Interview: The Concept of BirthQuake - Birthquake Phenomenon

Written by Tammie Byram Fowles, PhD, LISW-CP

Dru: You also mention that you believe that BirthQuakes can occur not only in the lives of individuals, but also within an entire culture. Can you elaborate on that?

Tammie: This aspect of the Birthquake phenomenon fascinates, and at the same time frightens me. I believe that quite possibly we're experiencing a global quake. In 1992, Over 1,600 scientists from around the world, released a document entitled, "Warning to Humanity." This warning stated among other things. that human beings were on a collision course with nature, and that we need to make significant changes now if we want to avoid profound human suffering in the future. Other rumblings of a global quake in addition to our environmental crisis, can be felt all over the world in addictions, mental illnesses, wars, crime, poverty, child abuse, and much more.

I recognize that many of the problems I've mentioned have existed for centuries however, in no time in history has the world been at such universal risk. This is not just about facing the multitude of species that are becoming extinct, or the billions of starving people in the world, this is about the fact that every single one of us is at risk.

Dru: How do you respond to those people who say, "there aren't enough people who are willing to make the necessary changes to make a real difference, so why bother?"

Tammie: I'd tell them that we need to stop seeing ourselves as powerless, and that we just can't afford the luxury of feeling helpless any longer. Looking back at the history of the United States alone, during the time of slavery, there were a number of people who believed that slavery would never be abolished. Also, an amazingly short time ago, when my grandmother was a girl, women weren't allowed to vote. For years, many folks, including women, thought the suffragette movement, a movement which took 70 long years to succeed, was futile. Also, had anyone predicted twenty years ago that within a few short years we'd witness the end of the cold war, the Soviet Union, apartheid in South Africa, the Iron curtain, and the Berlin wall, which had separated families since World War II, have to wonder who would have believed them.

Bill Moyers once observed that the largest party in America today isn't the democrats or the republicans, it's the party of the wounded. And, He's right I think, we've all been wounded. Yet I also believe in our tremendous ability to heal.

Before any major transformation, there are those who've said, "it's always been this way, it's never gonna change." And yet it has changed again and again."

According to Duane Elgin, author of "Voluntary Simplicity," it's been estimated that in the United States alone, 25 million Americans are consciously exploring more satisfying and yet responsible ways of living. Now, this translates into roughly only about 10% of the US population, and many would say that this isn't nearly enough, and I'd agree with them. But I also whole-heartedly agree with Margaret Mead who once said, "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Michael Lindfield, who wrote "The Dance of Change," noted that, before any cultural transformation is completed, there's generally a time of great chaos and confusion, and he suggests that our culture needs a new story to inspire and guide us through what he calls "the coming birth."

I believe that we have that story, and that we've always had it, and that we only need to recover it. It's an age-old story about wholeness, interconnection, cooperation, and the sacredness of all life. We just need to embrace it and incorporate it into our daily lives.

Dru: I understand that you also conduct "BirthQuake" workshops, can you briefly summarize what a Birthquake workshop is?

Tammie: A BirthQuake workshop in one sentence is a process which assists participants in transforming their own personal challenges or "quakes" into opportunities that offer personal and spiritual growth.

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