Remember Ourselves As A Murmuration
“हम एक मर्मरेशन (लयबद्ध सामूहिकता ) का हिस्सा हैं - इसे याद रखें”
⁃ जैक बुश के द्वारा।
पक्षियों का मर्मरेशन (एक साथ लयबद्ध उड़ना) प्रकृति की मेरी पसंदीदा घटनाओं में से एक है—यह वह क्षण होता है जब स्टारलिंग्स (एक प्रकार के पक्षी) हजारों की संख्या में एक साथ उड़ते हैं और आकाश में जटिल आकृतियाँ बनाते हैं।
इतने सारे पक्षियों के बीच एकसाथ होने वाला समन्वय प्रकृति का एक चमत्कार है। लगभग दस साल पहले वैज्ञानिकों ने इन पक्षियों के व्यवहार का गहन अध्ययन किया—और जो उन्होंने पाया, वह चौंकाने वाला था।
हालाँकि ये पक्षी सैकड़ों की झुंड में होते हैं, वे अपने आस-पास के केवल सात पक्षियों के व्यवहार और गति के आधार पर अपनी चाल तय करते हैं। शायद यह प्रकृति की अंतर्निहित सामाजिक रचना की एक और याद दिलाता है।
एक प्रजाति के रूप में, हम मनुष्य, इस धरती पर अभी अरबों की संख्या में हैं—हर कोई अलग वंश, कहानी और स्थान से जुड़ा है। हम सभी तक एक साथ नहीं पहुँच सकते, लेकिन हम अपने आस-पास के समुदायों पर जो प्रभाव डालते हैं, वही परिवर्तन, स्थिरता और अस्तित्व के लिए एक मानवीय मर्मरेशन बनाता है।
यहाँ तक कि हमारे कोशकीय जीवविज्ञान में भी अकेलापन मूलभूत नहीं है। क्वोरम सेंसिंग (Quorum Sensing) एक ऐसी प्रक्रिया है जिसमें बैक्टीरिया एक-दूसरे से संचार करते हैं और सामूहिक व्यवहार को नियंत्रित करते हैं। यह एक तरह से बैक्टीरिया की "बातचीत" है) वह संवाद है जो बैक्टीरिया रासायनिक संकेतों के माध्यम से करते हैं, और यह आंतरिक वार्तालाप उनके चयापचय कार्यों को बेहतर बनाता है—संसाधनों का साझा उपयोग, ताकि सभी प्रणालियाँ सुरक्षित और सक्रिय बनी रहें।
और भी आश्चर्यजनक बात यह है कि अब हम समझ रहे हैं कि क्वोरम सेंसिंग केवल कोशिकीय संवाद तक सीमित नहीं है, बल्कि यह पौधों की प्रतिरक्षा प्रणाली, चींटियों और मधुमक्खियों के घोंसले बनाने के व्यवहार, और मछलियों के झुंड तक में भी मौजूद है।
प्रकृति की संरचना मानवता के लिए परिवर्तनकारी उत्तरों को संजोए हुए है, क्योंकि हम कभी भी अपनी सृजन कथा से अलग नहीं हुए—चाहे हम कितनी भी दूर क्यों न चले गए हों। लेकिन अपने और पृथ्वी माता तथा ब्रह्मांड के बीच की दीवारों को तोड़ने के लिए, हमें आपस के बीच की दूरियाँ भी मिटानी होंगी।
हम ऐसे व्यवहारिक ढाँचे के अनुसार जी रहे हैं जो हमारी आनुवंशिक प्रकृति से बिलकुल अलग है—जहाँ हर व्यक्ति सिर्फ अपने लिए जी रहा है, समुदाय बिखरे हुए हैं, और हम सच्चे अर्थों में प्रकृति के सह-निर्माता के रूप में जीने के बजाय केवल सुविधा को प्राथमिकता दे रहे हैं।
फिर भी, प्रकृति हमें हर दिन यह प्रेरणा दे रही है कि हम स्वयं को एक मर्मरेशन (समूहिक लयबद्ध एकता) के रूप में याद करें—जैसा हमारा मूल स्वरूप है, उसी के अनुसार एक साथ मिलकर अस्तित्व में रहें।
मनन के लिए मूल प्रश्न-
1. आप इस विचार के बारे में क्या सोचते हैं कि छोटे-छोटे समूहों में हमारी आपसी बातचीत और सहयोग एक बड़े सामूहिक प्रभाव का कारण बन सकती है — जैसे परिवर्तन और अस्तित्व के लिए एक "मानवीय मर्मरेशन"?
