◄ by Chris Jorgensen – Gladstone, MO ►
Have you ever felt that the weather influenced your behavior? Conversely, have you ever had the thought that your ‘presence’ influences the weather?
While catching up on the latest news via the internet the other day I came across a scientific study suggesting that weather influences human beings. It was written by Solomon Hsiang, Marshall Burke, and Edward Miguel–out of England. Their article was entitled: Quantifying the Influence of Climate on Human Conflict.
Here is a quote from their interesting work.
“A rapidly growing body of research examines whether human conflict can be affected by climatic changes. Drawing from archaeology, criminology, economics, geography, history, political science and psychology, we assemble and analyze the 60 most rigorous quantitative studies and document, for the first time, a remarkable convergence of results. We find strong causal evidence linking climatic events to human conflict across a range of spatial and temporal scales and across all major regions of the world. The magnitude of climate’s influence is substantial: for each 1 standard deviation (1 degree) change in climate toward warmer temperatures or more extreme rainfall, median estimates indicate that the frequency of interpersonal violence rises 4% and the frequency of inter-group conflict rises 14%. Because locations throughout the inhabited world are expected to warm 2 to 4 degrees by 2050, amplified rates of human conflict could represent a large and critical impact of anthropogenic climate change.”
The way I read this is that when it is hotter or dryer or there is more than normal rainfall, weather appears to create more energetic conflict in human behavior. By this time last year Kansas City had 20 days of 100+ degrees. In comparison this year we have not reached the 100 degree mark yet. While I don’t have the statistics on the crime rate for the city, this year has seemed to me to be somewhat more relaxed and to have less violence and agitation in it.
On the other side of the subject is Michael Roads who has written books about his experience of communing with nature. In his book, Talking With Nature: Sharing the Energies and Spirit of Trees, Plants, Birds, and Earth, he says…”It concerns me that the human race has allowed separation from Nature to become established as accepted reality. Hence, man and Nature, rather than man of Nature. Do we as humanity stand above and beyond such power?…To establish a reconnection with Nature is to reach into our Selves, reconnecting with the timeless wisdom we each contain but few indeed are the people who will allow themselves time for this process.”
I believe that human beings influence the weather, particularly if there is consciousness in the picture as experienced through Attunement. Over the last decade there have been a couple of us in Kansas City who work with Attunement and the weather. Sharing Attunement with the weather is something I wrote about in Attunement: The Creator’s Magic. When I wrote the book I was at the beginning stages of my exploration and after some years of experience I have come to know that there are many energetic approaches to handling weather. I have also discovered that it is the radiation of the ‘single eye’ that has a specific influence in the creation of weather. Today, my primary Attunement with the weather is sharing the radiance of Love directly with the weather/storm without expectations. Pick up the pattern of the storm and radiate. Often, when finished, I notice the general violence (lighting, wind and hail) of such storms is reduced while the beneficial moisture comes and blesses the earth. Ultimately, only Love has the wisdom to handle the multitude of factors involved in any given weather pattern/storm.
“And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship…
And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:36-39)
Jim and I were in Amsterdam and then Tanzania when the Boulder flash flooding occurred. We got a message at one of the hotels that our younger daughter, Krista, who was taking care of our house saying, “I’m OK. Call when you can.” (Don’t mothers love to hear those words!) Before we had a chance to call her, my sister-in-law checked the hotel’s computer and read about the terrible flooding and 1200 people unaccounted for. Because wi-fi was so sketchy and my international phone wasn’t working, the first and only course of action WAS Attunement. What a blessing!! All we could do was enfold the situation and let Love radiate into the intenseness. It seemed strange to be so far away and, at the same time, so close. To paraphrase a popular English WW II motto: “Keep Calm and Attune On!”
Thank you Mike for your comments and your Attunement work with the weather. As you indicated, personal atmosphere is so important when working with weather. Why is it that the United States (and the midwest) has more tornados that any other country on the planet? I remember some lines from Martin Exeter’s poem, “Whatever Arises” which go like this, “Let there be a place of stillness in the midst of turmoil. Let there be a place of light amidst darkness. Let there be a place of ease amid disease. Let there be a place of order in the chaos.” Articulated here in a few words is my responsibility in living.
Chris, thank you for your words concerning the weather. I also believe human beings influence the weather. Over the years I have noticed that my personal atmosphere makes a big difference in my relationship with the weather. It seems to me that a clear internal atmosphere on my part can clarify an incoming storm. How is this done? The radiation of love will make that determination. What is the result? My experience is similar to yours. Most of the time the violence is removed and a gentle soaking rain ensues.
While interacting with the various weather patterns prior to their arrival I will often recall a part of Andrew Shier’s book, Attunement. A Way Of Life. He has a small passage that I like on page 22. “The basic and most important energy to hold in relationship to ourselves and others is a sense of gentleness and compassion.” As I learn to hold a clear atmosphere with my fellow human beings, I also learn to hold a clear atmosphere with the weather patterns. What a blessing. Mike Phillips