What is Interbeing? The Interconnection of All Things
Have you ever contemplated the meaning of life?
Why are we here? What are we? What’s the point of it all?
Ultimately, no one can truly know. But Interbeing can provide some guidance.
As We Wake is a non-profit founded on the belief that Interbeing awareness can solve many of the world’s problems. If we all embodied Interbeing, collectively, the world would be a much better place.
What Does Interbeing Mean?
Interbeing is the awareness that we are one with each other, with nature, and with the universe.
Imagine the universe as the ocean, and you are a wave. As a wave, you’re still one with the ocean — yet you are a unique, individual expression with a beginning and an end. You come from the universe for a brief time, then fade back into the universe, never truly being separate yet still being expressed.
It’s sort of like this meme:
The term “Interbeing” was coined by by Thich Naht Hahn, a Buddhist Zen Master who came up with the awareness when trying to describe the idea of this universal truth; that you, me, and everything that ever existed or will exist all comes from, and ultimately is one with, the same thing.
In the words of Thich Naht Hahn:
“Interbeing is the understanding that nothing exists separately from anything else. We are all interconnected.
By taking care of another person, you take care of yourself. By taking care of yourself, you take care of the other person. Happiness and safety are not individual matters. If you suffer, I suffer. If you are not safe, I am not safe. There is no way for me to be truly happy if you are suffering. If you can smile, I can smile too.
The understanding of Interbeing is very important. It helps us to remove the illusion of loneliness, and transform the anger that comes from the feeling of separation.”
The Many Benefits of Interbeing Awareness
You may be wondering…
Why should I care about Interbeing? Can understanding and embodying this awareness have any positive effects on my life?
We’re glad you asked! Living a life in accordance with Interbeing has many benefits, including:
1. Heightened Romantic Intimacy
Looking deeply into the eyes of your partner and becoming aware of your shared ultimate identity, as 'stardust' in a cosmic creation, seeds a strong sense of romantic intimacy. Tapping into Interbeing also gives rise to a mutual goodwill between romantic partners that creates the preconditions of romantic intimacy, including forgiveness, honesty, and empathy.
“When a man loves a woman, so that her life is present in his own, the you of her eyes allows him to gaze into a ray of the eternal you.”
2. No Longer Fearing Death
As an individual you may feel great fear at the prospect of death, or anxiety for those you love who are facing death. When the separateness between your individuality and the greater whole dissolves, fear, anxiety, and aversion towards death naturally dissipate.
Finding Interbeing is like shifting from experiencing oneself as an individual wave in the ocean to experiencing oneself as the ocean itself arising as a wave — and in turn feeling death as a recycling of energy rather than a complete cessation of existence.
“A wave on the ocean has a beginning and an end, a birth and a death... If a wave only sees its form, with its beginning and end, it will be afraid of birth and death.
But if the wave sees that it is water, identifies itself with water, then it will be emancipated from birth and death. Each wave is born and is going to die, but the water is free from birth and death.”
3. A Greater Life Purpose
With an awareness of all conscious experience being included in your ultimate identity comes a strong upwelling of motivation to use your unique talents in a way that serves the world and creates joy; when you view yourself as everyone, there is an inherent drive to act with goodwill toward everyone.
Connection to Interbeing leads toward a path in which the motivation to serve others transforms into your own growth, conviction, authenticity, and purpose.
“Human life is not authentic unless it is lived in terms of self-transcendence.”
4. Bolstered Belongingness
The awareness that we are all connected — through and through to the level of our consciousness — creates a sense of universal kinship; of belonging to a single family of being.
Interbeing instills that sense of belongingness to the very deepest level of our existence, even beyond kinship to the core of our personal identity. It gives you the capacity to extend the intimacy and connection, otherwise reserved only for yourself, outwards towards all people, animals, and nature.
“A human being is part of the whole, called by us “universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.
This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons close to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
5. A Tool for Communicating Spiritual Experiences
The framework of Interbeing provides a detailed and empirically-rooted language from which to describe rich inner experiences. After self-transcendent experiences, people may be left speechless, or with terse phrases like 'I am the universe' or 'I am everyone', which may be heard by skeptics as 'woo woo' or non-sense. Having a developed and empirical language allows for discussion of non-ordinary experience to be communicated about, with respect and across disciplines.
“The atoms of our bodies are traceable to stars that manufactured them in their cores and exploded these enriched ingredients across our galaxy, billions of years ago.
For this reason, we are biologically connected to every other living thing in the world. We are chemically connected to all molecules on Earth. And we are atomically connected to all atoms in the universe. We are not figuratively, but literally stardust.”
