Lisa Chapman, 2025Our news is full of the sounds of tearing and ripping at the
very fabric of humanity. Meanwhile, the destruction of our environment rolls on
relentlessly, littered with (un)natural disasters made by human hands. Too
often these are the same hands which tear pieces from human lives that don't fit the cultural standard; pushing,
forcing and manipulating, intentionally and through acts of 'kindness',
so that those with cultural privilege remain safe and secure. Worse still are those in
positions of power, who seek only to rise ever higher in pursuit of greater security, control and ultimately supremacy at the expense of others. This happens at all levels and in all places, from the classroom to the office, and
beyond into the worlds of government and international politics. Even in
communities that feel on the surface to be affirming, connected and safe, there are often individuals within who want to 'reign supreme'.
Whilst 'power' does not always have an identifiable singular
face, nor is it always openly on view, in their drive for domination, powerful
people, organisations and institutions, often only see one thing, that of
maintaining their position at the top of a hierarchy.
The irony is, that from these lofty positions of (self) 'appointed power' and
of singular righteousness, such individuals and groups think themselves to be
above the idea of 'Oneness', when in fact, Oneness is a way of being that naturally includes everyone; connection is inherent and serial progression is immaterial.
Oneness is
"understanding yourself and all other entities as being part of a
whole" (McMahon n.d.). It is a way of being that embodies connection,
community and collaboration.
We are one with all other entities in our world, animate and inanimate, with all our relations, all our kin. Humans are not a distinct and separate entity, we are deeply connected to each other, to all other entities in the world and to the journeys of our ancestors and our past. Our narratives are individual but also ‘cyclical’, built through 'interdependence and interrelationships' (McMahon, n.d.). To know a person is to see the whole of these interactions.
For me Oneness also encompasses other truths:
- We live on one planet
- We are part of one human race.
- Each of us is a whole person. Our bodies and minds are not separate. Oneness fits closely with the idea of bodyminds (Walker, 2021), that mind and body work together as one. We continuously embody experiences, interacting and processing these with our whole body as we move through different spaces.
What Oneness is not:
- Oneness is not a goal, nor a pathway. It does not fit into checklists, nor is it a 'tick-box' exercise. Oneness is a way of being outside of the confines of the 'measured' world.
- Oneness is not an additional extra to add into our lives. It is central to creating greater balance in the world and vital to the health of the ecosystems we inhabit and with which we co-exist.
- Oneness is
not about any single entity being better than any other, nor is it about
power. It is about harmony, dignity and respect, yet too often Oneness becomes something we have to fight for and defend.
When we embrace Oneness, we see beyond the 'Matrix' that
covers up, blends and burnishes so much of our existence, into a deeper
embodied and more relational truth about being. In valuing the breadth
and depth of connections that support us, the idea of disrespecting,
dishonouring or destroying any of those connections becomes equally abhorrent,
non-sensical, a crime against humanity and the lifeworlds of all beings. A fight for neurodivergent rights, joins seamlessly with a fight for our environment and protection of the natural world, or rallying against genocide. These causes are not separate, they are one. As a species it is time we looked more to what brings us together, rather than at what can tear us apart, for in shared community we can both discover and protect our humanity.
Reflections
- How
do you view yourself in relation to others; humans and other living and
non-living entities (animate and inanimate)? Is this something you've
given thought to before? Is this something you feel you may give more
thought to going forward?
- Balance in the relationships between all entities is important for wellbeing (McMahon, n.d). What
role does your family, your job role, your culture, your religion, your
identity, and your life experiences (present, past and hopes for the
future) play in a relational understanding of who you are? If you feel there is less balance in your relational world, how can you address this?
- Do
you have spaces where you can explore Oneness further? Are there others
you can explore with and alongside you?
References
Chapman, L. (2025, April 5th). Kindness a double empathy perspective. https://a-labour-of-moles.blogspot.com/2025/04/kindness-double-empathy-perspective.html
Chapman, L. (2025, November 6th). The shape of an interaction. https://a-labour-of-moles.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-shape-of-interaction.html
Gauthier, P. E., Chungyalpa, D., Goldman, R. I., Davidson, R. J., & Wilson-Mendenhall, C. D. (2025).
Mother Earth kinship: Centering Indigenous worldviews to address the Anthropocene and rethink the ethics of human-to-nature connectedness. Current Opinion in Psychology. Volume 64,
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