Layers of existence

Where are you living right now?

Art by Chelsea Larsson

In the late 1990s, I happened to read a newspaper article about animals in caged environments committing self-harm. It’s called SIB (self-injurious behavior) and occurs in something like 10% of caged animals.

Zoochosis, a psychosis found in animals held captive in zoos, is similar. Behaviors like pacing or pulling out fur or self-biting that don’t seem to serve a purpose beyond a coping mechanism for a mentally distraught animal are stereotypes of zoochosis. Animals in sanctuaries and zoos with realistic, large habitats don’t exhibit these behaviors as often.

Animals biting themselves is a bummer I know, but please read on.

Learning that these voiceless animals hurt themselves as to cope with their confined existence broke my pre-teen heart. It also planted a seed that took decades to grow into the perspective I’m sharing today.

Our mind is the environment in which we roam. At birth, the mind is a big open space. A safe habitat where thoughts come and go freely without judgement or attachments. It’s as expansive as the universe.

Maintaining expansiveness requires constant vigilance. That’s hard. But it’s also our natural state, so we are designed to do it. Let’s explore how to stay free.