdependent systems to work in harmony with nature? As consumers (individuals who buy and consume goods) we can use our purchasing power to support businesses who practice ethics of sustainability and regeneration to work in harmony with nature rather than against it. Humans are not separate from nature, but rather an integral part of the whole.
Interconnection within Humanity
One of the most mind blowing developments in modern society is the perception of separation of self and other human beings. Humans share 99.9% identical DNA, yet so many focus on that .1 % difference. Predominant issues over race, ethnicity, and gender are constructed from a .1% difference! We have more in common biologically than we do in different, yet it is still so challenging for so many to fully open themselves in love and acceptance for those who are perceived as different than themselves. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we all require the same physiological, psychological, emotional, and self-fulfillment needs for survival. Physiologically, we all require air, food, water, shelter, sleep, security and safety as a basic foundation just to sustain ourselves. Scaling up the pyramid to our psychological and emotional needs, we all require love, the ability to feel seen, heard, accepted, and to have a sense of belonging in the world. Even further, up the pyramid, we all require the same self-fulfillment needs which is to have a sense of purpose and meaning in life.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of difference between individuals are the personal beliefs that we perceive to be true. Perceptions are created from the conditioning of environmental and cultural influences which vary across time and space. Thus, there is no subjective truth to reality that is actually true, except the truth to the person that is perceiving it. If we could reframe the way that we see even our own perceptions as the amalgamation of our unique experiences with the environment rather than something that defines each person fundamentally, how different do you think the world would be? Do you think there would be such polarization politically, religiously, culturally, and even intellectually? Do you think that there would be so much division between the rich and poor? Do you think there would be the same level of judgment, crime, thievery, and even violence between one another? My guess is No!
Interconnection within Self
The human body is structured into levels of interconnected parts and systems that rely on each other for the functioning of the whole. From the smallest cells that convert food into energy for the entire system to perform; to the tissues that support all of the organs, muscles, joints and bones in place; to the muscles that create strength for the body to locomote; to the bones that provide the base to the physical structure; to the brain and nervous system that operate the physical structure and supporting systems. The entire human body is a collection of deeply interwoven systems that rely on one another to enliven the physical container.
There is growing research being done that highlights the fundamental connection between brain and body. Our body experiences the external world through sensory input. The body then communicates this sensory information to the brain and the brain processes that information to decide what chemicals to release in response to that sensory input. This neurochemical communication is what regulates blood sugar levels, hormone levels, heart rate, temperature, respiration and the expression of genes. It is also what allows the body to react to life threatening situations. This is communication happens bidirectionally. First, from bottom up as the brain receives information from sensory input of the body, and from top bottom as the brain communicates neurochemically to the body how to respond. The functioning of the physiological systems comes from the coherence, or the rhythmic harmony, between the mind and body, meaning they are inextricably interconnected.
Interconnection of Science with Sacred
While modern science is still uncovering new depths of environmental, physiological, and sociological interconnections of life, this information is far from newly understood. Ancient wisdom traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and various Indigenous traditions have understood and practiced the concepts of oneness as the fundamental truth to life for thousands and thousands of years. In Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism, reality consists of non-duality. This means that the individual self is not separate from, but rather an extension of the ultimate, transcendent God known as Brahman. Not understanding this truth is considered
ignorance. In classical Yogic tradition, the word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word that means to yoke. Symbolically, it represents the unification of mind, body and spirit. It is through this unification that facilitates the self-realization of our sacred connection with the divine (also known as Samadhi). Oneness is also central to Buddhist practice. A chair is not singularly a chair, it is also the tree that provided the raw material of wood, it is the cloud that formed the condensation for the rain to fall that allowed the tree to grow, it is the sun that provided light for the tree to grow, it is the arborist that cut down the tree, and the carpenter that shaped the wood into form. Without each of these integral parts, there is no chair. Therefore the chair consists of interrelated systems and individuals to complete the whole. Regardless of your personal religious beliefs, the fact that so many wisdom traditions share this fundamental belief of oneness speaks volumes to the profundity and significance of life as we know it.
Conclusion
The entire existence of life as we know it is a collection of sacred connections. Ranging from the smallest microorganisms in the cell of every living thing, to the ecosystems of the Earth, to the mutually shared basic, human needs for survival, to the geographic precision of Earth to the Sun, all of life is interdependent on one another for the functioning of the whole. Realizing this truth could be our one true purpose in this life. Tapping into oneness frequency expands our potential exponentially, giving more depth and meaning to life, and allowing our reach to touch beyond the physical limitations. Life is not about how independent that we are and how well we can walk this path alone in isolation, but rather how willing we are able to lean on one another for support. It’s about our ability to give as much as we receive, and understand that what we give to the world, is what we give to ourselves and what we give to ourselves is what we give to the world. We are not an island in a barren sea, but rather an inextricable part to the grand web of life.
