Our planet is in distress, its inhabitants suffering, and although humanity has faced many challenges before, this has a feeling of urgency that is possibly unprecedented. Whether the urgency results from the depth of our problems and how fast they are unfolding, or has more to do with 24-7 media reports continuously stoking the fires of worry within our minds, the effects are very real for our nervous systems, often left over-stimulated and frazzled. A few years ago, the problems of the world seemed pretty distant to many of us, but the Covid pandemic and its fallout have changed that. Now, the divisions, inequalities and failings of those in power are more apparent than ever. Add in a war, financial difficulties, impending food shortages and constant reminders the climate is doomed and it’s no wonder people are anxious and stressed.
On the issue of destruction of our natural world, it is heartening to see awareness growing and governments appearing to take things more seriously. But at the same time, one might wonder why carbon emissions leading to climate change is the topic receiving almost all the attention of politicians and the media with other desperately important environmental problems getting very little air time, such as the poisoning of our land through pesticide use, the pollution of our water supply with pharmaceutical products entering the sewage system, and the destructive impact of newly introduced electromagnetic frequencies such as 5G on bird and insect populations, not to mention our health. When the environmental damage plus land and people exploitation, caused by certain proposed solutions is conveniently ignored – the toxicity associated with production and disposal of electric car batteries, for example, or the GM monocrops, particularly soya, used in the overly processed ‘planet-saving’ plant foods, it doesn’t fill one with confidence. In fact, it leads many to feel suspicious. Is the health of the planet top priority or are there other agendas creeping in?
Even though the majority of people care about the state of the planet and wellbeing of humanity, it appears right now opinions are divided on the best solutions to our looming problems, fuelled, in part, by a sense that inconvenient truths are being covered up by those in power and authority. To heal these divisions and find optimal solutions for all, it seems we need to bring a new energy to the situation, one that speaks of honesty and integrity and one that empowers the everyday person and supports them in their planet-saving endeavours rather than leaving them feeling distrustful and discouraged.
I propose this new energy needs to come from our hearts because the mentalistic ego-based approach driven by the brain is taking way too long and often leads us down wrong paths. In his book, The Master and His Emissary, Ian McGilchrist explores the characteristics and viewpoints of the right and left brain, showing that the left brain with its reductionist interpretation of the world sees itself as separate and as such feels the need to compete with others for power in order to make progress and protect itself. The right brain, on the other hand, takes an overall perspective and with the ability to step back, sees how everything is connected and interrelated. With this viewpoint it appreciates that collaboration and corporation are the fastest, most effective routes to progress and safety, and for everyone involved, not just the individual. According to McGilchrist, individuals and societies will tap their greatest potential for problem solving when they allow the right brain with its focus on wholeness to dominate, to act as master, and the left brain with its love of component parts to play a supportive role, feeding the right brain information to enhance its overall understanding of a situation. Over very many centuries we have increasingly found ourselves in the reverse situation with the left brain calling the shots and whilst this has led to a certain type of progress, you could argue our humanitarian ideals have been compromised.
If we can begin to readdress this current imbalance, adjusting the focus of our brains and therefore our thoughts and behaviours away from the need to divide, separate and compete, we are bound to find ourselves in a more harmonious world where creative solutions to our problems, solutions that serve the many and not just the few, will abound. But there is something else we need to change, something that may be even more important.
The true master of the left brain, but also the right brain, in fact the brain as a whole, is another organ, in another location, with a different energy entirely. The true master is the heart. We tend to think of the brain as the controller of the body but research shows the majority of the information traffic between brain and heart is in the direction of the brain from the heart. And other research shows the heart picks up incoming information signals before the brain, via intuition. It appears, although more research will clarify, the heart is the organ of knowing, a deep intelligence that draws on, and is able to tap into, Universal Wisdom, whilst the brain is the organ of knowledge, a more superficial intelligence based on analysis of the facts we encounter in our physical reality. This is certainly the way our ancient masters and wisdom teachers viewed the two organs. To them, the heart was the more important one and its engagement was required for true discernment.
Discernment, the act or process of exhibiting keen insight and good judgement, is a quality seemingly lacking in our society today. There are many reasons for this, not least the overwhelming level of information fed to us through 24-hour media of all forms, causing mind over-load. This, combined with the fact that in Western cultures we are not taught to value, or even take notice of our intuition, a skill invaluable for discernment, demonstrates why contemporary man struggles in this department. Without discernment we are left floundering when the facts are not presented in a straightforward manner or when there are hidden realities that require some digging to reach. Critical thinking and meticulous judgement demand left brain logic, of course, but they also require the right brain’s view of the big picture and essentially, they need the heart’s sense of what’s true. Ingenious solutions to our problems also require input from all three.
As modern Western society does not encourage and facilitate deep, open-hearted enquiry - the idea of quietening the mind to tune into subtle signals from our intelligent heart alien to most leaders, we might imagine that sincere, authentic discussions regarding the needs of humanity are unlikely to occur on the world stage anytime soon. Certainly, when elders from cultures with a tradition of valuing the heart’s wisdom, Native America Indians and Aboriginal Australians, for example, have sounded warnings of environmental catastrophe over many years, our leaders have often appeared not to listen. Despite this, I hold great hope that real change is on the horizon. Because whilst the hearts of our leaders can appear stubbornly closed, there is at this time a major shift happening in planetary consciousness as predicted by a great many seers, mystics, astrologers, philosophers and scientists over decades and centuries past, as well as currently. This is thought to be the greatest shift we have ever witnessed, something that will completely alter our perspective of life and of ourselves, and something that will involve great heart awakening. If you look closely, you’ll see evidence of this shift already happening.
Often it is suffering that breaks us open and as grief, loss, and pain have come home to roost for many people over the last few years, a sense of vulnerability has sent many people inwards to search for answers. Shutters that were pulled down to protect hearts from uncomfortable visions of suffering around the world, have been ripped off as that suffering has arrived in our own front rooms. When hearts begin to crack and we finally feel the deep emotions that have been hidden there, compassion flows forth. It is a painful process but ultimately leads to an expansion of mind, a re-emergence of right-brain thinking, and with it, creative ideas and solutions for our problems. The heart is powerful, we are just beginning to remember this, and when we tune to its wisdom, letting it guide our skills of discernment, when we allow the deep well of love and compassion it holds to spill over and steer our behaviours, we can’t help but connect with that power. Our leaders might not always want to admit it, but they are very well aware that the people hold the power. But have they even imagined the force of the masses once their hearts have been opened?...
Perhaps now is the time to show them.
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