Get Sensual Instead of Technological
There are two sides to our lives in the modern world, and one side is winning out. There is our natural side and then there is our technological side. The technological side is definitely ahead. We are slowly transforming ourselves from natural, biological creatures in tune with the natural world, into a strange hybrid of sorts. We are still physically anchored in the natural world of our planet, yet our minds and even our spirits are becoming more and more comfortable with technology as our base.
This duality creates a conflict that can be extremely detrimental to our health and well-being, plus significantly compromise our spirituality and inner peace.
Let’s refer to the world of technology as the world of machines. Now let’s discuss why our attempts to interface with that world are fraught with peril, if we don’t do it consciously and honor the type of natural beings that we are.
As biological beings, we are naturally unpredictable, because we are so responsive and creative. We are integrated with the rhythms and seasons of the planet by design. We operate with the planet and all other life forms in a synergistic way. In other words, we are part of a much larger ecosystem. In fact, that ecosystem is so large that it actually encompasses our entire galaxy! Where did this idea come from that we exist in some weird form of planetary isolation from the rest of the universe?
Now let’s look at the nature of machines. They don’t eat, they don’t reproduce (not yet, anyway), they don’t need sleep or rest, and the seasons of the planet are entirely irrelevant to them. They don’t recognize beauty and they don’t have a spiritual life of any kind. Love is a non-existent phenomenon. Machines do not need affection. All they need to exist is an energy supply and programming. That’s pretty much it. A machine doesn’t care if the sunset is beautiful. It doesn’t care about magnificent art in a museum somewhere. It has absolutely no use for beauty and does not require inspiration of any kind. It is a purely utilitarian device.
Now contrast what I just described with the nature of a biological human being. A human being is deeply spiritual by nature. A human being needs love and thrives with a divine connection to God. A human being has real, spontaneous emotions. A human being has the power to create, to feel, to recognize, and to appreciate. A human being can relate with love to every other living thing on this planet. A human being needs spiritual fulfillment.
So what happens if you try to marry these two completely opposite creations? What happens when human beings try to interface their consciousness and soon their bodies with machines? Let’s begin to answer this question with a small, familiar example. Clocks and calendars. Both are completely rigid and definitely a product of the machine world. Calendars don’t care about the weather. Spring starts on March 20th, even if you are experiencing the blizzard of the century. The new year begins in the icy cold of January, even though everything in nature is asleep.
Nature, on the other hand, clearly begins its new year in spring, when new life blooms in the world of plants and nature’s babies are being born everywhere. Nature is wild and free, and wholly responsive to the NOW of its extremely complex ecosystems. Clocks and calendars are not responsive to anything. They are unyielding task-masters and rigid tyrants. You must conform to them. They will not yield to you under any circumstances.
Computers are the epitome of duality. They exist as the maximized creation of this conflict by virtue of their basic blueprint programming based solely on zero’s and one’s. On/off. Yes/no. The very foundation of a dualistic reality. As we lose ourselves in cyberspace, we also lose touch with our bodies and the very world that supports them. We come away a little less able to relate to the physical universe that we live in. Our senses are dulled and ordinary conversation in person becomes cumbersome and even boring. We forget how to feel.
All of this begs the question – What is important in our lives? I would suggest that it is important to feel. It is important to be highly attuned to our physical senses and to firmly reside within our physical bodies in a centered way. It is important to be able to connect with all life and to be able to love one another, in person and in the flesh. Otherwise we risk becoming mere fragments of consciousness scattered about in different dimensions of space.
So what is the answer to all of this? Certainly, machines and computers are here to stay and we are well past the point of being able to live without them. Therefore, let us begin to honor ourselves and our biological nature in a wholly conscious way. If we can be the inventors of these machines, then surely there is something extremely important about us that needs to be preserved! The answer to what that is lies in our sensual selves.
Sensual should not be confused with sexual. The fact that it often is, shows how far off course we already are. It indicates that the only place left in our lives where sensuality still exists might be in our sexual experiences.