2. क्या आप कोई ऐसा व्यक्तिगत अनुभव साझा कर सकते हैं, जब किसी घनिष्ठ समुदाय में भाग लेने से आपके या दूसरों के जीवन में कोई महत्वपूर्ण और सकारात्मक परिवर्तन आया हो?
3. आप अपने आसपास के समुदाय में आपसी जुड़ाव और सहयोग की भावना को कैसे प्रोत्साहित करते हैं, ताकि यह प्रकृति की स्वाभाविक सामूहिक रचना के अधिक निकट आ सके?
SEED QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION: What do you make of the notion that our interactions within small groups can create a larger collective impact akin to a "humanitarian murmuration" for change and survival? Can you share a personal story that highlights a time when participating in a close-knit community led to a significant and positive transformation in your life or the lives of others? What helps you foster a sense of connection and cooperation within your immediate community to align more closely with nature's inherently communal blueprint?
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11 Past Reflections
On Aug 5, 2025 Esther wrote :
Murmarations are a sight of wonder, suggesting what is possible.
This collective intelligence in nature speaks volumes.
This collective intelligence in nature speaks volumes.
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On Aug 5, 2025 Susan B. wrote :
Lovely spotlight on murmation and the impact of that small number of 7 (leaders) that influence the huge flock of birds! Wowza. A bit unrelated but I wake every morning quite early here in northern Mexico. There is a huge flock of Great-Tailed Grakles (the blackbird of Mexico), and as they begin to wake just before the sun rises, there is this lovely bird song that begins and continues throughout the day.
My first thought upon reading, however, was that we do have this influence of a small number of humans on a group. There are several psychological terms for it, but we are seeing it in the US currently, and throughout European countries, against immigrants, and in several other nationalistic movements. The author noted this as our operating from a "behavioral function".
I do hope that our human species comes to be linked by our Quorum sensing and that we make a turn for the better, yes, for the survival of all of us, and that this turn brings us to our human murmuration, at the so... [View Full Comment]
1 reply: Angie | Post Your Reply
On Aug 5, 2025 Jagannatha Das wrote :
That is indeed a fascinating fact, that these birds or fishes doing the murmurations, are only keeping tabs of 7 of its immediate neighbours. And yet, they are able to move harmoniously with thousands involved, creating wonderful forms together.
I also read that somehow, we can find a common connection with any body in the world, in at the latest, only 6 levels. The hypothesis suggests that any two people on Earth can be connected through a chain of acquaintances (or "friends") with no more than five intermediaries (resulting in six links or "degrees"). So, you (1) know someone (2) who knows someone (3)... and so on, until person (6) knows the target person.
In FaceBook they even shrank this connectios to only 4 degrees. We live in a "small world" socially.
Maybe it is hightime we take real and active notice of the seven individuals beside us, so that we, too, can murmurate and create a harmonious world for everybody.
I also read that somehow, we can find a common connection with any body in the world, in at the latest, only 6 levels. The hypothesis suggests that any two people on Earth can be connected through a chain of acquaintances (or "friends") with no more than five intermediaries (resulting in six links or "degrees"). So, you (1) know someone (2) who knows someone (3)... and so on, until person (6) knows the target person.
