True Adulthood

A book excerpt this week in lieu of a question:

Every human being has a unique and mystical relationship to the world, and the conscious unearthing and cultivation of that relationship is at the core of true adulthood. In contemporary society, we think of maturity in terms of hard work and practical responsibilities. I believe, in contrast, that true adulthood is rooted in transpersonal experience — a mystic affiliation with nature — that is then embodied in soul-infused work and mature responsibilities.
Although perhaps perceived by some as radical, this premise is not the least bit original. While mainstream Western civilization has buried most traces of the mystical roots of maturity, this knowledge has been at the heart of every indigenous tradition past and present known to us, including those from which our own societies have emerged. Although our way into the future requires new cultural forms more so than older ones, there is at least one thread of the human story that I’m confident will continue, and this is the numinous or visionary calling at the core of the mature human heart.

From Nature and the Humans Soul by Bill Plotkin, page 3