Becoming Nature: Learning the Language of Wild Animals and Plants (pages ) by Tamarack Song. Published by Bear & Company (2016).

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1 HOW TO BECOME INVISIBLE In an absolute sense, invisible means unseeable. However, we use the term here in a relative sense, which means that someone can be seeable yet not actually seen. Two Ways the Seeable Goes Unseen Stepping into physical blind spots. All animals, including us, have variable fields of vision, which create blind spots. Mine is a vertical strip in the center of my field of vision. When we learn other creatures blind spots, we can step into them and in effect disappear. Creating emotional and psychological blind spots. Our brains fabricate what we think we see, based on operating systems programmed by prior experiences and beliefs. An Owl could glide by in front of me, yet I might not see her if I believed in ghosts. Utilizing these awarenesses, we can Become invisible without the aid of camouflage, often while remaining in full view. When we lack the awarenesses, we resort to methods such as camouflage and stealth. Disadvantages of Camouflage and Stealth They require additional energy, whereas invisibility is part-and-parcel of Becoming. They call for constant vigilance, as the least unconscious movement could expose a person. 1

2 They are reliable for the short-term only. The longer the duration, the more chance there is of discovery. If I want to sit down in the woods and remain unseen, I could camouflage myself so that I am literally invisible, or I could Become a Tree stump. Camouflaging myself would take work and it could compromise my ability to see and hear, whereas Becoming a Tree stump could be as easy as sitting down or lifting an arm over my head, as in the illustration below. I can stay out in plain sight and someone could look directly at me, only seeing a stump. Who is to say that I m not really a Tree trunk? When we have Become something (see step 11), we are no longer ourselves, so we have nothing to hide and therefore no reason to hide. More than a way to turn invisible, Becoming is a way to turn into Nature. We join in rather than disguising from; we revel in our sameness rather than reinforcing our differences. 2

3 Become a Moving Tree Trunk To keep out of sight when someone walks by the Tree we re hiding behind, we can plant our feet and rotate our upper body around the trunk, to keep on the side of the Tree opposite the passerby (see illustration). When we don t move our feet, we don t create noise. If a foot does become exposed, it will likely be taken for a flared trunk or exposed root. Invisibility in Visibility If a person dressed as a clown were standing in line to purchase tickets for a concert, he would stand out. His ego chose to wear clown suit, as one of the ego s jobs is to increase visibility by creating distinction and separation. No matter what his reason for standing in line, he will be noted for his singular appearance. Contrast this with someone who has Become her surroundings. She is neither trying to stand out nor hide. Not coming from her ego mind, she is able to Become the sidewalk, the 3

4 buildings, the sky above, and the ticket line itself. Even if our gaze were to pass over her, we would probably not be able to recall her presence. She has Become transparent. When we are transparent in the Natural Realm, we don t need to camouflage ourselves to be invisible any more than the woman standing in line. Why Become invisible to the wind and the Trees if we are the wind and the Trees? To Become Invisible at Night Flashlight and headlamp beams put us in the center of attention by pointing directly at us, along with blinding us to everything that falls outside the beam. When we turn off the light, we disappear into the dark. Our eyes adjust to night vision and our senses come alive, allowing us to see, hear, smell, and feel much more than when the light beam defined the night world. Invisibility Is Movement In addition to leaving our ego minds behind, invisibility requires that we know how to move within Nature. As we covered in the previous step, how we move will determine how well we blend in and are accepted by the Natural Realm. If we walk through the woods as we walk down a city sidewalk, we ll stick out like cowboys at a Star Trek convention. On the other hand if we want to be present and move invisibly, we need to think and act like a shadow, making no wave and leaving no trace of having been there. 4

5 Invisibility is not stillness. As T.S. Eliot said, we must be still and still moving. i It bears repeating that if we don t move in rhythm with the greater movement, we stand out. On Disappearing in Front of Snapping Turtle I remember standing at the upper end of a shallow pool on a tiny stream early one morning and watching a large Snapping Turtle slide into the pool at the lower end. Realizing that I was right on her trail, I forgot about her and went back to listening. When a gust of wind tugged at the nearby bushes, I bent as well. Catching her every now and then in my peripheral vision which was easy with the water being so shallow that it didn t cover her shell I kept track of her progress. My gaze drifted here and there, to whatever attracted it. When she reached my end of the pool, she passed by me without a flinch, even though I was standing in full sunlight and was so close that I could have bent over to pick her up. 5