In FaceBook they even shrank this connectios to only 4 degrees. We live in a "small world" socially.
Maybe it is hightime we take real and active notice of the seven individuals beside us, so that we, too, can murmurate and create a harmonious world for everybody.
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On Aug 4, 2025 DPS wrote :
Murmuration offers us agency...to turn away from despair and brokenness when we are overwhelmed by what appears to be insurmountable brutality and harrowing pain...By understanding, effecting change across a chain-holding that at heart-we release the power we do have to be transformational, to be catalysts, nurturers of good.
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On Aug 2, 2025 David Doane wrote :
Our interactions seemingly within small groups not only can create but do create a collective impact, a "humanitarian murmuration." We are part of the whole, not apart from it whether we know that or not, and we go against nature and ultimately against survival in operating as separate entities. I have been part of close-knit communities, and when we were sincerely working together and helping one another there was significant and positive transformation in our lives and in the lives of all. Action creates ripples that affect all. Having experienced that helps foster behavior of connection and cooperation within my immediate community which aligns more closely with "nature's inherently communal blueprint." The challenge is to live all that much more often.
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On Aug 1, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
The Murmuration of birds is an astonishing phenomenon in nature. It's an occurrence where Starlings flock together up to hundreds of thousands at once to create complex patterns in motion. The sheer synchronicity that takes place between so many birds at once, is one of nature's miracles that happen. We live in a world with a tremendous diversity in which each of us have different lineages, stories, and places upon the Earth. We have an impact on our direct communities that create a humanitarian murmuration for change- for stability and survival.
When we interact within small diversified groups, our interactions within us create a larger collective impact akin to a “humanitarian” Murmuration for change and for survival.
When I was growing up in a relatively small community in India with people of different casts, colors, and religions. In spite of such differences, we felt a deep sense of community. Living in a community like this created a strong foundation of living toget... [View Full Comment]
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On Jul 31, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
The Murmuration of birds is an astonishing phenomenon in nature. It's an occurrence where Starlings flock together up to hundreds of thousands at once to create complex patterns in motion. The sheer synchronicity that takes place between so many birds at once, is one of nature's miracles that happen. We live in a world with a tremendous diversity in which each of us have different lineages, stories, and places upon the Earth. We have an impact on our direct communities that create a humanitarian murmuration
for change- for stability and survival. When we interact within small diversified groups, our interactions within us
create a larger collective impact akin to a “humanitarian” Murmuration for change and for survival.
When I was growing up in a relatively small community in India with people of different casts, colors, and religions. In spite of such differences, we felt a deep sense of community. Living in a community like this created a strong
foundation o... [View Full Comment]
Post Your Reply
On Jul 31, 2025 Jagdish P Dave wrote :
The Murmuration of birds is an astonishing phenomenon in nature. It's an occurrence where Starlings flock together up to hundreds of thousands at once to create complex patterns in motion. The sheer synchronicity that takes place between so many birds at once, is one of nature's miracles that happen. We live in a world with a tremendous diversity in which each of us have different lineages, stories, and places upon the Earth. We have an impact on our direct communities that create a humanitarian murmuration for change- for stability and survival.
When we interact within small diversified groups, our interactions within us create a larger collective impact akin to a “humanitarian” Murmuration for change and for survival.
When I was growing up in a relatively small community in India with people of different casts, colors, and religions. In spite of such differences, we felt a deep sense of community. Living in a community like this created a strong foundation of living toget... [View Full Comment]
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On Jul 31, 2025 Victoria wrote :
Thank you Zack! I was fascinated to read that the birds base their movements and behaviors on the 7 neighboring birds around them. Wow.......and I appreciated then ' it is the impact we have on our direct communities that creates a humanitarian murmuration for change—for stability, for survival.' Feel like I can take a deep breath knowing that I can manage this. And if I pay attention to my direct community, it impacts stability and survival. Amazing.....