Sensuality, as I define it, means to be fully awake and conscious while in a physical body. It means to be energetically attuned. It means to feel, not only on a physical level, but on the expanded levels of energetics. Sensuality is what allows you to tune into the life force of a living crystal and feel its energy and consciousness. Sensuality is also what allows you to feel the delicate touch of a summer breeze and have that simple experience register throughout your body and make you feel completely alive.
Without sensuality, we become dead inside. We might be walking around, but we are feeling and noticing very little. When we lose touch with our bodies, we also lose touch with who we are in our physical incarnations. Spirituality becomes increasingly difficult, as our senses become more dulled. The resulting unconsciousness begins to bleed into our inner worlds. We begin to believe that things don’t matter and we turn a blind eye to our physical, mental, and emotional needs. We become gravely out of balance and then wonder, in our unconsciousness, why things aren’t working anymore.
So lest this writing starts to require another chapter, let me suggest a new path in the simplest of ways. Become sensual again. Learn to feel. Don’t let the computers take your soul, while you are inadvertently being entertained by them. Don’t let their speed and convenience become a substitute for knowing yourself.
Stop everything for a few minutes and assess where you are. How much do you feel your own body? How much are you aware of the world around you? Do you even notice nature anymore? Do you see your physical life as an inconvenience instead of the powerful blessing that it is? If you are not happy with your assessment, then make a pact with yourself to change. Refuse to accept this level of mediocrity with yourself. Decide not to use your age or your past as an excuse. The only criteria that you need is the fact that you are alive. That’s enough. Now go for it! Find ways to get sensual again and experience the magnificent world around you. Be the master of your own destiny and embrace the quintessential, multi-dimensional experience of being human. Don’t let yourself succumb to the unconsciousness and utterly inferior experience of living like a machine.
Do you feel that your life is in a good balance with technology? Or are you out of balance? Share your thoughts with me in the comments below. I’m sure we can all learn something from each other on this topic!
Hi Saratoga! Admittedly, I am a techno-aholic, although you will not find me attached to electronics, 24/7 I have called myself a cave dweller, I spend many hours by my computer, more of a workaholic, being a graphic artist, I do love to create and the computer is a necessary tool for me. Being on the computer, I also find myself on facebook a lot in between jobs and this is my means of socializing. Since your presence on facebook and the blogs here, you have made me look really deeply inside and I realize I must change my ways. It has been a cold long winter here in Canada and I have been very busy with work, excuses, probably yes, however I am making plans to get out more as the weather becomes nicer.
I have also begun to play sensuous (not sexual) harmonious music while I work and it keeps me in a very good space while I work. and I try to take a few minutes out of each day to meditate and I also have begun to work with my angels. I find myself daydreaming about nature and the ocean and my mind does take journeys, now its time for the rest of me to take action and get out more physically. I feel like I am waking up again from a mind numbing sleep. Thank you again for all of your hard work and for reaching out to us here on the web. You are truly a life saver for me! – Susan McDonald
Susan, one thing that might help you is to take planned breaks from the computer and either go outside, take a walk, or do something else that is 3-dimensional indoors.
I had a very interesting experience last summer. I was on my computer way too much working. I forced myself to go sit outside in the sun every so often. Here’s what I noticed when I went outside. I noticed that I was physically craving sunlight. Even though I have big open windows here with a water fountain outside, it still wasn’t enough. What I really needed was the sunlight and fresh air.
I also noticed something else very weird. I felt that looking at a screen for so many hours was affecting the way my eyes and brain processed things visually. When I would go outside and look at 3-dimensional nature, I could tell that there was a transition for my eyes and brain to focus differently. This, of course, was very subtle and takes really paying attention to your physical experience.
But it makes sense, doesn’t it? Of course the brain is going to process things very differently from a lighted, flat screen. Not to mention the fact that 3-D reality is one of reflected light. I really think we need to think very carefully about what we are doing to ourselves with all these gadgets and be conscious about their effects. We really need to decide for ourselves what type of physical experience we want to have and take command of that situation.
I agree! Thank you for your suggestions! Last night I went outside, it was milder out (finally!) and I sat and breathed deeply and looked at the stars, it was a wonderful experience! I went inside and then just had to go out again! so I went out again for a few minutes more! Actually I think I will do just that right now 🙂 Thanks again! – Susan
Saratoga — This is excellent – thank you! I’m passing it on to others.
