We live in a complex world where entanglement is rapidly increasing, while we are being told that everything makes sense and is under control. Instinctively, we know both cannot be true. And when we look more closely—through the thin reflective veil of superficial order—we begin to sense something deeper. A kind of primal abyss where the mystery looks back at us. As finite beings, this can appear as a big problem. The universe is vast. The unknown is infinite. Uncertainty is real. What should I focus on? What does it mean? What should I do? It can all be too much- so we do everything we can to cover the depth of reality with a thin veneer of comfort, control, and certainty. Yet as we pursue comfort and efficiency, we become increasingly complacent and vulnerable. We sacrifice the ancient attributes that have kept us sharp, humble, and responsive to the forces of life. As Tom Brown Jr. would often say, “Comfort and security are euphemisms of death.” There is a growing anxiety among those willing to face what is actually happening. Things are not as stable as they appear. They are not going to be magically OK. And there are fewer and fewer adults in the room who are willing to look clearly and take responsibility. This creates a deep cognitive dissonance A gap forms between reality and the story we tell ourselves about reality. And in that gap, something begins to fracture that cuts deeper than ourselves. It fractures our society and our culture. It fractures the world. This has been called the separation sickness. It is an illness of disconnection that permeates everything: - how we see the world - how we relate to one another - how we learn, grow, and live And when we feel threatened, we often double down on it—reinforcing the very patterns that are fragmenting us. And yet, there are some who remember. They remember that separation is not truly possible. Not in any ultimate sense. There is one reality, one nature, and we are not outside of it—we are expressions of it.