The New Dimensions Café · New Dimensions Foundation

Even Our Thoughts Are Connected To Nature - Glenn Aparicio Parry, Ph.D. - C0351

January 14, 2026·18 min·1 clip

Glenn describes seeing a cloud form into a deer antler at a Taos Pueblo dance, revealing nature's responsive consciousness.

The episode begins with host Justine Willis-Thoms introducing Dr. Glenn Aparicio Parry, author of 'Original Thinking: A Radical Revisioning of Time, Humanity, and Nature.' Parry immediately addresses the central question: are we generators or receivers of our thoughts? He asserts we are primarily receivers because our consciousness is connected to a larger, living consciousness. He explains that while we don't create thought, we have a sacred responsibility as transformers, sending thoughts on with intent—either as prayer or curse. The host connects this to Parry's love of nature, prompting a story about watching clouds form. Parry shares a profound personal experience at a deer dance in Taos Pueblo, where a single cloud formed into the shape of a deer antler just as dancers emerged. He uses this to illustrate the power and interconnection between human consciousness and natural phenomena. Parry then develops an extended analogy, comparing the evolution of thought paradigms to the hydrological cycle. He explains that ideas, like water, evaporate when stale, gather in 'clouds' to interact with other ideas, and then rain down as new paradigms in a cyclical process. He emphasizes that this isn't just a metaphor; humans, as water beings, are intrinsically part of this cycle. The discussion turns to the meaning of 'original' and 'radical' thinking, with Parry defining original as a combination of old and new, and radical as 'getting to the roots.' He stresses that humans are nested in nature, not separate, and that the illusion of separation leads to fragmented thinking. He cites theoretical physicist David Bohm's observation that fragmented thinking creates a fragmented society. Parry expresses optimism about a societal shift towards remembering and restoring interconnected awareness. At the host's request, Parry shares a story from Grandfather Leon Secatero about spirit people hiding the gift of awareness inside humans themselves, where it would remain until the right time. He connects this to the current historical moment, suggesting we are entering a 'supramental time' that integrates rational and intuitive awareness, as foreseen by Sri Aurobindo. Parry discusses his practical work as president of The Circle for Original Thinking, a think tank aimed at guiding people to 'think like nature thinks' through dialogue circles. He explains that dialogue helps question societal assumptions, fostering participatory consciousness similar to that in indigenous societies or dream states. He briefly describes his vision quest experience, where fasting from water made him acutely aware of being water, and shares an epiphany that everything on Earth sleeps and dreams. The episode concludes with thanks and information on accessing more of Parry's work.

As heard by us

A calm, ecology-minded case for thought as something received from a living world.

Glenn Aparicio-Perry's conversation on New Dimensions Cafe treats thought as something both received and shaped, not just produced in private.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a conversation about being nested in nature, start here.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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