In appreciation, Gerry Eitner
Thank you, Gerry. It’s so nice to hear from you again! 🙂
Sadly this generation spends its time in their homes glued to their computers or iPads or iPhones. In their “spare” time they play Xbox or some other computer game! They don’t take the time to enjoy “outside” or the magic of nature! When we were children we were told to go outside and play and we were able to occupy our time out there for hours! We made up games and enjoyed each other. We played with our dogs, rolled in the grass, built forts, played ball, played tag, hide and seek and so many other things! We listened to music and talked to each other! Today young people don’t even get outside and if they do they have no idea what to do! The sad result is overweight children with no social skills! Though technology is a wonderful invention, to many have allowed their life to be consumed by the technological device in their hand! Life is so short and so precious yet they walk looking at their phone, talk looking at their phones and never take the time to look around at the beauty before them! I look out my back door and enjoy squirrels running up and down the trees, birds bathing in the birdbath and my dog playing ball! We make life as complicated or as simple as we want. The problem these days is they just don’t take the time to enjoy life, they just stay glued to their only friend “iPhone” and computer! What a life! What a sad, sad life! Is it asking too much for you to decide to find just an hour and put technology out of sight and out of mind? Look at the sunrise or the sunset, talk to your neighbor, throw a ball for your dog, play catch with you son or daughter or grandchild. You will all benefit! Put the spirit back into spiritual!
Dorothy, you have described a great deal of our human condition in one simple paragraph. This is such a big, fascinating topic! Here are some of my thoughts on what you described:
I’m not sure what age range you are talking about currently, because things are changing so fast. I don’t even know if we can divide this by generations any more because the changes are accelerating exponentially.
In speaking generally, I would say that much of what you are talking about refers to context. Those of us who have been around longer have a much broader context for technology because we witnessed its arrival from a place where smartphones and cell phones didn’t exist. Younger people do not have the advantage of that context, unless their parents do something from birth to specifically provide it for them. (Or as much as is possible when the world is going somewhere else)
This is easier said than done, because oftentimes parents, too, want to be like everybody else. They are extremely reluctant to rock society’s boat of the current status quo. So if the status quo is to buy your child computers, smartphones, tablets, and video games, and then put all that stuff in their bedroom and walk away, then we shouldn’t be surprised when we see the results of that non-action.
So I don’t entirely blame kids for this. Especially given the fact that for many of them, this is all they have ever known. It’s funny how we, as a society, blame kids for their behavior around technology when it is literally the adults who created the technology and then bought it for the kids in the first place, oftentimes with no guidance for that child at all.
I’m sure I could go on about this a lot longer, but I’ll stop now. 🙂 Thanks for expanding the conversation in a really interesting direction!
Saratoga, as always, you defy the status quo, but not with resistance or force. The power of your message is profound and vital. Thank you! Finally, someone is addressing the issues of the numbness head on, that all of this “evolutionary” technology is causing in a negatively dramatic and debilitating way, for all of us, since we live here and are exposed constantly.
But we do have choices. I choose not to spend my life looking into a screen–texting, emailing, constantly joined at the hip to all of the computer technology. I use it for practical purposes, and try to stay “current” in a grounded way. I don’t stick my head in the sand, but it doesn’t run my life either. I am and have always been very attuned to my sensual nature. I love being attuned to the moment–with all of my senses engaged. I hate to miss the beauty that is happening around me all the time, and I’m finding that I miss way too much. I know I have to stay conscious not to be lured away by all of the mesmeric technology, but frankly it doesn’t interest me very much. I have made the definitive choice to be connected to nature in all of its wonder, as much as I can. I realize how much I have been missing living in the city and getting caught up in that vibe. And I’m changing that. Even if it’s just getting out in nature somehow everyday–even for a walk in the park.
I find meditating every morning helps me to create intentions about this, and other areas of my life, life on this incredible planet earth and things I want to heal, and help heal for myself and for others.
Thank you from the core of my being for, and of course elegantly, bringing this to the forefront of our experience.
With great love and boundless admiration for all that you do!
