WE LIVE OUR lives as if we are a lonely tree, swaying in the wind, disconnected to the trees around us. Our feelings of isolation are heightened by a sense of being stranded, left to fend for ourselves against the elements. However, we are oblivious to the roots that bind us, that nourish and guide us - that ultimately connect us.

As we look around, we see our planet reflecting a philosophy of separation. We are conditioned to believe we are a random anomaly in a Universe born out of chaos. Throughout life, we are informed that we are insignificant beings bumping into each other randomly with insignificant effect on our surroundings. As a result we feel insignificant!

However, it is time for us to look deeper into the true nature of the Universe and our place in it. Are we really as separate as we believe? Do our actions really have little or no impact on our surroundings? Is there a force guiding us, nurturing us along? As our awareness grows, so does our understanding of the actions, reactions and interactions of all.

One of the biggest challenges we have in this world is believing in concepts we cannot see, hear or touch. This is just one of the reasons why the philosophy of separation has permeated all areas of our societal framework - from science to psychology, from economics to politics. Before we begin to appreciate interconnectedness and what it means to us, it is prudent for us to first move beyond that rational barrier in our minds that doubt this level of connection. We must move beyond the visual illusion that all things are separate. Subsequently, we reach a greater spiritual understanding of what that connection means. Today, we are gifted with the rapidly evolving nature of our sciences displaying astonishing and exciting discoveries and theories of interconnection that is and always has been present. As with all things, it is a growing perception and awareness that liberates us from the confinement of illusion.

The Butterfly Effect
Chaos Theory, a mathematical concept, teaches us the wonders of interconnectedness through the Butterfly Effect. Here, when a butterfly flaps its wings in a small village in Sri Lanka, the movements result in a change in the direction of air-flow, causing a storm in America. One tiny event yields incredible consequences. Here the slight change in air-flow leads to a series of successive cumulative events eventually resulting in the saturation of warm air in the Atlantic Ocean. This then paves the way for the event in question - in this case the storm in America.

This simple analogy displays the interaction between all things. Every single event (cause) has an effect that leads to infinite other effects. The butterfly's wings has not just caused the storm but has caused a multitude of successive events that all lead to their respective succession of events. Here we can extrapolate an astounding phenomenon - where out of seemingly chaos, there exists an underlying order. Every event has purpose for another. And every event that occurs would not occur if it were not for all the proceeding unpredictable events before it.

The Gaia Connection
As a society, we tend to view ourselves as an accident on a planet, which in itself is an accident in an accidental Universe.

Existence in fact paints a different picture, proving to us each and every day the wonders of interconnection. The entire planet, including everything upon it, within it and around it, works together in a grand cycle and circle of life.

Biology presents us with the Gaia Theory, suggesting that instead of the Earth being an independent entity with independent entities living upon it, life is inextricably connected to each other. The theory explains how each being acts as a bubble of biology, undoubtedly affecting everything around it. The air we breathe in, the air we breathe out, the food we ingest, the waste we release, the water we drink, the fluids we secrete. Everything has purpose for another being or another organism or another bubble of biology to interact with. Furthermore, the theory outlines how we interact with the Earth, so does the Earth with us. For example, evidence shows how the sun's temperature has increased 25 percent since life began on Earth. However, the Earth has self-regulated its own temperature to remain constant, despite the 25 percent increase - thus allowing the organisms upon it to survive! This in itself displays a connection between the very ground we walk upon and ourselves.

Spirituality has always put forward that we are but an extension of our surroundings with our surroundings being but an extension of ourselves. Spirituality teaches the inextricable connection between all life - with all things being One - one undulating wave of the same force. A school of fish can move synchronisticly throughout the ocean, suddenly shifting one way or another, their movements are fluid and represent an almost single mind. And this is one way of viewing all things, as a single mind.

A Quantum Awakening
Physics perhaps gives us the most dynamic insights into interconnectedness. Einstein's acclaimed equation E=MC² (energy = mass x speed of light squared) shows us how matter is simply another form of energy. Matter is energy moving at a very slow speed. Thus all physical matter is integrated in a magnificent ocean of energy.

When you touch your pen, you are given the illusion of solidity as the atoms on the edge of your hand hit the atoms on the edge of the pen. However, remember that an atom is a nucleus with a large cloud of electrons around it - there is no solid exterior. It is only our senses that perceive objects as solid. Our senses function very slowly and so only pick up segments of reality; they only perceive energy vibrating at certain speeds. Hence we do not see or feel the pen as vibrating energy. Similarly, when the clouds of our atoms meet the clouds of other atoms, our senses perceive solidity. It is only our senses that filter reality in this way. In truth, reality is far more grandiose and complex. It is similar to seeing only three colours. Until you know any different, those colours are all that exist. However, it is your senses that are determining what is real for you, thus it is your perception that creates your reality.

Another important fact is that when we touch anything, we always leave a part of our energy (our atoms) and take on the energy of whatever we touch (the atoms of another). This energy transference is part of a grand cycle of energy. In reality, the world is a complex soup of energy that our senses perceive as solid and separate. At the most basic level, everyone and everything is fundamentally connected - We are all One.

It is quantum physics that displays arguably the most remarkable occurrences that resonate with deep spiritual truths. In 1982, Alain Aspect proved Bell's theorem where subatomic particles, under certain circumstances, are able to instantaneously communicate with each other irrespective of distance. This means that particles can communicate with each other even if they are on opposite ends of the Universe! So what is occurring here?

