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 synchronistically 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.

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.

Having examined the roots of our belief in separation as well as exploring the nature of interconnection in our physical universe, we are given reasons to move beyond our rational analytical minds that are insistent on believing in what our physical eyes see – separation. Using our awareness, we can bring the power and truth of interconnection into our personal lives. For interconnectedness offers us unparalleled access to the secrets of existence. As we incorporate the philosophy of interconnection into our lives, we are gifted with a portal to a whole new seemingly magical world, one where all our dreams come true.

Let us take an example and look at Gareth. Now Gareth has woken up this morning and is highly stressed about a business project. He is already late for work and irritated, which he takes out on his partner as he leaves home. Gareth stops off at the local supermarket to pick up some food for his day at the office and becomes even more agitated at the queues. He vents most of his frustration at the cashier, who has been making mistakes and seemingly taking her time. Gareth exclaims his anger at the cashier and then leaves in a huff. He arrives at his local train station to find it packed with commuters. Swearing profusely he barges his way onto the packed train, pushing aside others and standing near the door of the train as he cannot be bothered to move further inside to let others on.

Soon enough Gareth arrives at work. Now without even carrying on with the rest of Gareth’s day, we are already gifted with enough fuel for the almost infinite interconnections that occur during these one-and-one-half hours since Gareth has awoken and interacted with the world.

Gareth’s foul mood has already affected his wife, Suzanne, who may well have been in a good mood but now worries whether she did something to annoy her grumpy partner. She may begin a flux of thoughts leading her to negatively interact with others during her own day.

Moving onto the cashier in the supermarket, we meet Lucy, who has been having a very hard week – struggling to pay her bills, arguing with her boyfriend and dispirited from lack of positive feedback at work. Today she day-dreams about another more fulfilling life and her mindlessness reflects in her outward appearance and performance. Gareth’s outburst reinforces Lucy’s internal theory that all men have something against her and that evening she embarks on a drinking binge, in an attempt to soothe her troubles.

Moving on, we reach the train station. Here, Gareth barges his way on the train and his inconsiderate attitude to move further down the train blocks others from entering – including Matthew. Now Matthew has been late already twice this week due to problems at home with his sick son. However, Matthew’s boss – witnessing recent tardiness by all his employees – capitalises upon Matthew’s bad week to give him a final warning yesterday not to be late. Yet today Matthew’s third late run costs him his job, despite efforts to be on time. He now has no work, troubles with his wife and a young sick son to look after. He is utterly distraught.

The point here is that we do not know what goes on in people’s lives yet we treat our own life as if it is separate to others. Some of these examples may be considered extremities where it is unlikely that by blocking someone onto a train we have caused their job termination or that by shouting at someone we have caused their path to alcoholism. While the truth may be that these individuals have allowed themselves to reach such a position, we must endeavour to realise that every single event and action in our lives collaborates with other successive events to solidify a future event, whatever that future event may be. Our very lives are a continuous journey of experiences created by our actions, reactions and interactions.

Think back on a painful event in your life. Did you feel that everything was going wrong? Did you feel that everyone was against you? The irate customer at work. The arguments with your friends and family. The road-rage driver who shook you up – what do these experiences teach you? Every single experience teaches us something. We either create/reinforce negative theories on the world or we create/reinforce positive theories. If you experience a road rage incident, what happens? The incident may be the saturation point for you to stop believing in people, to stop trusting people, to withdraw. However, you yourself may very well have caused such an incident on another occasion that led to the negative experience of another, leading to their own storm. A single smile to a passer-by may be all they need to create/reinforce positive theories on the world, enriching their life and those they interact with.

It is compassion that gifts us with the wisdom to see the world as it truly is and not be bonded by fear and ignorance. It is compassion that prevents us from reinforcing or creating negative theories when we have a ‘negative’ experience. Compassion also makes us aware that we are only hurting ourselves by harbouring any negative attitude, whether it be directed at others, the world or indeed ourselves.

And this is the other aspect of interconnection. The realisation that as we are part of all things, everything we do in life we are doing to ourselves. We are fundamentally entwined with all that is. As Gareth projects his negative tantrum on others, the reverberations will return to himself. Cause and effect rebounds to the instigator. On a psychological level, he is reinforcing his beliefs that others are always in his way, that others are obstacles. This can only create a world of limitation and pain for him; his belief that he doesn’t like other people sends messages to himself that he must be alone and keep his distance from others, limiting his world and happiness! The other reverberation is on the quantum level, or more aptly the spiritual level – the level where all our actions are felt and reverberated back to us. There is a saying in spirituality that the Universe constantly seeks balance for it is, in effect, in a state of balance until we interact with it. Any movement on our part is balanced by a counter-movement – every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This can be seen akin to karma, which is really cause and effect.

It is equivalent to throwing a pebble into the ocean. We assume, “how can one individual, a pebble, me, make any affect on the entire ocean!” Yet when we throw that pebble into the ocean, it creates waves. Those waves radiate outwards to reach the very edges of the ocean … and they return!

Synchronicities – Embracing the Meaning in Your Life

Acknowledging the powerful effects of our every action and expression allows us to see the world in a very different way. Instead of viewing the world as a clutter of random anomalies where we attempt to find our place in it, we see the world as an intricate tapestry, weaving in and out of existence. We see each and every individual as a thread of this fabric, each person playing a crucial role in the web of life.

