I can really feel the author's deep respect for the natural world. Jones writes: Maybe if we can develop empathy for lifeforms as simple and ubiquitous, yet inscrutable and diverse, as slime...
I can really feel the author's deep respect for the natural world. Jones writes:
How do we see the world as sacred again? By radical noticing. Looking for awe in all of life. Following the wonder in our bodies electric. Before we find new stories, don’t we need to sit and remember? How to venerate the world?
More and more, I think a solution is awe. As Dacher Keltner’s work shows, awe seems to orient us to things outside of our individual selves. It suggests our true nature is collective. Studying narratives of awe in cultures across the world, Keltner and colleagues found that a common part of natural awe is the sense that plants and animals are conscious and aware.
Maybe if we can develop empathy for lifeforms as simple and ubiquitous, yet inscrutable and diverse, as slime molds, we can connect with anything? (Oh no: I've developed empathy for gonorrhea!)
Personally, I don't need a moral takeaway to like the slimes; they're cute enough as-is!
I'm so happy that you made this comment because it enticed me enough to read the article. The way the author delights in the slime molds is contagious. It made me go outside and trek the woods...
I'm so happy that you made this comment because it enticed me enough to read the article. The way the author delights in the slime molds is contagious. It made me go outside and trek the woods around my house looking for some! I didn't find any, but I was still in my pajamas and housecoat, not exactly exploratory clothing. I think the times I feel the best is when I am in awe or delighting in something. This article gave me a new thing to look out for.
This is a somewhat long read, but I enjoyed it! At one point it mentions that certain slime molds "blossom" simultaneously in both Northern and Southern hemispheres, and no one knows why. I can't...
This is a somewhat long read, but I enjoyed it! At one point it mentions that certain slime molds "blossom" simultaneously in both Northern and Southern hemispheres, and no one knows why. I can't help but wonder if, in an organism which defies categorization as plant or animal, which has over 700 sexes, is there a thing or two about consciousness that we are simply clueless to?
Did we really see the world as sacred at anytime in the past? My understanding was that no, the world was a dangerous place that needed to be tamed, so every time your band moved to a new place,...
How do we see the world as sacred again?
Did we really see the world as sacred at anytime in the past?
My understanding was that no, the world was a dangerous place that needed to be tamed, so every time your band moved to a new place, the shamen needed to consecrate (i.e. make sacred) the place by retelling the stories of Creation. But it's been a long time since I've been reading such things, and the sources were dated (IIRC M. Eliade - The Sacred and the Profane).
That's a fair point. From what iv read in anthropological texts there wasn't just 1 way. So some people may have had this view but many didn't. I think a lot tried to live in harmony with the...
That's a fair point. From what iv read in anthropological texts there wasn't just 1 way. So some people may have had this view but many didn't. I think a lot tried to live in harmony with the world.
Also I think knowing that the environment around you is dangerous generates a healthy respect for it. Which is probably something we as a species currently need more of.
I can really feel the author's deep respect for the natural world. Jones writes:
Maybe if we can develop empathy for lifeforms as simple and ubiquitous, yet inscrutable and diverse, as slime molds, we can connect with anything? (Oh no: I've developed empathy for gonorrhea!)
Personally, I don't need a moral takeaway to like the slimes; they're cute enough as-is!
I'm so happy that you made this comment because it enticed me enough to read the article. The way the author delights in the slime molds is contagious. It made me go outside and trek the woods around my house looking for some! I didn't find any, but I was still in my pajamas and housecoat, not exactly exploratory clothing. I think the times I feel the best is when I am in awe or delighting in something. This article gave me a new thing to look out for.
This is a somewhat long read, but I enjoyed it! At one point it mentions that certain slime molds "blossom" simultaneously in both Northern and Southern hemispheres, and no one knows why. I can't help but wonder if, in an organism which defies categorization as plant or animal, which has over 700 sexes, is there a thing or two about consciousness that we are simply clueless to?
Really fascinating to think about.
Well this sent me down the rabbit hole! Super interesting, thanks for sharing.
For those interested, Barry Webb's photo site:
https://www.barrywebbimages.co.uk/Images/Macro/Slime-Moulds-Myxomycetes/
Reall nice and very interesting article, thank you!
Did we really see the world as sacred at anytime in the past?
My understanding was that no, the world was a dangerous place that needed to be tamed, so every time your band moved to a new place, the shamen needed to consecrate (i.e. make sacred) the place by retelling the stories of Creation. But it's been a long time since I've been reading such things, and the sources were dated (IIRC M. Eliade - The Sacred and the Profane).
I think it was not a collective “take” on the world by whole communities, but many individuals throughout history has surely seen it as such.
That's a fair point. From what iv read in anthropological texts there wasn't just 1 way. So some people may have had this view but many didn't. I think a lot tried to live in harmony with the world.
Also I think knowing that the environment around you is dangerous generates a healthy respect for it. Which is probably something we as a species currently need more of.