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Educational Articles

How can we assess if someone identifies with Interbeing?

The Interbeing Identity Scale was constructed as a measurement of the degree to which individuals identify with Interbeing. The items are listed below:

1. I am unique and yet one with other beings.

2. The deepest part of my identity exists as all beings.

3. I have had an experience in which I realized that no being is separate from another, although each is unique.

4. Awareness of my ultimate nature leads me to act with goodwill towards everyone.

5. I am one way the universe experiences itself.

6. I experience myself as a being of the universe, not just as a human being.

7. My life choices are guided by an awareness that the universe exists through each living being.

8. I often experience my consciousness as woven within nature.

9. I take notice of profound similarities between myself and other forms of nature.

10. When with animals, I experience myself as part of a greater family of life.

Scale Instructions

An introductory prompt is used to orient participants to the task:

“The following series of statements have to do with your experiences, beliefs, and

behaviors relating to the ultimate nature of being. There are no right or wrong

answers. Please indicate the level to which you agree or disagree with each

statement. Answer as honestly as possible.”

Response Anchors

Scale items are rated on a five-point Likert scale with anchors “Strongly Disagree,” “Disagree,”

“Neither agree nor disagree,” “Agree,” and ‘Strongly Agree.”

Why is Interbeing Important?

Interbeing helps us see that we are both completely one and completely unique. We are not just separate individuals but part of a completely interconnected fabric of life. This understanding can make us kinder and more caring because we realize that hurting others or nature is ultimately hurting ourselves.

What Can We Learn from Interbeing?

By understanding and measuring Interbeing, scientists can study how feeling connected with everything around us can make people happier and more mentally healthy. For example, people who score high on the Interbeing Identity Scale might feel less lonely and more at peace because they see themselves as part of a bigger whole.

Click here to download Dr. Frymann’s full dissertation.

Click here for a shortened version focusing on Interbeing theory.