Lewis Hamilton is a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion and the most successful driver in the history of the sport. In 2018, during the Singapore Grand Prix, he astonished spectators with a phenomenal qualifying lap. Despite not being among the fastest drivers in the previous rounds, he suddenly came to life during a single lap and achieved a remarkable time, securing pole position, which is the coveted spot of starting at the front of the grid.
"It was beautiful, just flowing, like a dance. It was freaking awesome."
It's common for exceptional drivers to suddenly pull off a phenomenal lap, even when the car isn't performing at its best. They often describe feeling at one with the car, as though it were a living being, and merging their consciousness with it.
This feeling is not unique to Lewis. Many racing drivers describe a similar sensation of unity with their cars. They talk about feeling the car's movements as if they were their own, and being able to anticipate and respond to its every change.
So what can we learn from this example of Formula 1 drivers and their connection with their cars?
The world we live in is filled with countless mysteries, and one of the most intriguing is the idea that everything around us is alive, even the metals and materials of which a Formula 1 car is made of. It may sound strange at first, but this belief has been around for centuries, and there is a growing body of evidence to support it.
Take, for example, the branch of the Yogi philosophy known as Gnani Yoga, which deals with the great questions of life. The Yogis explain that everything in the world is alive, even things that seem to be dead. According to this belief, every atom, molecule, plant, animal, or planet is an aggregation of organized unit forces held in place by stronger forces.
This idea is echoed in the work of Professor Jagadish Chandra Bose, who conducted numerous experiments to demonstrate that so-called inorganic matter, such as minerals and metals, responds to external stimulus in a way that is similar, if not identical, to the response of the matter composing the bodies of plants, animals, and humans.
In one of his public experiments, Bose demonstrated that a bar of iron was fully as sensitive as the human body, and that it could be irritated and stimulated in the same way, and finally could be poisoned and killed. He argued that life is present in every object and form of nature, and all forms respond to external stimulus, which is proof of the presence of life in the form.
Bose's work has revolutionized the theories of modern science and has done much to further the idea that life is present everywhere, and that there is no such thing as dead matter. His experiments along the lines of the gathering of evidence of life in the inorganic forms have caused the widest comment and created the greatest interest among the highest scientific authorities.
Even the seemingly dead things around us, such as dust, chemicals, minerals, and metals, are alive in their own way. Metals, for example, exhibit fatigue of elasticity, and can be subject to disease and infection. Window glass, especially stained glass, is subject to a disease spreading from pane to pane.
This belief is not limited to Eastern philosophy and scientific experimentation. It has been expressed in various ways in cultures around the world. For example, many Indigenous cultures view the natural world as a living entity, and hold deep reverence for all forms of life, including rocks, trees, and animals.
The idea that everything is alive may seem strange and even unsettling to some, but it can also be liberating. It reminds us that we are all interconnected, and that we share a bond with all living things. It encourages us to be more mindful of our actions and their impact on the world around us. And it inspires us to see the beauty and wonder in even the most ordinary objects.
By understanding that we are not just operating a tool but rather merging our own self with it, we can achieve greater levels of performance and success. So, next time you find yourself struggling with a task, try to tune into your connection with the tool you are using and see if you can feel a sense of oneness with it, just like Lewis Hamilton did in his flying lap. By recognizing the aliveness of everything around us, we can develop a deeper appreciation for the world we live in, and a greater sense of connection to all living and apparently non-living things.
