posted August 07, 2007 08:00 AM         

We are always affected by the presence of the natural order. External nature and our inner nature are both composed of the same universal principles and energies. All living beings – and everything that exists is living – in one way or another, incorporate the following:

- They maintain what they need for self-survival
- They are part of a whole
- They contribute to the greater by their very existence
- They are unique
- They evolve and transcend themselves
- They communicate constantly between themselves and other beings and living systems

Whenever we see, hear, or are in other ways sensing, anything natural outside of ourselves we are creating the possibility of being impressed by its natural energies. What makes the possibility a reality is our openness to receive the impressions. These impressions resonate the same natural energies within ourselves. A peaceful external natural setting induces a brain state of peace within ourselves. A perception of beauty outside of ourselves awakens feelings of beauty within ourselves.

Partly for this reason the phenomenon of ‘crop circles’ is an interesting one. This phenomenon has been around for centuries, but is attracting much more attention now. Many of the more recent ones are extremely intelligent and sophisticated, containing in symbolic form complex mathematical representations of natural, universal principles. Thus when we look at them, those same universal energies are stimulated within us. This then creates an evolutionary push. One recent ‘crop circle’ beautifully represents images of the seven chakras – far more beautiful to me than any drawings of chakras I have ever seen. Because of modern media, millions of people are seeing those images. This brings the fact of the chakras, along with their potential energies, into the awareness of a significant portion of humanity whether or not they understand anything of what is represented. This then awakens new potentials for growth.

There is an incredible amount of communication going on between human beings which we are not very aware of, as well as between all living creatures. We are not just passive receivers of these influences, but also active contributors to it. This is how life on this planet changes and evolves.

We know, for example, that when we are close to someone physically or otherwise what is in our heart affects their brain state and consequently their thinking and feeling. Research has been done through ECGs and EEGs to show that the person being influenced produces brainwaves that entrain with the heart rhythms of the one influencing. You can imagine, then, not only what influence you might have on people close to you, but what influence we can have collectively on humanity by what we hold in our heart. You are probably aware of the research many years ago that demonstrated the effect of human thought on plants.

You have likely also heard of the ‘hundredth monkey effect,’ which is that when a certain number of monkeys perform a new type of behaviour then all monkeys will perform that behaviour. The principle involved has been referred to as critical mass and labelled in the 70’s as ‘the tipping point.’ This influence or contagiousness applies to everything, including such things as the spread of new ideas, fashions, epidemics and consciousness.

When sufficient numbers of people adopt the new consciousness of compassion, caring and service, humanity will break through into that new consciousness. A tipping point will be reached and the new consciousness will become commonplace.

This principle stands opposed to the idea of gradualism – that change can happen only gradually. You personally have probably experienced breakthroughs in your own expansion of consciousness. And from this you can assume that if the principle works in an individual life it also works in our collective life. There are many examples of this in society, so we can be assured that it will also apply to the planetary change in consciousness now underway.

Exercises:

1. Reflect on instances when you have been either positively or negatively affected by other people around you.

2. Recall instances when your perception of beauty or attitude of love toward another affected them even without your verbal expression.

3. What influence does nature have on your states of consciousness?