Invitation To Become A Charter Member Of The Wilderness Leadership School 50 Club
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Level 1
After perhaps two or three days in the natural world (wilderness) and through a subtle process of facilitation, an individual will begin to develop a sense of AWE for the natural environment that is being experienced. This might manifest itself in the call of a hyena, the spoor of an elephant, the early morning call of a gorgeous bush shrike or hopefully a drop of dew on the end of a blade of grass.

Importantly, this might be enough for most people and yet we have still succeeded in what we want to achieve out of a wilderness experience. Think of a group of Rondebosch school boys, full of bravado and nonsense, if these guys just developed a sense of awe, that might be enough.
Level 2
Once you, as an individual, have begun the process of opening one's mind to where you are, the next level is to realise a sense of BELONGING to the natural world. We are all part of the greater whole which, for convenience sake, we call mother nature. This concept of holism is a very important part of the individual's journey in the shifting of consciousness. It is catalytic to the next level and from an individual point of view, and the real secret behind a wilderness experience, brings about an individual sense of humility. This notion of holism may again be enough for some people and that's great. Often it has an emotional impact not realised by the individual but manifests itself in being tearful, for example, when one leaves the wilderness. In actual fact, one is leaving one's true and real home and going back to what we have created, civilisation, a TV set, no cricket, etc.
Level 3
You often notice on a trail that after about four days, people want time to themselves, they are no longer fearful of sitting around the camp fire at night watch and it is very evident that the individual is undergoing some form of personal introspection. This is triggered by the developing sense of HUMBLENESS that the individual is beginning to realise, towards the natural world, fellow human beings and importantly towards themselves. When an individual gets to this level of consciousness, then a wilderness experience has the most significant impact. This is when one deals with team building, reconciliation, etc. and this is where you need the very experienced guides.
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