,
Leigh
Leigh, as I was reading what you said here, I was thinking that you are describing your individual experience of something very interesting. It’s almost like we have to realize that life on this Earth has changed so dramatically due to technology, that we must incorporate an entirely new facet into our everyday experience.
We literally need to expand our context to include the fact that there is an evolutionary wave happening here of the total integration of biology with artificial life or machines. We need to individually decide how much of our natural humanity we want to preserve.
No one else is going to decide this for us, and we shouldn’t wait around thinking this will happen from someone else’s actions. It won’t. This wave is accelerating exponentially and is literally beyond our previously human control.
I wonder if we should incorporate this into things as vital as eating, sleeping, and exercising. Maybe we need to add to that list “preserving our human selves”. Hmm… something to think about! Maybe I’ll write a blog about this one of these days.
I absolutely think this is true. I’m finding that I’m becoming far more conscious about what I put into my body (how food makes me feel), refining that without being obsessed or manipulating myself, and also realizing how my thoughts in the moment about every single thing I’m doing is so much more important than I ever realized. Even taking a shower! Not taking my body for granted, acknowledging how healthy I am, and extending gratitude for everything I experience. That this body works day in and day out and does a trillion or more incredible things is mind boggling… maybe it even does more than we think it can. ?
We are unbelievably blessed–to be in these incredible bodies in this gorgeous realm–we CAN stay attuned to the wonder and mystery of it all, without being intimidated. I’m actually taking control of my life in ways I never imagined I could, or even thought possible. I’m realizing more and more that every moment of my existence here has a whole basketful of choices. And because it’s the truth, and natural, since we’re part of nature, it’s actually requires much less effort than staying in victim consciousness, or identifying with everything that’s wrong with the world and ultimately myself.
I will keep working on this–joyously.
And I will look forward to your blog on “preserving our human selves”…. how exciting that we’re talking about this!! Hallelujah!
I love you with my infinite self, and the human one 🙂
Dear Saratoga,
I am profoundly touched by this blog. The depth at which it has reached me, no words can describe. For some time now I have been trying to know the true nature of what it means to be human. I felt I was missing key understandings. The key understanding, I now know, is in the feeling in my body. I see that trusting those feelings in their purest sensual sense and acknowledging them without buying into the many layers of piled-on confusing beliefs (conscious or unconscious) in which the ego holds a vested interest is where true freedom lies. I love your definition of sensuality: “Sensuality, as I define it, means to be fully awake and conscious while in a physical body. It means to be energetically attuned. It means to feel, not only on a physical level, but on the expanded levels of energetics.”
I recognize that I can act on this knowing in very real ways. I deeply appreciate the many loving nudges and suggestions for where to begin and how to proceed that you and the angels provide to us through your Facebook page and blogs. It fills me with wonder when I see the magic of how a beautiful tapestry of truth is emerging.
Thank you. Marianne
Marianne, thank you so much for your beautiful, heartfelt comment. I love what you said about “a beautiful tapestry of truth”. Your choice of words so perfectly reflects what I was saying about the human experience. A machine would never make such a statement, and make it so effortlessly!
This is important to note because the goal is to make machines, computers, and artificial life replicate and in some cases replace humanity. There are already people saying they would rather have a relationship with a life-like, humanoid, interactive robot than with another person. Robots have already been created that are so lifelike and human in their appearance that at first glance you literally cannot tell the difference.
Yet, look how effortlessly you and others here can eloquently express from the heart. I use the word “eloquently” not to define the use of words, but rather to describe the place from which those words come and the beingness that they are meant to express. The essence of our humanity is truly beautiful, multi-dimensional, and vastly superior in its intelligence to robots that can only mimic us due to their programming.
Thanks so much for being part of the conversation. Blessings!
Dear Saratoga; This recent blog is profound beyond words. I wonder if any of us can fully appreciate our present condition and the imminent danger we are in of becoming machines. The impetus towards the computerization of everything, including us, is not only insidious but extremely pervasive. It’s interesting, in a bizarre way, how technology substitutes for qualities and abilities that as spiritual beings we innately posses but have lost touch with. Perhaps that is its great attraction. Communication for example: wireless technology mimics what we could do telepathically if we were to develop that finer sensibility. Not to mention the desperate march towards immortality. All too soon we will be given the choice to incorporate machine parts into our bodies to extend our lifespan. And once that becomes acceptable it is just a step away from downloading one’s entire consciousness into a machine!