Dr. David Bohm, renowned quantum physicist, suggests here that it is necessary to view the Universe as a whole instead of composed of its parts. Therefore, we see the particles not as separate entities communicating with each other, but as the same thing - simply emerging in different spaces, hence their correlation. He speaks of an enfolded order, where subatomic particles that we study are in actuality the Universe as a whole enfolding a part of itself for display. One of his more animated examples is that of a fish tank.

Imagine you have two cameras in a fish tank, with one fish swimming happily around. The two cameras are at right angles to each other and so when you watch from another room from two screens, each displays the images from each of the cameras. From your perspective however, it would appear that there are two fish swimming around in the tank. As you watch both screens, it seems amazing that when one fish turns, so does the other one immediately! From your perspective, both fish are astoundingly connected and seem to communicate with each other over distance. However, in reality you know that this is one fish and that you are simply viewing this one fish at different angles, on separate screens. Similarly, Bohm suggests to us that the entire Universe is One - one undulating energy that from our perspective in physical reality, is perceived as separate. In essence, we are the cameras watching reality at different angles.

Chemistry already shows us how there are powerful interactions occurring each and every moment. The very ideology of chemistry is the result of a reaction between two or more chemical compounds! Everything in chemistry is understood to affect each other on the most basic level.

What Does Separation Really Mean?
Biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics represent the very foundation of our societal rational framework. Within all these sciences are strong proponents of interconnectedness, yet our philosophical and psychological condition reflects a nature of separation. Our entire society reflects separation. From our traditional religions, institutions, schools, laws to our structures, they all teach us a message of separation; that we are separate from God, we are but a number in school, that all our actions are small and insignificant. Separation enforces a hierarchy as those we are separate from become better or less i.e. God. So the real question is why do we strive to see separation where separation does not exist?

Remember, everything in life is perception because perception creates the belief structures that we use - including science. When humanity believed the Earth was the centre of the Universe, the science of stars was explained as existing on the inside of a revolving outer globe. We now know different of course but this just proves how our outer reality is in constant flux, determined by our perceptions.

Separation is something we perceive upon entering this world. Our physical senses translate physical reality into separate entities - people, objects and our surroundings are seemingly separate. Remember, our physical eyes sense objects vibrating at a certain frequency, which is why we see solid objects as solid and not in their "true" form, as pure energy.

Ultimately, the reality of our situation goes even deeper than this for it is not simply our senses that delude us into separation; it is also a deep insecure part of us that projects this philosophy into our world. This deep insecurity is the epitomisation of Fear.

Separation - The Vessel for Fear
Fear thrives on the ideology of separation. By its very nature, fear divides, it rifts, it splits. This is because separation requires categorisation, resulting in limitation. Our society is a reflection of ourselves. Fear is predominant in each and every person on this planet.

Why? Well what is fear? Ultimately, fear represents ignorance. Fear represents a lack of wisdom, a place where wisdom has yet to reach. It is fear that makes us judge, makes us defend, makes us offend, makes us withdraw - it keeps us separate from each other. Fear is a lack of understanding, a lack of wisdom and above all a lack of love. Fear, or our lack of love for ourselves, tells us we have no purpose in this chaotic world. We see the entire world as a reflection of this fundamental philosophy - believing we are meaningless, worthless, empty, disconnected and separate. Our fear, our beliefs in separation, leaves us alone, insignificant and isolated from others.

Fear represents the parts of ourselves that are insecure, that require love. They are the parts that are in pain, that do not understand the greater picture. We become threatened by those things we do not understand. However it is only insecurities that can be threatened. If we are totally secure, we are threatened by nothing. As we move to integrate and understand all parts of ourselves, we eliminate fear (ignorance, the dark) in ourselves and we replace it with the higher frequency of love (wisdom, the light).

Another aspect of our separation is the resulting belief in limitation. This is because separation claims that everything is finite. Interconnectedness, however, thrives on the truth that through connection is continuity. Nothing dies, for all is energy and part of the Whole. The Whole is incomplete without You.

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As we begin to understand the implicit reasons for our beliefs in separation, we can move to a place where we see how these beliefs affect our lives. Our traditional belief in separation means that we do not contemplate the repercussions of our actions, or thoughts for that matter - both back to ourselves and to others. Interconnection on the other hand opens us up to a whole new world, one where we are never alone, always connected and are part of a greater Whole. We realise that we wouldn't even exist if it weren't for the successive collaborative efforts of the Whole - meaning that we all exist because of each other. We are each integral to each other's existence. We also realise that each of our efforts travel out endlessly to create the world we see before us, both our immediate personal reality and the greater global reality.

However, interconnection is not simply the interaction and connection between all things, it is also the connection within all things. It is the study of our lives that gifts us with awareness of how truly powerful interconnection really is.

Interconnection presents us with the notion of purpose. Through understanding our connection to life and all that around us, we recognise on a fundamental level that we are serving a purpose for another, we represent a cause for insurmountable effects. As we become aware of the purpose of our actions, we can channel our actions to become purposeful for both ourselves and others. It is purpose that gives our lives meaning, allowing us to fully utilise who we truly are.

As we approach life with the philosophy of interconnectedness, we begin to see life as a grand arena of opportunity, a playground of magical possibilities. We are limited by nothing and we realise and recognise the power that one individual, You, has on the whole. We realise that dropping a pebble in the ocean has a power to cause a tidal wave if it desires but whatever it is doing, it is undeniably affecting everything around it and the whole essence of the ocean itself. Its power reaches the edges of the ocean and returns. Interconnection also makes us aware of one of the Universe's most powerful, magical and exciting concepts that is always present in our lives, forever connecting, guiding and nurturing us on our way in the most profound way - synchronicity.

Check in again next month for the second half of this two-part article.

©2009, Vaz Sriharan