Reimagining Our Place in the Web of Life
Dissolving the Individual
A dramatic shift in my perception has deepened my understanding, pushing me beyond the centrality of the human subject.
“Humans are not at the centre of life…We are a recent, rapidly growing part of an enormous, ancient whole” [1].
The very notion of the individual dissolves when we consider that we are more microbial than we are human. We exist as ecosystems rather than isolated beings [2]. Expanding our consciousness beyond human exceptionalism humbles us, allowing us to embrace different ways of knowing—the more-than-human ways of understanding and experiencing the world.
By shifting our perspective across different scales and temporalities, we can begin to see the world from a non-human viewpoint [3]. One writer invites us to visualize mitochondria, not just as biological components but as ancient cooperative associations:
“Feel the beauty and dignity of this 2-billion-year-old cooperative association…The mitochondria teach us that independence is impossible—that we all depend on each other” [3].
Our significance lies in what we contribute to the environments in which we are embedded and how we support the mutual flourishing of this "ancient whole." Kinship and symbiosis are central to the notion of becoming together, rather than in isolation. We must look out for the survival of all beings, not just our own [4].
A Collective Consciousness? Rethinking Mind and Matter
From a panpsychist and animist perspective, consciousness is not exclusive to humans—it extends down to our microbial cells. Coupled with Holobiont theory, this raises profound questions:
When I think, is it my own consciousness, or is it the collective consciousness of my microbiome?
Biologically, we are composed of microorganisms, yet we are more than just biological beings. Moving away from Cartesian mind-body dualism, we begin to understand that the mind, body, and soul are interwoven, each informing and expanding the other [5]. We are part of a cosmic dance of sentient matter, a web of entangled interconnections [6].
Tuning into our bodies reveals this interdependence. When we listen internally, we sense not only with our minds but also with our guts.
“There are more bacteria in our gut than stars in our galaxy” [2].
Research into the gut-brain axis suggests that our microbiome affects behavior, mood, and personality [7][8]. This became even more tangible to me during a Sensory Workshop, Fluids, Bloods, and Human’s Gut Buddies, where we turned our awareness to our gut microbiome, allowing our guts to "feel" and communicate with one another. The experience left me with a profound sense that something beyond comprehension was at play—something felt, rather than explained.
Listening to the World: Breaking the Occidental Schism
Scientific materialism often denies that microorganisms, forests, or ecosystems have consciousness, reinforcing the narrative that human intelligence is unique. However, as one thinker points out, this mindset has devastating ecological and sociological consequences:
“It perpetuates life-denying practices…leading to widespread desacralisation, or disenchantment with the world” [6].
Every being experiences the world through its own conscious environment—whether a primate’s neural system, a forest’s mycelial network, or a cellular system [6]. Just because these ways of knowing differ from ours does not mean they lack wisdom or intelligence.
Yet, instead of interacting with nature, we study it from a distance, as if it is separate from us. One philosopher describes how we "talk about nature behind its back" rather than engaging with it as a living presence:
“How monotonous our speaking becomes when we speak only to ourselves! And how insulting to the other beings…that no longer sense us talking to them, but only about them, as though they were not present in our world” [9].
Similarly, another scholar laments that humans have ceased conversing with nature altogether:
“We are talking only to ourselves. We are not talking to the rivers, we are not listening to the wind or the stars. We have broken the great conversation” [10].
By seeing ourselves as separate, we unravel the fabric of connection. But by embracing interdependence, we can participate in what has been called the "great rhythmic dance of life," moving in harmony rather than discord.
The Double Disconnect: Technology and the Ecological Crisis
Not only have we forgotten how to live in relationship with the non-human world, but we have also forgotten how to live with each other. Our laws and institutions prioritize ideology over direct experience and connection with all species [6].
Technology has further disconnected us from both nature and one another. Our digital devices are ever-present, replacing our natural ways of sensing and navigating the world. One writer highlights this disconnection:
“The massive explosion of technology causes overwhelm, sensory inundation, and disassociation…Far too often we feel overstimulated, too exhausted to envision anything beyond the boundaries of our dominant paradigm” [6].
We have created a world that moves at an unnatural pace—one that does not align with the rhythms of nature. This dissonance fuels further disconnection, leading many to numb themselves with distractions rather than slowing down to listen deeply. It is not just a social disconnect but also a cultural disengagement from the ecological crisis.
Reimagining Our Role: Becoming Creative Custodians
To reintegrate ourselves with the rest of the world, we must dismantle the narratives that no longer serve us—narratives of borders, barriers, and human supremacy. Instead, we must embrace the wisdom of our animate and ancient world.
One scholar warns against the dangers of anthropocentric capitalism:
“Rich industrialists convert the natural world into products designed exclusively for human comfort” [6].
We must shift our focus from extraction to regeneration, finding creative solutions beyond current paradigms. Another environmental thinker suggests that change begins by stirring people’s hearts and minds into action [11]. When we widen our sense of relationship with all life, we step into our ecological selves [12].
Through embodiment and deep encounters with the more-than-human world, we cultivate a sense of care, stewardship, and reverence. This shift in awareness has the power to alter our attitudes, reshape our systems, and inspire new possibilities.
We share in the grief and vulnerability of the Anthropocene [13]. The damage, destruction, and loss of biodiversity affect all life, not just human life. Our choices ripple outward, shaping the futures of countless beings. To move forward, we must create resilient, sustainable, and regenerative systems—ones that honor diverse perspectives and embrace all ways of knowing.
It is time to listen. It is time to remember our place in the great conversation of life.
References
Margulis, L., 2008. Symbiotic planet: A new look at evolution. Basic Books.
Sheldrake, M., 2021. Entangled life: How fungi make our worlds, change our minds & shape our futures. Random House Trade Paperbacks.
Harding, S., 2006. Animate Earth: Science, intuition, and Gaia. Chelsea Green Publishing.
Kimmerer, R., 2013. Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.
Eskine, K.J. and Kozbelt, A., 2015. Aesthetics and the embodied mind: Beyond art theory and the Cartesian mind-body dichotomy.
Morley, J.J., 2019. Future sacred: The connected creativity of nature. Simon and Schuster.
Johnson, K.V.A., 2020. Gut microbiome composition and diversity are related to human personality traits. Human Microbiome Journal, 15, p.100069.
Johnson, K.V.A. and Foster, K.R., 2018. Why does the microbiome affect behaviour? Nature Reviews Microbiology, 16(10), pp.647-655.
Abram, D., 2010. Becoming animal: An earthly cosmology. Pantheon Books.
Berry, T., 2011. The great work: Our way into the future. Crown.
Macy, J. and Johnstone, C., 2012. Active hope: How to face the mess we're in without going crazy. New World Library.
Mathews, F., 2021. The ecological self. Routledge.
Haraway, D., 2015. Anthropocene, capitalocene, plantationocene, chthulucene: Making kin. Environmental Humanities, 6(1), pp.159-165.
