Navigating the Gap Between Two Altitudes of Biology and Being
- Apr 25
- 7 min read
I am a nature-based practitioner and researcher working with forest bathing, mindfulness, and sauna. Grounded in research and embodied practice, my work explores e.g., how nature connection supports nervous system regulation and meaningful change.
Why does our culture feel like a constant collision of truths that just don’t fit together? I believe it’s because we are caught between two essential ways of being, our grounded, "animal" reality and our expanded, "unity" consciousness. Inspired by a conversation with a fisherman, this post explores how acknowledging these different levels of awareness might be the key to bridging the gaps in our most heated social debates.
The fisherman and the "firmware"
This morning, a walk with my dog led me to that small man-made pond where the locals gather to fish. I ended up talking with a 78-year-old fisherman, and our conversation gave me the words for something I’ve been trying to pin down for a long time.
The pond is catch-and-release only. It’s stocked with carp that you’re required to put back. I asked him, "Doesn’t it hurt the fish?" He showed me his barbless hooks and explained how he tries to be careful, though he admitted not everyone is.
True to my nature, I asked, "What do you get from this?"
He spoke about the calm of sitting there, but then he used the word "fulfillment." Even though he isn’t taking a single fish home for dinner, he explained that he has an instinct that needs to be satisfied. He’s nearly eighty, but that program inside him is still running. He joked that he comes to the water to get away from his wife, when I asked what she does for her own nature fix, he said she’s always in the garden.
Hunters and tenders: Our primal code
I believe that the fisherman’s program is what evolutionary psychologists call mismatch theory. It is the idea that we are carrying around a brain designed for the Stone Age while living in the Space Age. We are navigating a world that has changed much faster than our genes have.
Even in our world of grocery stores and high-rise offices, we are still Hunters and Tenders. This is our biological baseline:
The Hunter needs the thrill of the pursuit, the clear goal, and the neurochemical "hit" of the catch, even if that catch is just a promotion at work, a high score in a game, or a bargain at the mall. Of course, this can also turn into an addiction, but that is another post altogether.
The Tender (like the wife in her garden) needs to nurture, grow, and maintain. This is the drive to protect the "nest" and ensure that life thrives over the long term.
These aren’t just hobbies, they are ancient needs hardwired into our circuitry. When we ignore this "grounded level," we feel a strange kind of friction. We feel alienated because we are trying to run modern lives while ignoring the very real biological requirements of our bodies.
The altitude of awareness
In recent years, I’ve felt an ever stronger realization that I am constantly jumping between two levels of awareness without the right words to describe them.
The animal level or the grounded self
This is our "earthly" side. It’s the part of us that survives in our physical bodies, operating on the primal urge to protect our "tribe." It’s the reality where we recognize clear differences, like male and female, or predator and prey. It is also the level in which we feel the need to have the most recent model of a phone, follow the trends, and take care of our appearance to stay eligible for our partners and peers and not to be ostracized. This is the part of us that, on a primal level, aims to stay alive, no matter the cost. It is the foundation of our physical existence.
The unity level or the expanded self
This is what people often call "higher consciousness." If you’ve ever felt a deep sense of peace where you feel connected to every living thing, you’ve stood at this altitude. At this height, labels start to fade. You don’t see a "fish" or a "man", you see lifeforce in different forms. You don’t see "man" or "woman", you see souls. It’s the place where the phrase "Love is Love" makes perfect, undeniable sense. Personally, those moments of unity are beautifully moving and almost intoxicating in their lightness. It is the level where one fills with compassion and grace, appreciating beauty as something sacred.
Why we clash
The massive resistance we see in the world today, whether it's about animal rights, gender identity, or, frankly, wars, is probably partly because we are talking from different altitudes.
One person is speaking from the grounded level, focusing on biological facts, traditions, and the "way things have always been." The other is speaking from the expanded level, focusing on empathy, fluid identities, and the idea that we are all one.
Neither is "better" nor "wrong." One is just a wider view than the other. And often, the first is oblivious to the second one, while the second has a hard time remembering the first one or, at least, not becoming frustrated with it. Imagine one person standing at the foot of a mountain describing the trees, while another is at the peak describing the entire forest. They are both right, but they are looking at the landscape from different heights.
The problem here is, however, that once you notice yourself standing at a different altitude than the other, it is almost impossible to convince them to walk up the hill with you. This hill climbing happens at everyone's own pace, and it cannot be rushed without consequences. So what can you do to keep yourself from bursting into flames of frustration?
The 5-step bridge: How to navigate the conflict of altitude
To move from fighting to understanding, we must learn to identify which altitude we and others are standing at.
1. Check the altitude
Before you get angry at a headline or a comment, ask, What level am I reacting from? Identify your level before moving on to, "Is this person speaking from their biological "software" (the grounded self) or from a place of universal connection (the expanded self)?" Simply naming the level takes the heat out of the argument.
2. Respect the ancient "software"
We cannot simply "think" away our biological urges. We need to find healthy ways to satisfy our inner Hunter and Tender. Whether it’s gardening, sports, or catch-and-release fishing, we must honor our biology so it doesn't "glitch" and come out as aggression. The same goes for ancient software that is driven by shame and fear of losing safety. When we catch ourselves behaving in a way that reveals fears or shame, it is useful to remember that they are there to serve a purpose. As Richard Schwartz writes, there are no bad parts, as all parts of us just want to take care of us in the only way they know, which is not always the right way in the moment.
3. The "view from the other side" exercise
If you are someone who naturally lives in "Unity" mode, try to see the practical, biological logic of the other side. Check for yourself if you are choosing a bypass of higher levels to avoid facing your own mud. According to Buddhism, the lotus needs the mud to grow, so you can only ever rise up on the mountain when you have dealt with your mud. And, oh boy, does the mud hide, collect, and renew! On the other hand, if you are very grounded in the "Animal" reality and notice it is harder for you to rise up the proverbial mountain, this might manifest in you thinking of spirituality as “very abstract” and intangible. You may feel irritated by it, and you might find yourself annoyed by other humans, especially those who seem to be easily appreciating things around them, such as beauty. Imagine for a minute a world where labels don't exist (rose, lilac, Finland, Belgium) and only the inner qualities of anything matter. Just imagine, for exercise's sake.
4. Label the level, not the person
No matter what level you are on, when you find yourself in a disagreement, try saying, "I understand where you are coming from, and that makes sense. Can I share how it looks from my perspective?" This changes a fight into a shared observation of the same mountain.
Embrace your nature
As I watched the 78-year-old fisherman cast his line one more time, I realized that he wasn't "stuck" in his biology, he was simply honoring it. He knew he wasn't going to eat the fish, and he knew the fish was a living thing that deserved his care. Yet, he still needed to feel the tension of the line. He was standing in the mud, but he was at peace with the water.
In my opinion, "growth" doesn’t mean leaving the Animal Level behind. It is about becoming an expert at the climb.
When I see the program running in others or in myself, I can stop seeing a villain and start seeing a struggle. We are all just trying to manage this strange, split way of existence.
Katriina Kilpi, Nature-Based Practitioner and Researcher
I work at the intersection of human nervous systems and the living world, combining trauma-informed forest bathing, mindfulness, and sauna as an ancestral practice. My background spans academic research, lived experience, and international facilitation. I explore how regulation, attention, and nature connection support regeneration, resilience, and deep turning, personally and collectively. I write for those ready to slow down, listen differently, and are open to change how they relate to themselves and the Earth.