Your comments are a breath of fresh air, needed sanity, and a big wake up call.
I remember as a little boy (I’m dating myself here) when I would spend countless hours every day at a local pond that I would traverse a large meadow to get to and how I would usually return home with one of its abundant gifts – sometimes one’s that I would have to return, since they were alive, and my mother would explain that I had uprooted them from their home.
Are we to be uprooted from our homes by technology? What a scary thought…
It seems that our appreciation of nature and our connectedness to nature (which includes human beings) is absolutely vital to keep our hearts alive, our minds sane, our spirits free and our bodies healthy.
Wow – Doug, I never thought of that – “being uprooted from our home by technology”. That’s kind of weird, because in a way, it’s true. It’s easy to see that many other life forms on Earth have been uprooted, had their habitats destroyed, and even been rendered extinct by technology. In fact, we are in the midst of a planetary mass-extinction right now! How strange that we don’t seem to notice or care.
But we are in a similar situation ourselves, aren’t we? I think that we don’t notice because we are too busy adapting to this weird machine creation. In fact, we are totally identified with it! I think that collectively we have come to believe that it is a part of us. So why worry? Well, some of the people creating this stuff have been worrying for quite awhile. Yet even they admit that no one seems to be able to stop it.
So, yes, I think things have gone way beyond a need to appreciate nature merely for our own enjoyment. Maybe we need to appreciate and interact with nature in order to decide what we want to hold onto in terms of life itself.
A fascinating conversation!
Hi Saratoga,
What a wonderful subject, one that is very near and dear to me! I love how you always get straight to the heart of the matter in such a practical way. It’s so helpful and clarifying to hear what you say about sensuality and remaining natural and human in the face of technology. In my daily life I now use technology on a near continuous basis at work and then frequently again at home and, at times, I find it difficult to remain centered. I notice that my vibration often begins to spiral downward and, being so immersed in the technology, it’s sometimes hard to be even aware that this is happening. Maybe we tend to be less conscious just by the act of hooking up to technology for whatever purpose. I feel two things have been my saving grace in all of this.
1) When I start to feel vibrationally low, I often feel a strong urge to get out in nature. I am so fortunate that I have a beautiful trail near where I live. When I go for a walk, I usually make an effort to be present and focus on the sensations in my body while I am walking. Doing this takes you straight into the present moment – it is actually impossible to be out of the now when you are focusing on the feelings in your body in this way.
2) Singing and playing guitar. I play other instruments, but guitar is such a sensual instrument and singing is too, for sure. This also engages with my purpose and is very helpful from that perspective. I think any form of art is innately sensory in nature and would be equally useful to anyone.
I’d love to hear what you have to say around “preserving our human nature”. Hopefully this becomes the topic of a future post! 🙂
Avalon, these are really good points. Focusing on and feeling physical sensation in your body will absolutely put you in the now. This is why meditation so often involves focusing on the breath. It is a totally now experience. Being in the now makes us more conscious of our physical presence, whereas being immersed in technology can make us less so.
I also agree with you that any form of art is sensory in nature. To experience the joy of art, one also has to be fully present in the now.
Avalon’s comment, about being present in his body, reminded me of something that I would like to include.(Thanks Avalon). I also spend most of my work day at the computer and since I work from home a lot I go out for a walk to refresh myself after too much ‘screen time’. I have noticed a weird phenomenon. I start counting numbers in my head. You know like 1, 2, 3, 4 … in a succession. Weird huh? It’s an unconscious thing and it happens a lot when I take walks after being on the computer – as if keeping pace. So lately when I catch myself doing it I consciously substitute the numbers with positive words or affirmations. It helps to get me out of my head and into my body so that I can feel and experience being sensually aware in nature rather than divorced from it via the mathematical mind.
Wow – Doug, that’s interesting. Counting when you walk. Positive words and affirmations sound like a good way to counteract this. I wonder if having an iPod with music that was gentle without a beat would help as well. I say no beat, because then you might start counting to that! 🙂