With this level of awareness, we look around and experience life events with connection, meaning and purpose. It is purpose that lies within all things, where each and every event becomes elevated from happenstance to a sacred moment. Through interconnection we recognise purposeful events that are constantly occurring in our lives. This is the power of synchronicity.

A synchronicity is an event that connects events or people, or both, for a greater purpose. Coincidences are often put down to chance. But what is chance? We have conditioned ourselves to ignore the meaning behind all things.

For example, the events that took place following the Big Bang are a series of highly improbable coincidences. Due to a freak occurrence, the number of particles left following the Big Bang was exactly right to create the conditions leading to the creation of physical matter. Had they been even marginally greater or smaller, the Universe would have collapsed or would have expanded so fast that stars or galaxies would have had not time to form. The chances of this exact balance of particles, not to mention numerous other incidents occurring are literally astronomical … yet they occurred. Events took place and had purpose; they led to their effect to give meaning – Life. We have often labelled a synchronicity as being something that occurs where there is an improbable (or highly improbable) ‘chance’ for it to occur. However, in truth, synchronicities are constantly occurring in our lives because life is full of meaning. It is only when we raise our awareness to look out for synchronicities that we see the truth of reality before us.

Synchronicity shows us how life is extraordinarily connected and how events that take place are part of a much grander order than we have ever anticipated. This Grand Order is something that lies at the deepest level. The Grand Order is consciousness in itself, an expression of all intelligence. The Grand Order has many names – God, Spirit, the Universe, Life, Chi – however it can never be contained or boxed or ultimately separated. It is the very essence of interconnectedness, for it pervades all existence with knowledge of all things. The physical universe is merely a projection of a part of this Grand Order. On the other hand, you, as consciousness, are an eternal child of this Grand Order.

When we begin to appreciate the meaning in our lives, we begin to view the coincidental occurrences as signs with greater meaning. They are messages from the deeper order of existence, from Spirit, that is guiding us along. It may very well be a message on the television you hear, or a newspaper that falls open to a page with a job offer; yet, it can even be as incongruous as a book that you pick up which has been written by an author with the same surname as the best friend whom you haven’t thought about for years. The lineage that leads from a synchronistic event to the message that is implied is magical and affects each of us in its own magical way. There is no way to predict a synchronistic event or to find a mathematical formula to it – and this is where spirituality takes over.

Synchronicity occurs at such a grand level that is beyond all of our existing science and knowledge. It is simply something that we can tap into, listen to or ignore – in the end it is always our choice. As we begin to focus more and more on the every day coincidences in our lives, the more we become aware of the constant messages we are receiving from Spirit. Each and every person is being guided in some way or another and the interconnected world is constantly nudging and presenting you with messages from that deeper order. When you experience a synchronicity, the deeper order is connecting you to something or someone else. In other words, you are being guided to connect with another part of All That Is, which the deeper order knows will help you in some way.

Accepting the Magic of Interconnection

Life is a complex web of interconnection, of causes, effects and synchronicities that reverberate throughout existence. The very first stone cast by a Neanderthal still has repercussions today. Your entire life has, is and will resonate throughout eternity – this is your importance, this is your power. How you use this power reflects your personal and global reality.

We tell ourselves in our society that we have so little power, that we have so little effect on everything around us that we literally believe this in everything we do! Every action, reaction and interaction you make has powerful effects for yourself and everything around you. Think about the water you drink, the food you eat, the waste you leave, the money you circulate, the items you buy, the words you say, the things you do, the air you breathe, the energy you displace – they all have profound effects on the economical, sociological, environmental, psychological, political, physical and quantum state of the entire world – because they are all intricately connected!

Throughout history, our illusionary separatist philosophy has allowed the minority to speak for and control the majority. Even in democratic countries, where power is supposed to lie with the people; there is much apathy in voting as well as resistance in contacting representatives to create change. All of this is a reflection of the peoples’ disbelief in personal power and belief in separation. From politicians to corporations, personal power has been given away and this is, ultimately, what must be realized: no one can ‘take’ your power away. It is only you that can give your power away. This is YOUR power! You always have free will to use the infinite power that resides within your body in your life. So how are you going to use that power? By creating peace in your life, you create the reverberations of peace in those around you. This is truly powerful! It is also magnetic; it will attract those to you who think similarly.

If you commit to making positive actions and expressions within your life,
you create, magnetize and magnify that life for yourself and others.

Recognize your connection to life. You are part of the Grand Order. That Supreme Order is incomplete without you. You are constantly being guided because that deeper, Divine Order is an extension of you. Spirit, God, the Universe is working with you, not against you. It is only you that can limit yourself in any way. There is one connection that only you have, that only you can know and develop. That is your connection to your deepest Self. Recognize the messages that are in all parts of your life. Listen out for the words of your friends and family and watch out for the constant signs in your reality for they emanate from the deeper order of all things. It emanates from All That Is, which is constantly speaking to you in a language only you know how to decipher.

Life is truly magical. There is a global symbiosis between all living things, between yourself and all the trees around you. It is your perceptions that create your reality. The people around you are all inextricably connected to you on the most fundamental level. Recognize this. Use compassion to elevate your consciousness and awareness to the highest level of wisdom – where you realize that deep within resides a force that knows no boundaries, knows no limits and knows you only too well. Meet the timeless, boundless, Sacred Source of unconditional love … Meet Yourself.