Moral Ground 2010: A Bioenergetic View of Environmental Ethics

"The earth is our Mother...We have as much responsibility to her [the earth] as we do to any living being.”

~ Pam Allard, Lakota Ceremonialist, Bioenergeticist

 

Pam Allard of Grand Rapids has studied the relationship between humans and the planet extensively. She is the adopted sister of a Lakota Medicine Man and has studied Lakota tradition for many years. As a ceremonialist, she hosts healing circles and sweat lodges in and around the Grand Rapids area. She holds a Masters in Bioenergetics, the study of energy transformation and the flow of energy through all living things. Her experiences with Native American culture and bioenergetics have taught her to have respect for the natural world. She has spent more than twenty years practicing a lifestyle that is based upon reverence for, and balance within, the earth's living systems.

Pam believes that without a healthy planet we cannot sustain ourselves as human beings. When asked if we have a moral or ethical obligation to protect our planet, Pam’s immediate and enthusiastic response was, “Absolutely! The earth is our Mother. No matter how much we try to synthesize nature we can’t nourish ourselves.” Her belief that the earth is a living and breathing entity, that the rivers and streams are the life-blood of our planet, and that the rocks are the ancient ones whom have survived throughout the ages causes Pam to claim, "We have as much responsibility to her [the earth] as we do to any living being.”

According to Pam it is when we fail to act responsibly that we see illness and environmental devastation on the scale we are witnessing today. Our lack of respect and compassion for our environment has spurred tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. From the bioenergetics view point living organisms are able to survive through the exchange of energy with other living organisms. When this energy flow is disrupted due to stress, disease, toxins, and irresponsible misuse of resources the flow of energy is disrupted, resulting in cancers, arthritis, and global degradation. Because of this our DNA is affected by the magnetic pulls of the earth.

When we consume irresponsibly we are changing the earth’s magnetic energy and thereby altering our genetic code. In effect, Pam claims, “Everything we do effects the earth and that in turn affects us as human beings.”  Pam related to me the Native American practice of asking permission before taking the life of any living being in nature. “When looking for young saplings to use in the sweat lodge or plants to use in medicinal healing we always ask the trees and plants for permission. It can take time to find a tree that is willing to sacrifice itself for human use.” By asking the trees and plants permission the balance between living organisms is restored.

Insights gleaned from her knowledge of Native American culture and the biology of bioenergetics further supports Pam's belief that humans must develop and maintain a relationship to the earth as they would another human being. Because we, the plants, rocks, water, air, insects, animals, and humans are interconnected. According to Pam every human action creates ripples that fan out and effect the environment around us. When we fail to respect and care for the planet, the planet will not be able to care for modern society or for future generations.

Yet Pam believes that there is hope. “There is a shift in conscience happening,” she claims. Future generations will have a better awareness and more understanding of what our planet needs and what activities must end if life is going to continue. Without a doubt, she believes that a deeper respect for our natural world will be a part of future healing. People are beginning to understand and accept that we are a part of an interdependent web of living organisms. The actions that benefit one aspect of the organism will benefit the whole. The processes involved in this change of conscience may well be climatic but eventually the energies will balance in order to support a sustainable future.