Plants & Consciousness
“When you look at nutrition from a purely scientific point of view,
there is no place for consciousness. And yet, consciousness could be one of the crucial determinants of the metabolism.”
~Deepak Chopra, M.D.
Just as light passes through water, sound travels through air, and similarly, the food we eat is permeated with its subtle vibrations, including those it has picked up from the environment it was growing in and all the people who have handled it along the way. All these subtle vibrations are incorporated into the consciousness of the person eating the food. So, we could say that plants grown, prepared, and eaten with positive energy can uplift the spirits and nourish the individual's body.
The Life-Force in Plants
Plants are themselves living systems. They still have some of their original qualities when used as food or medicine. Plants are an aggregate of physical elements and energy-life force field. Live plants or picked plants, of course, don’t have precisely the same energy-life force; the more time elapses from the moment of cutting, the more the field of the cut or picked plant changes until eventually it disintegrates and the plant itself decays. It makes logical sense that we derive nourishment from food's macro and micronutrients and their life force energy. The physical nutrients nourish our physical body; the subtle energy of plants and herbs (bio-energy, force fields, chi, prana, name it what you will) nourishes our life force.
SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT
Spiritual nourishment is about exploring the consciousness that various world traditions have taught. For thousands of years, we have seen spiritual practices that have used their consciousness to connect to a plant’s spiritual significance. The effects of plants on the mind, emotions, and consciousness are just beginning to be acknowledged here in the West. And, now, science is beginning to explore what many have known intuitively and accepted on faith – that our thoughts and, perhaps, psychospiritual energy influence the plant foods we cultivate, prepare, and eat.
When you are fully present and conscious, both you and the food you consume may be transformed. The consciousness we bring to food may have the potential to become a vital source of nourishment. In return, our food choices can raise our consciousness to a higher level. Ultimately, plants become one with us (through sight, taste, smell, touch, and hearing), and we are with them literally and metaphorically.
MENTAL AND SPIRITUAL DISPOSITION
Ayurveda, the 5,000-year-old natural health science of India, provides a unique system of distinguishing people based on the psychological characteristics of an individual’s constitution. All individuals have mixed amounts of the three Gunas or qualities: Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. These are the three essential components of your mind; when in equilibrium, these qualities preserve your mind, keeping it healthy. Various psychological conditions develop if there is a disturbance in their equilibrium. The imbalances of Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva cause the disturbance. Certain foods positively affect an individual’s consciousness, sharpening and clearing the mind; these foods are called sattvic foods.
“To receive the most subtle particles in the plant, you must be fully conscious, wide awake, full of love and appreciation. “
~O.M. Aivanhov
SATTVIC – PURITY & INTELLIGENCE
(Imparts balance)
In the Vedic system, it is taught that an individual’s food choices reflect their mental clarity and consciousness and that these preferences alter as they develop spiritually. The senses are awakened because of their presence. It is also responsible for the perception of knowledge. Sattva creates harmony, balance and stability. It is light and luminous. It is the principle of clarity and peace and the force of love.
SATTVIC BEHAVIOUR
A Sattvic diet promotes cheerfulness, serenity, and mental clarity. It also supports nervous equilibrium and sharpens the intellect and mental poise through a working day. It also brings calmness to the mind and is both soothing and nourishing to the body. Sattvic people are truly generous, like to give, and are generally noble and spiritually orientated.
SATTVIC FOODS
These are pure, wholesome, and naturally delicious foods. They include fresh and dried fruits and berries, pure natural fresh juices, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, salads, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole-grain bread, honey, fresh herbal teas. Sattvic foods are not just vegetarian but plant foods rich in Prana (life-force), like fresh and organic foods. A diet consisting of mainly Sattvic foods is easily digested and supplies maximum energy, increasing vitality, strength, and endurance.
RAJASIC – ENERGY & OVERACTIVITY
(Causes imbalance)
An aggressive state involved in hunting called Rajasic. In fact, Raja means “king,” and it is recognized that pushing, aggressive, worldly activity is appropriate for rulers who deal with domination, forcefulness, and warfare. Rajasic substances overstimulate the nervous system, speed up metabolism, and activate. They stimulate and push the organism to increase speed and indulge more in physical activity, sensual pleasure, and creature comforts.
RAJASIC BEHAVIOR
Rajas are the most active of the three Gunas; stimulation and motion are their characteristics. Over-stimulation of the mind and body causes mental and physical stress and creates nervous and circulatory disorders. It is the quality of change, activity, and turbulence. All ambitions, wishes and desires are a direct result of rajas. Rajas are the force of passions, causing a restless state of mind and making the person overactive. An imbalance of rajas produces numerous psychiatric disorders.
RAJASIC FOODS
Foods that are overly spiced, such as hot, pungent, dry, burning, bitter, sour, or salty, are classified as Rajasic and are productive of pain, grief, and disease. Other substances that belong in this category include caffeinated beverages, prescription drugs, tobacco, fast foods and snacks, refined foods, sugars, and soft drinks. Spicy and overcooked food tempts one to eat more, leading one away from internal signals.
TAMASIC – INERTIA & SUBSTANCE
(Creates inertia)
An individual consistently existing on Tamasic substances can continue to live. Still, the body will become heavier, or else functioning will be sluggish, and diseases of degeneration and accumulation of excessive matter are likely to occur. The physical matter of the body may be added to, but its energy, vitality, and consciousness are not increased through such foods. Tamasic nature makes one feel less alert. Concentration, attention and meditation may be challenging.
TAMASIC BEHAVIOR
A Tamasic individual appears dull and lazy, lacking high ideas, purpose, and motivation. A common tendency for these individuals is feelings of heaviness and lethargy. Their common complaints will be chronic ailments, pains, and deep depression. The personality of the individual will be one of irritability. One may likely act in a cruel or thoughtless way. It may even lead to a tyrannical, oppressive kind of disposition.
TAMASIC FOODS
Tamasic substances or foods are “dead”; those that are partly spoiled have no spark of life about them or lack the vitality of live food. All overcooked and packed foods, along with meat, fish, and eggs, are classified as dulling to the senses. Other Tamasic items include foods that have been fried, reheated numerous times, barbecued, or fermented, as well as stale products or those packed full of preservatives. Overeating is a Tamasic cause. Tamasic substances nourish only the grossest aspects of the body.
How to Balance Your Consciousness
It takes time for the effects of dietary changes to manifest in the mind. Changing our food habits and diet may not impact our psychology overnight, but in a matter of a few months, it can. Incorporating some of the Sattvic dietary principles can alleviate numerous psychological problems.
The three Gunas reveal our mental and spiritual state. The following test is a good index of the psychological areas we may work on within our lives and character. After going through the test, have a friend or a family member who knows you quite well go through it for you and then note the difference between how you view yourself and how they see you. Pure Sattvic nature is rare at any time and shows a spiritual disposition with a few psychological problems. A Rajasic nature is where most of us will fall into this category due to our present-day outgoing culture. A Tamasic nature would likely prevent an individual from reading this article or magazine. Making simple changes and moving in new directions in our lives can aid us in living more joyfully and harmoniously.
As we integrate the Gunas into our lives and approach plants meditatively and lovingly, we intuit the sacred connection between the planet, plants, and people. In this way, all the ancient traditions help us to understand and perceive the plant kingdom as a life force and a nurturer; they are a gift from the Earth that recharges and sustains us. May we walk with consciousness and respect for our green world.