Larisa Iceglass’s quote, “If only they could hear what they are telling us every day,” suggests a deeper connection to the natural world and our ancestors’ experiences, hinting that there are messages we’re missing because we are not tuned to them. In a time of constant visual and digital distractions, we are disconnected from the subtle, primal ways in which our ancestors would have been organically embedded into their environment. By “subtle, primal ways,” I mean the instinctual, non-verbal cues in the natural world, in the sky,… the sudden Mars or Mercury going backward or retrograde, or the sensual cues that are sensed more through smell, sound, or vibration. For example, the scent of rain before a storm would have alerted early humans to changing weather, influencing where they might seek shelter or what they should prepare for. Another example is the sound of an insect-like the cicada, which signals the hot, dry months of summer. The constant, rhythmic buzzing of cicadas in full chorus is a natural calendar, telling humans it’s time to harvest certain crops or brace for extreme heat. Similarly, the call of the lyrebird—known for its extraordinary ability to mimic other animals, machines, and even human-made sounds—would have been a peculiar yet fascinating auditory signal. This bird’s mimicry might have intrigued early humans, offering clues about the health of the environment, the presence of nearby species, or even the changing seasons. These sensory cues, deeply woven into the fabric of the environment, were essential for survival, and our ancestors would have been finely attuned to these signals in a way that is difficult for us to fully comprehend today, as we often overlook or dismiss them in favor of more immediate visual inputs.
In contrast, today’s world is dominated by the constant hum of cell phones, notifications, and screens, drowning out these deeper signals. The constant visual overload we experience has disconnected us from our primal senses, leaving us less attuned to the natural world and more focused on the artificial one. We are surrounded by memes, digital messages, and endless content that demand our attention, but often at the cost of missing out on the subtle whispers of nature.
In 1999 when I was hanging out in Pennsylvania and Carri was in Philly, Susan Blackmore published the meme machine and said “In our house, we have four telephone lines, two fax machines, three television sets, four hi-fi systems, seven or eight radios, five computers, and two modems.”
Well… hm,… Maybe, it’s time to get off the laptop and stop writing this hypocritical balloney and go to the forest and get off the phone, computers, books, and streets, and sit under a tree and just have a picnic with myself, hm., in the wilderness and look for some mushrooms, or whatever, anyway, uhm Its time for me to get up and dance, nude, or at least get up and take a break for a minute, for a coffee and a muffin.
References:
- Smell and Human Evolution: The Role of Olfactory Cues in Early Human Life. Journal of Anthropological Research, vol. 55, no. 3, 2021, pp. 213–234.
- Cicadas and Their Cultural Impact on Ancient Humans. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Review, vol. 42, no. 5, 2019, pp. 742–758.
- The Lyrebird’s Mimicry and Early Human Perception of Nature. Journal of Avian Biology, vol. 60, no. 8, 2020, pp. 1079–1089.
- Visual Overload in the Digital Age. Journal of Contemporary Media Studies, vol. 18, no. 2, 2023, pp. 45–67.
- The Evolution of Human Sensory Systems: From Olfactory Dominance to Visual Precedence. Neuroscience and Human Behavior, vol. 13, no. 1, 2018, pp. 122–135.
- How Modern Memes Reflect Ancient Forms of Communication. Cultural Studies Quarterly, vol. 28, no. 4, 2022, pp. 302–319.
- Sensory Deprivation in the Modern World: What We Lose When We Ignore Nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 39, no. 6, 2021, pp. 654–667.
- The Hidden Life of Trees and Human Connection. Nature and Human Relations Journal, vol. 46, no. 3, 2020, pp. 451–465.
- The Impact of Technology on Human Sensory Experience. Humanities and Technology Journal, vol. 25, no. 2, 2022, pp. 83–99.
- Rediscovering Nature’s Messages in the Digital Age. Global Ecological Review, vol. 16, no. 9, 2024, pp. 231–245.
