http://differentway.net/naturesmind/frames_nm.html

“An ecology of mind is a way of considering how both the mental and physical aspects of sentient experience interact in terms of communicational relationships. The idea of “ecology” includes the idea of communication, because every successful association of life depends on some communicational interplay. But our modern sophistication has been overlooking the fact that all communication involves the qualitative participation of sentient minds. Representations, attitudes and values are essential qualitative elements in communicational interplay, even at the cellular level. (Many scientists will protest that cells don’t have emotions, but they can’t say they don’t have attitudes, which really comes down to the same thing). And these are not approachable with the same deterministic mindset that has worked so well with all the inorganic materials and processes we have scientifically mastered so well. It’s no wonder that a science that discounts the importance of sentient experience is unable to interface well with the communicationally based realities of living ecosystems. So while we’re splitting atoms and flying around the universe we’re also destroying the ecology of earth life and our own future, if we don’t wake up soon.

This qualitative dimension of life includes all the things we’re interested in, care about or love, as well as everything we dislike, avoid or hate. Yet it’s a whole lot more than this simple emotional aspect. There are many sentient powers of mind, and these qualitative preferences are common to living organisms of every kind — which means life is much more of an ecological collaboration of minds than we have begun to suspect as a species. And getting this could not only help us dig our way out of the destructive hole we’re putting ourselves and the earth in. It could also open us up to a whole slew of unpredictable new alliances, not only between different kinds of people, but also between humans and many different life forms. These would finally become creative possibilities because of us realizing that all life is sentiently participating in the creative evolution of the biosphere.”

— @[581984881:2048:George Gorman]

Author of Nature’s Mind