Connecting with Nature via Philosophy, Wisdom and Spirituality

In the history of Philosophy Nature and the relation between humans and the nonhuman world has always been a core focus of rational reflection. Some even say that it has been philosophical ideas

that caused the world to look like it does now. Ideas like Rene Descartes strict separation from mind and the material world. And the conviction that only humans have a mind caused a big big unbridgeable gap between the human mind - the "I" and the rest of the world.

This separation in conjunction with the conviction that "I" have any right in the world to strive for personal fulfillment and personal fulfillment is only defined in rather simple terms of power, having things, being free from restrictions and always have at least a little bit more than my peers has created an inredible rise of human capacities and produced all the wonders of human culture and . But in these days where to many humans want to many things it has led to current catasthrophic situation of global ecosystem paired with an incredible brutality and ignorance how people treat each other and the nonhuman world.

In my own endeavor to understand my personal existence but actually extistence per se, I discoverd emotions, inspirations, psychological states that I thought were long past me. Having been religiously interested in my youth and tried out all sorts of christianity, gotten into Hinduism and Buddhism and finally come to the conclusion that I have no need for a religious interpretation of the world, I sticked to science and rationality as the way to understand and explore our perceived reality. And now when I try to understand what science is teaching us about the web of reality I simply can't help to feel awe and wonder, to be deeply moved - actually to be shaken to my bones by the mysteries of all the cosmical and biological processes, that finally led me to sit here and write this word. And even though I still don't feel a need for a metaphysical or supernatural interpretation of this world - I involuntarily develop a science based connection to the world that I can only call spiritual. Besides this feelings of absolute awe and inspiration, there is a feeling of understanding the web of reality - the infinite insignificance of mine on one side and the wonders of me being a mirror for the timeless creativity of the universe. I sometimes have a feeling that it is my insignificant human duty to become a worthy mirror for the universe by constantly trying to understand it and not me. I am also deeply convicted that if we all could develop this "spiritual" connection with nature and its organic ... of awe and wonder we could as a species - lost in time and lost in space - and lost in meaning - be much easier united and enjoy a better and more meaningful life.

So a part of the analysis of the Philosphy cum wisdom cum spirituality based connection with the natural world will focus on an appropriate understanding of this kind of "rational spirituality".