I often discuss and write about something I believe is best referred to as the ‘inner senses.’ These inner senses, which I often refer to as a heightened perceptual range available to all humans, go beyond just the physical senses we are commonly aware of.

With the development of these inner senses, an individual can cultivate the ability to perceive the vast array of forces and energies that constitute our reality, both on an individual level and as a collective species. In my experience, the most astounding aspect of refining these inner senses is my ability to observe the interconnectedness and thriving awareness that exists all around us. This pervasive consciousness plays a crucial role in maintaining and even nurturing a perfect environment for our expanding perceptions as human beings.

We are indeed fortunate to be surrounded by a conglomeration of energies specifically suited to fostering our potential growth and the expansion of our individuality.

Through the use of these inner senses, it has been and continues to be a great shock—the discovery that the Earth is quite literally a sentient being. This aware and powerful being cradles and supports us. Furthermore, we are not just fleas on a giant elephant’s back; we are an integral part of the Earth. In many ways, it could be said that we are the thinking aspect of nature, and nature is one of the many facets possible within the great cradle of the planet Earth itself.

As an inner alchemist learns to use their inner senses, and as they begin to truly see, they start to understand the great awareness in which they live. This awareness is the Earth itself – this vast planetary system. When this realization becomes infinitely clear through the constant refinement and increased use of inner senses, these inner alchemists find themselves not in an exploitative role, like some supposed bacteria or virus growing on a giant apple. Instead, they discover that we are all not just connected but actually the same thing, all one thing. We are quite literally the thinking aspect of a greater whole. In this sense, we humans are not separate from the Earth; rather, we are the Earth, and it is us. From this perspective, we are not distinct from the Earth, but rather the thinking aspect of this greater sentient organism.

The implications of this perspective are profound. It suggests that the Earth, as a self-regulating system, is capable of caring for itself and maintaining the conditions necessary for life to thrive. From this standpoint, we humans need not take ourselves too seriously as the dominant force on the planet. Instead, we should see ourselves as integral parts of a larger cosmic whole, with a unique role to play in fine-tuning our connection to the Earth and the greater universe. What I am trying to say here is that, since we are the Earth itself – the thinking aspect of it, if you will – caring for it means caring for ourselves. In the best of circumstances, you could think of us as being an organ in a much bigger organism, and as such, our health is completely related to the health of the whole.

Often, we try to position ourselves as the guardians of the Earth, thinking of ourselves in a way that makes us seem superior to the rest of reality and the rest of this planetary system. This perspective can have some positive outcomes if we are willing to take responsibility for the world in which we live. However, if we use this stance and skew it slightly to make ourselves feel superior to the Earth, thinking that only we are truly capable of fixing the Earth and deciding what needs to be done when, then we can find ourselves feeling superior to the natural forces and, may I add, the far more capable forces of the world as a whole.

A great deal of this imposed superiority, which is accompanied by a desire to be in charge and manipulate the Earth, stems from our inherent modern distrust of our unconscious. In the same way that we distrust the unconscious aspects of ourselves, we currently distrust the natural flow of the Earth. Believing that we cannot trust the natural and therefore unconscious forces, we strive endlessly to try to control what we perceive as chaotic and savage.

We will continue to feel disconnected and alone until humanity learns to trust in deeper aspects of itself; until we begin to trust the supposed unconscious within us. By learning to trust these deeper aspects, we will come to see that we flow within a far bigger reality. We are part of a much larger gestalt of being, and as such, we must learn to flow with nature rather than trying desperately to control it with our conscious self.

The moment humanity learns to understand and work with the deeper aspects of itself, we will also learn how to trust in the great and natural forces of the Earth itself.

Now, this does not mean that we are at the mercy of the Earth. This is often the stance of those who demand hyper-focused conscious control over everything, and as a result, they insist on saying that if we do not control nature, then nature will control us.

