Article: Beyond Divisive Corporate Rule: The Unifying Genius of Filmaker Peter Charles Downy

Divide and Conquer is not a motto of documentary filmmaker Peter Charles Downy. Perhaps he might think about Unite and Prosper as his motto?

Downy is the director of two documentaries: Anima Mundi (2011) and United Natures (2013). He envisions a shift in how we conceive ourselves within Nature. He emphatically states:

A consciousnesses shift is what is needed as much as a change of law, industrial practices and societal excesses. Ultimately the decision is a simple one, humanity either changes now voluntarily or natural circumstances of peak fossil-fuels, peak food, peak water and climate change will force alterations upon us.

Yes, a consciousness shift is what is desperately needed. However, that means questioning the very foundations upon which our culture is grounded. How many are ready to do that?

The Native American Kogis were indeed right when they gazed upon the invading Spaniards and claimed us Europeans as "dead." Perhaps the joke is that our denial of death is actually a denial of a living process? Dead we are in our relegation to malls, box stores, apartment complexes, standardized housing and, now, internet shopping. It's all for the corporations' convenience. The McDonald's theme of have it your way is a literal joke. It is not so funny as one gazes upon the depleted landscapes consisting of what is jokingly called "McMansions," which are nothing more nor less than standardized housing for the well-to-do. We have commodified our lives, packaging them up in nice neat boxes (coffins?).

"Have it your way! Do you want your bathroom in pink or lavender?"

Why one day, in our tasteless and senseless world we won't have to smell, taste or see the person serving us; nor will we have to venture out of our little cubicle sitting by a computer designed for both work and play. Perhaps historic episodes such as war can be put on computer where the operator is alienated from the blood and guts murder he is doing?

Wait! This already occurs in our push-button "situation rooms". Oh my, Toto, we aren't in Kansas anymore!

Then there is the insane notion of cyber sex. Cyber sex means one doesn't have to engage in the smells, tastes, and nuances of one's lover. More important, one doesn't have to be responsive, or responsible to her or him! "You can't get hurt," cries the depressed and lonely Country Music fan mesmerized by the wine and dine mentality of the rednecks. Its a perfect world of misery and joy in virtual reality! But there is a personal cost for this. Its called alienation. We don't need to seek aliens in outer space for we are aliens unto ourselves! We are out of touch with Nature. OUR Nature.

What need have we for sunshine, rain, snow, etc when we can control it all with the click of a mouse? Not a real mouse! A clicking mouse that takes you to far away places in cyberspace. Dare we engage in the smells, tastes and textures of our world and reclaim our connection to Nature? Dare we to even question the grounding theology or philosophy we are inheriting and giving to our children that has produced this?

So what am I doing on this computer-thing talking to you on your computer-thing? I'm listening to crickets after having come in where I soaked up the sunshine while walking with the dogs through the woods. I'm here to urge you--and to continue my own work--of moving beyond alienation from Nature, from the Self. This is exactly the work that filmmakers like Peter Charles Downy want you to do.

Downy's documentaries lead us towards a return to the Spell of the Sensuous, as referred to by David Abram. Through his work, we can begin seeing how our conditioning has effected the methods by which we do business, conduct our science, and developed our worldview. Through his work, we can see how we have created the mess we are in. He provides a living example of how we can walk our talk. Downy is an independent, non-funded, homemade producer of movies created with an extremely low usage of embodied energy (the energy it costs to produce something), so his greenhouse gas emissions are also low. Downy states the following on his website for the movie United Natures:

Downy's two documentaries are paradigm changers:

Anima Mundi - Permaculture, peak oil, climate change and the soul of the world (2011) asks viewers the question, "Will you survive the transition of human industrial civilization happening now due to peak oil and climate change? Can you see the forest for the trees, the earth for the dream, the universe for the seed? Anima Mundi is an innovative documentary about the planetary animal called Gaia and the human animal we deny, we deny at our own peril, yet a peril that is perfect in design".

United Natures -- a United Nations of all species (2013) delves deeper into the philosophy of permaculture and the Gaia theory and the human role within nature. It seeds the vision of a new indigenous world culture and explores "permaculture of the inner landscape" and how our personal inner environments reflect on the outer environment. This movie stars some big names in the ecology and sustainable food movements including: Dr. Vandana Shiva, David Holmgrem, Starhawk, John Seed, and many others.

Peter's films are the breath of resurrection into a species that, as the Native American Kogis say, have become the walking dead. (Why do you think there is so much fascination with zombies, werewolves, and vampires lately? Can we not see ourselves in the mirror of our art?)

As I have stated in previous articles, it is interesting that Nature means Essence. Our Essence is what Downy and the visionary thinkers and professors he features put us into touch with. Nature is the Self; which is called Yahweh or I AM in Hebrew and Brahmin, or the Self, in Hindu. What we deem as the Father God is one with what we refer to as Mother Nature.

Interesting that the term sin originally mean to miss the mark meaning that we are off base. What political purpose would it serve the church, state and corporation to threaten us with hell, fire and damnation? Missing the mark is alienation from the Truth; it is losing our course. Graphs show that our fossil fuel age is but a blip on the long-term course of the evolution of humanity. Modern Western culture is what statisticians call an "outlier." No wonder we feel so alienated! (We are out-and-out lying to ourselves and one another.) This is an anomaly which alienates us from the rest of life on Earth and our own true grounding in Nature. Alienation is simply our not being grounded in the Self. It means we are unconnected to Nature. We are, ultimately, this entire world and universe. We are Nature manifesting as us. Who does She/He damn to Hell if not Her/His Self?

Filmmakers and contemplatives like Downy help us to reclaim our sense of Self....which is not an isolated, alienated atom floating about in the deep voids of space.....but is the whole....inclusive of space and particle, including suns, stars, moons and planets. Gaze into the nighttime skies and see the unlimited Nature of who you are! Don't let the rationalists ration you! It's people like Peter Downy who can get you back home to your Self...your unlimited Nature.