6. Chillness Instiller
Our greater Interbeing identity exists as everything that is, and allows you to relax your personal egocentric ambitions. Through Interbeing awareness, you can put your personal ego to rest, in the knowledge that your ultimate identity will have all experiences. It gives you the deep sense that there is no point in becoming distraught over comparisons, because you already are both sides of the coin.
“When you get the blanket thing [Interbeing] you can relax because everything you could ever want, or be, you already have and are.”
7. Enhanced Social Cooperation
When you connect to Interbeing alongside many others, you have greater confidence in the goodwill and trustworthiness of each other. In turn, as a group you can achieve greater cooperation and productivity.
“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.
On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives...
Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged...
To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
8. Life Compass
Interbeing serves as an inner compass, pointing in the direction of symbiotic actions that serve the greater whole, and in turn create more love and goodness in your own life. Through feeling into your Interbeing identity, where you literally exist as each 'other', the awareness can guide you to clarity when making difficult life decisions that involve attunement to the experience of others.
“If you light a lamp for someone else, your own path will also brighten.”
9. Karma Booster
What goes around does indeed come around, and Interbeing is a hugely motivating force to put out goodness to other conscious beings. Inevitably, goodness comes back around — especially when putting out the goodness comes from an authentic place.
There is no better way to get connected to authentic motivation to help others than to include them into a greater sense of shared self.
“Interbeing means more than interconnection or interdependency, which kind of suggests separate selves having a relationship.
Interbeing is more of an understanding that we are relationship. That my very existence depends on, or draws from, or includes, your existence.
So my well being is intimately connected to your well-being or to the well-being of the river, the forest, people across the world, and so forth. Because I’m not really separate from you. And that means that in the story of well-being whatever I do to the world will come back to me.”
The Social Potential of Interbeing
As We Wake’s mission is to connect global culture to Interbeing because we believe that, ultimately, it has the potential to improve the world as we know it.
How, exactly, can Interbeing change the world? Let’s take a look…
1. A Bridge Between Science & Spirituality
For centuries, the divide between science and spirituality has fueled conflict and debate. The Interbeing worldview bridges this gap by rejecting the notion of separate selves, aligning with both meditative practices and modern science, which show everything is interconnected.
Interbeing reframes spirituality as a connection between self and universe, whether through science, meditation, or nature. By merging scientific understanding with spiritual insight, Interbeing offers a path to reconcile the long-standing tension between these two realms.
2. Non-Tribal Religion
Interbeing could serve as a sort of ‘Rosetta Stone’ for religion, offering a framework to interpret the diverse symbols and metaphors across cultures. Its strength lies in its compatibility with all major religions and science, making it a potential bridge to reduce conflict and tribalism.
For those skeptical of religion, viewing it as wishful thinking that abandons critical thought, Interbeing provides a rational approach to understanding the spiritual essence of religion. This approach is especially valuable for adolescents and young adults, who might otherwise reject religion due to unsatisfactory answers.
For those with a natural religious instinct, Interbeing reinforces that spiritual connection isn't exclusive to any single faith, broadening the understanding of spirituality beyond religious boundaries.
3. Harm Reduction
Interbeing is a powerful motivator for harm reduction, by expanding our sense of identity to include the experiences of all beings. When we embrace an identity that encompasses others, the drive to prevent suffering in others becomes as strong as the drive to avoid it for ourselves. While Interbeing doesn’t provide a direct connection to others' experiences, it urges us to view shared experiences as a reality.
Imagine living two lives simultaneously — one as a sweatshop worker struggling to afford his wife’s medical care, the other as the multimillionaire CEO of the corporation employing those workers. If these lives shared the same consciousness, the CEO would likely offer immediate and generous support to the worker. This thought experiment illustrates the transformative impact of recognizing Interbeing, motivating us to act with compassion and fairness across all lives.
4. Meat Industry Reform
The meat industry is a constant source of immense suffering. Now, imagine living as both your current self and every animal you've ever chosen to eat, experiencing their lives and deaths firsthand. The motivation to choose animals that lived rich lives and died mercifully would be overwhelming compared to those who endured horror-filled existences.
While Interbeing doesn’t physically connect us to the animals' experiences, it compels us to view their reality as our own. It asks us to confront the ethical implications of our choices. For those who support the least humane practices, this perspective could be a powerful motivator to adopt harm-reducing eating habits. The temporary discomfort of changing these habits would be a small price to avoid the horror of living as those animals.
5. A Compass for Development
Interbeing acts as a compass, guiding us toward wise development. Development is constant and takes many forms—some invest in shallow pursuits like perfecting pickup lines, while others learn new instruments or open up about personal struggles. Nations focus on extracting oil, advancing AI, or reshaping foreign policies. These are just examples of how development unfolds in life.