Learning to use our inner senses and thus seeing the greater reality that we are all a part of, inner alchemists begin to realize that we indeed have control. The nature of this control takes into account the vast array of currents and energies that flow all around us, allowing us to understand at a deep, visceral level that we live in grace. We exist within a graceful world, and the Earth strives to provide the best environment for us. In contrast to the idea that we are somehow surviving in a harsh Darwinian world, we discover instead that we are cradled within nature. If these Darwinian ideas were truly applicable, humanity would have gone extinct long ago.

We are meant to give direction to the Earth, experiencing and seeing its wonders. By determining whether something is good or bad, desired or undesired at any particular moment, we are then responsible for providing these perceptions and further directing the Earth’s path. Our ability to control our attention and focus on empathy, compassion, and a deep reverence for the Earth and all its creatures is key to fostering a more harmonious relationship with our planetary host. By shifting our mindset from dominance and exploitation to one of humble awareness and reverence, we can become the conscious, thinking aspect of the Earth, helping to guide it towards a more sustainable and thriving future.

This perspective also challenges the notion that the Earth is merely a resource to be exploited for human benefit. Instead, it invites us to see the planet as a living, breathing entity deserving our utmost respect and care. By aligning our actions and thoughts with the well-being of the Earth and learning to trust in deeper aspects of ourselves, we can ensure that the planet remains healthy and vibrant. This is not only for our own species but also for the diverse forms of life it supports.

By tuning our awareness and honestly confronting our feelings, both good and bad, we begin to trust in our greater reality. Far from advocating a positivity outlook where all negativity is denied, we instead look at ourselves with complete frankness and honesty. If we feel negativity or if something that happened on Earth has a negative consequence and creates supposedly negative emotions, it is our duty to confront those feelings and understand why such things are happening. By doing so, we confront the negativity and move forward with the understanding that the focus of our attention will eventually lead us to a better outcome.

Incrementally, in every aspect of our lives, no matter how small, we begin to take our place as the true stewards of the Earth. In the smallest ways, we affect the greatest things, and the Earth, our mother, trusts us to follow such an order of action. By focusing on our reality from the smallest things to the greatest things, and then trusting in our unconscious and therefore the greater powers all around us, we focus our attention on where we want to go instead of trying to consciously dominate things to get what we supposedly want. In this way, we begin to flow as opposed to hacking through.

This is a more natural approach, one that begins to trust our inner reality. As we grow and develop new avenues and realities, we begin to see that we can trust those supposedly chaotic and savage forces all around us. As we start to trust in these, we accept our unconscious for what it is – a creative force far beyond anything understandable by the conscious self alone.

Over time, as our trust in the unconscious aspects of ourselves grows, we begin to trust nature and the Earth itself. When this is possible, we lose the sense of being separated from the Earth and begin to unite with it. We come to understand our position in it and no longer feel like we are less than, but truly become far more than we currently are as individuals and as a species.

In the end, you must understand that the Earth is a sentient being. This should be a powerful reminder of our place in the grand scheme of the cosmos. It should encourage us to cultivate a deeper sense of connection and responsibility towards our home planet, using our unique cognitive abilities to help the Earth thrive instead of dominating and destroying it. All such domination stems from our lack of understanding of ourselves and our inability to trust unconscious forces, such as the so called subconscious, which has become an almost taboo subject in the modern age.

By embracing the perspective of inner alchemy, which strives to learn to work with the unconscious self, we can become true stewards of the Earth. We can work in harmony with its natural rhythms and processes to create a more sustainable and fair future for all. And in this future, we are not merely meant to forever be little parts of a greater whole; we are actually being nurtured. Our mother wants us to grow and evolve to become true individual beings, her children. She dreams in a way of seeing us grow and scatter ourselves across the cosmos like seeds. In that way, in the same way that a good parent expects its child to grow and expand beyond itself, the Earth cradles us in our youth and hopes that in the future we may hurl ourselves into infinity. Taking with us on this endless journey, a little piece of the Earth itself, our mother.

If you would like to know more about the incredible power within you, about the unconscious and the struggles of the conscious self. If you would like to learn the discipline of inner alchemy, and learn how to use the inner senses and out to see yourself, then I highly recommend a trilogy of books: The Magnum Opus, The way of the Projectionist, and The way of the Death Defier.