Step
Three
Understand
Nature’s
plotlines.
Nature is not some fixed or static thing, it’s an unfolding story that’s happening in the world around us. How do you make sense of what happens in your world?
Most of us select a plotline from the handful of classic themes we pick up from culture. Once we sense a similarity, we start perceiving the experience through the lens of the plotline.
Because our go-to plotlines won’t help us make sense of a planet, this step provides alternative plotlines that do. But instead of being human-centered and derived from modern culture, these are science-based and focused on understanding Earth as it’s manifested through Nature.
Is it necessary?
Yes, science has been figuring out Earth and Nature for centuries, but its findings typically don’t make it into our cultural consciousness.
If its concepts came as stories with plotlines—which our brains seem wired for—they’d become our basis for understanding the natural world and replace outdated stories we’ve been using. And by knowing basic plotlines, nonscientists could start making sense of Nature like they never did before.
Do you understand Nature’s plotlines?
How
To Do It
Go inside
the realms.
Dive into each of Earth’s nine realms to find beautiful examples from the real world surrounding a bronze pyramid. Engraved on its sides are three tales that describe the plotlines and their underlying science concepts.
Your mission is to familiarize yourself with the scenery and the plotlines of the 27 tales you’ll discover.
The path forward
If you doubt that digging into the tales is worth the effort, you’ll be stuck interpreting your experiences through human-centered stories inherited from settler and consumer culture. Not only will you miss out on the science, you won’t have the opportunity to experience awe and wonder just by being outside.
But if you carry on with this step, you’ll begin transforming your experience of the world. You’ll realize you can have consequential encounters with profound global events, wherever you may be.
Are you up for the challenge?
Find
Help
Gear up for
this step.
Get your own guide to the plotlines. Each item gives you the same set of tales and concepts but with tweaks to the format and experience. Pick one that suits your learning style and start making sense of the natural world.
Directions
Once you receive your item, take time to read its tales and take a close look at the images. More than pretty pictures, they’re examples of what plotlines can look like in the real world.
As you examine each one, create a memory clip of the imagery, the title, and the last line of the tale. To go deeper, check out the science concepts online. And, remember to keep your item somewhere you can touch base with the plotlines again and again.
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Tarot-Style Cards: Understand Nature’s Plotlines
$32.00 -
Book: Understand Nature’s Plotlines in Pictures
$19.00 -
Digital Exploration: Understand Nature’s Plotlines
$12.00 -
Comic Book: Discover Natures Plotlines with Friends
$16.00
Take It
Outside
Use What
You Learn
You now have the playbook to follow big events happening around you. When you notice something going on outdoors, ignore thoughts like “which side should win?” coming from cultural narratives that aren’t a good fit. Think instead of a related realm and tale.
Use the tale as your lens to make sense of what you noticed. As you do, realize how the experience is illustrating the tale in your mind, adding a specific detail to its plotline and helping you remember it. And just being aware of the tales will help you start picking up on things you likely overlooked in the past.
Make Progress
Interpret what catches your attention with a tale. Next, blend in the memory clip to let the experience sink into your subconscious. Letting your mind wander through words and images connects ideas and fits pieces together to form deep understanding.
With practice, you’ll start noticing Nature’s details and Earth’s stamp on them wherever you go. This will transform your outdoor experiences into highly personal, sometimes awe-inspiring brushes with Earth’s grand stories. It’s a habit you’ll want to continue even as you go to the next step.
Photo Art on this website includes adaptations from “A Long Dead Star” from ESA, Hubble, and NASA, by Y Chu; “The Blue Marble from NASA; “Twin Blue Marbles” from NASA; and Earth photo by Reid Wiseman from the International Space Station, Expedition 40.