The choices we make in development are shaped by our underlying beliefs which, in turn, influence the collective human experience. As a worldview rooted in empathy, love, and connectedness, Interbeing offers an invaluable guide for humanity to choose a path of development that benefits all.
6. Informed AI, VR, & Biotech Development
The need for a solid developmental compass has never been more critical than it is today, with AI, VR, and biotechnology growing exponentially in power.
What these advancements are used for depends entirely on the mindset of their creators. If Interbeing became the global understanding of personhood, the potential for creative beauty, personal well-being, environmental rejuvenation, and global harmony would be staggering. Humanity has the potential for a truly incredible future.
However, without a shift in how we understand personal identity, this future could easily turn sour if we continue to focus excessively on the individual self. Interbeing offers a way to deeply embed a selfless orientation into our collective identity, steering us toward a more harmonious path. As we approach the possibility of creating a new species of intelligence that could surpass us, it’s crucial that this future is rooted in love and wisdom. The seeds we plant today will shape the world of tomorrow.
7. Heartfelt Business Practices
In business, as Dale Carnegie emphasized in How to Win Friends and Influence People, understanding others' perspectives is crucial. Many business leaders already excel in this skill, which is a key step in practicing Interbeing. However, too often, these insights are used to manipulate others for personal gain. Interbeing offers a transformative approach, where business acumen is applied with empathy and mutual benefit in mind.
If even a few key leaders embrace this mindset, the impact could be profound. The influence of leaders like Thich Nhat Hanh, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr., who embodied the principles of Interbeing, shows the immense positive change that can arise when leadership is rooted in empathy and interconnectedness.
What is Interbeing NOT?
We’ve covered what Interbeing IS. But what is it NOT?
Interbeing Is Not Higher Mind
Interbeing has no bearing on the presence or absence of a higher mind.
Whether or not there is an "oversoul" or "collective consciousness" that integrates individual experiences, like the human brain integrates information from its cells, is irrelevant to Interbeing.
Just as our galaxy might be just one cell in a vast cosmic mind — or there may be no higher mind at all — Interbeing doesn't speculate on such matters. It doesn’t posit any entity beyond individual experiences.
Instead, Interbeing focuses on understanding and unifying the first-person experiences of consciousness, tying our ultimate identity to the interconnected process of nature.
Interbeing Is Not No-Self Whatsoever
Interbeing transcends the notion of a separate self, connecting the individual to the vast sea of consciousness they flow through, while still allowing each person to cherish their unique personality and memories.
It's like a wave in the ocean — each wave has a distinct form, yet it’s not a fixed entity; it’s simply the movement of water molecules. Understanding that there is no separate wave doesn’t diminish our appreciation of its unique shape and motion.
Similarly, Interbeing doesn’t restrict identity to just the whole or the individual. It offers the flexibility to focus on either individual or collective identity, or both, depending on the situation.
For instance, while compassionately listening, one might emphasize the shared, interconnected identity. In contrast, during a competitive sport, focusing on individual identity might be preferred. Interbeing allows us to fluidly shift between these perspectives, adapting to our needs and circumstances.
Interbeing Is Not Collectivism
Collectivism prioritizes the group over the individual, a stance that can align with Interbeing by fostering cooperation, production, and the personal rewards of meaningful sacrifice for the collective.
However, individualism can also harmonize with Interbeing, promoting individual motivation, creativity, and the joy of self-expression.
Interbeing doesn’t inherently favor either collectivism or individualism. Instead, it encourages mindfulness of the equal value of all beings, regardless of the chosen orientation.
Whether one leans towards a collectivistic or individualistic approach, Interbeing emphasizes the importance of recognizing the shared, intrinsic worth of both self and others.
Interbeing Is Not ‘No Conflict’
Interbeing doesn’t call for the end of conflict between or within individuals or groups. While recognizing our shared identity across all beings might seem to suggest a desire to relieve tension wherever it arises, it’s important to acknowledge that conflict and friction often drive growth that benefits the whole.
A mind-body analogy illustrates this well. Nutritionists recommend a healthy lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean avoiding all physical tension or exertion. Doing so would lead to atrophied muscles and poor health.
Similarly, Interbeing promotes a lifestyle that’s healthy for both self and others' minds, but it doesn’t advocate avoiding all conflict or effort. Just as the body needs both exertion and rest, the mind benefits from the balance of challenge and recovery, ensuring growth and vitality.
Interbeing Is Not A Panacea
Identifying as an "Inter-being" doesn’t guarantee freedom from the usual struggles of being human, nor does it diminish the sense of individuality we naturally feel.
