Sensitive Chaos

Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air

Why does water always take a winding course in streams and rivers? Do common principles and rhythms underlie its movement—whether in the sea, in a plant, or even in human blood?

In this seminal and thought-provoking work, the laws apparent in the subtle patterns of water in movement are shown to be the same as those perceptible in the shaping of bones, muscles and a myriad of other forms in nature.

Fully illustrated, Sensitive Chaos reveals the unifying forces that underlie all living things. The author observes and explains such phenomena as the flight of birds, the formation of internal organs such as the heart, eye and ear, as well as mountain ranges and river deltas, weather and space patterns, and even the formation of the human embryo.

A perennial bestseller since publication, Sensitive Chaos is an essential book for anyone interested in the mysteries of life on Earth.

Includes 72 black and white plates.

C O N T E N T S:

Preface by Commandant J. Y. Cousteau
Foreword

Archetypal Movements of Water
Water, Nature’s Sense Organ
Water as Mediator between Earth and Cosmos
Water Interacting with the Earth
Three Characteristic Features of Water
Streaming Wisdom
On the Spiritual Nature of the Liquid Element
Water and Air
Water in the Atmospheric Mantle of the Earth
Air
The Creative Word of the Universe

Afterword—Forms of Flow in Art

Bibliography
Index of Illustrations

About the Author

Theodor Schwenk (1910–1986) was a pioneer in water and flow research. He founded the Institute for Flow Sciences for the scientific study of water’s movement and life-giving forces. A well-known author and lecturer, he contributed original insights and methods to the production of homeopathic, anthroposophic medicines. He developed “drop-pictures” for analyzing water quality and methods for healing polluted, “dead” water. Schwenk gained public recognition with the publication of Sensitive Chaos: The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air.

Jacques-Yves Cousteau (1910–1997) was a French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the Aqua-Lung, pioneered marine conservation and was a member of the Académie française.