Instead, understanding Interbeing plants the seed for a deeper connection with all of existence, fostering a sense of unity, peace, benevolence, and awe.
Interbeing serves as a developmental compass, embodying the Golden Rule in its most literal sense: treat others as yourself, because they are another expression of your ultimate identity.
However, it doesn’t offer immediate solutions to complex issues like balancing individual and social needs, resolving conflicts, controlling urges, or building compassion.
Despite the complexities of decision-making in a world with competing demands, Interbeing underscores the rationality of good intentions for all and the importance of seeing others' joys and sufferings as your own. If supported by empirical evidence and integrated into education, Interbeing could significantly benefit humanity.
By viewing others as alternate expressions of our ultimate identity, we could greatly reduce heinous acts like war, rape, torture, slaughter, and abuse.
Interbeing Is Not Extremist
Interbeing doesn’t require individuals to abandon all possessions and retreat into indefinite meditation.
While material possessions often fall short of their promises for well-being, and meditation is a powerful tool for cultivating mindfulness, an extremist path isn’t necessary for everyone.
Think of it like physical health and food: meditation might be a superfood rich in protein, while possessions are like sugar — both have their place depending on individual needs and preferences.
Interbeing encourages a balanced, healthy lifestyle that aligns with a symbiotic approach to life, but it doesn’t demand an extreme spiritual path. Each person can find their own way to integrate these principles into their life.
Interbeing Is Not Just An Understanding
Embodying Interbeing may naturally follow from understanding it, but there’s a crucial difference between conceptual comprehension and true embodiment.
Embodying Interbeing involves an immediate emotional connection to another being’s presence, which translates into compassionate behavior. In contrast, conceptual understanding is more about grasping the logic behind Interbeing, which, while useful for communication and potential behavioral guidance, has its limitations.
Just as with the concept of evolution, it’s not necessary to be constantly aware of Interbeing throughout the day to grasp its significance as a worldview. We don’t need to think about evolution constantly to recognize it as a foundational truth about our existence. Similarly, Interbeing has the potential to deeply influence our understanding and growth as a species, offering a framework that can profoundly shape how we relate to the world and each other.
Grow Your Interbeing Awareness with As We Wake
As We Wake was founded on the awareness of Interbeing and its implications in changing society as we know it. Our mission is to connect culture to Interbeing, and we need your help to do that.
If Interbeing sounds interesting to you and you’d like to learn more or get involved with our mission, consider joining us for an immersive Interbeing experience, joining our online community, or signing up for email list below, where we share events, experiences, and education around Interbeing and psychedelics.
Interbeing FAQs
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Interbeing describes the universe (subjective experiences of consciousness included) as being fully connected, yet does not postulate about the particular nature of informational access between one unique area of the universe and another.
As such, Interbeing does not make the claim that particular individuals have special abilities to directly access the contents of other’s minds. Claims such as these about functional access to information fall under the inquiry of disciplines such as information science and the psychology of sensation and perception.
Should various distant forms of communication be proven, however, they could lend support to the notion of connectedness intrinsic to the theory of Interbeing.
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No. Interbeing is a description of reality — in particular, the connectedness of all being.
It does translate into a deeper understanding of many religious texts (i.e. understanding what all those kooky bearded guys are saying, like Jesus saying 'I am in my father, and you in me, and I in you'). It cuts across religious divides to connect us to the spiritual core of what religious figures have pointed to for millennia.
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Aside from joining us for an Interbeing Immersion, experiences of Interbeing happen in many ways.
Here are a few ways to experience Interbeing, from highest to lowest reliability:
Psychedelics: high dose guided psychedelic experiences (high intensity but short lived)
Meditation: long-term committed meditation practice (more gradual & deeply rooted into one's life)
Nature Immersion: stillness and deep awareness of nature connectedness
Solitude: extended solitude and silence, particularly in darkness (less predictable)
Near Death Experience: a risky way to go, not typically accessible (high variety of types)
Contemplation: deep engagement with philosophy of one's consciousness (mostly doesn't lead to experience but can)
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Awareness of Interbeing doesn’t mean everyone should give up all possessions and meditate in isolation.
While material things often offer less to our well-being than we expect, and meditation is excellent for mindfulness and balance, an extreme approach isn’t necessary for everyone.
Think of it like a diet: meditation might be a nutrient-rich superfood, while possessions are like sugar — both can have their place depending on individual needs and contexts. Interbeing naturally guides people toward healthier, more symbiotic lifestyles, but it doesn’t demand an extreme spiritual path.
Each person can find a balance that works for them, integrating these principles into their life in a way that suits their unique situation.