The Intelligence of Trees

When you let your gaze drift across the trees and breathe in the quiet air of the forest, a doorway opens — not only into the nature around you, but into an ancient wisdom that has stood unwavering for millions of years. Trees are far more than silent elements in the landscape; they are sentient, responsive beings with an inner life and a profound intelligence that can teach us how to live with truth, meaning, and harmony — both with ourselves and with the world that holds us.

In this article, I invite you on a journey into the inner world of the trees — into the underground networks that weave the forest together, into their remarkable capacity for communication, cooperation, nourishment, and continuous growth. Through scientific research, shamanic insight, and my own lived experience, we explore what the intelligence of trees can reveal about balance, community, inner expansion, and the art of crafting a truly meaningful life.

From a shamanic point of view, nature carries the very blueprint for how to live a healthy, joyful, and meaningful life. Everything we need to understand about balance, vitality, and inner harmony is already around us — in the forest, in the wind, in the stones… and especially in the trees.

In the article “Forest Bathing: Nature’s Powerful Medicine Against Stress, Anxiety, and Burnout,” I shared both shamanic insight and modern research showing why regular, agenda-free walks in the forest can have such a profound impact — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

The research findings are remarkable:

Stress and depression decrease significantly (ref. 1,2,8,9)
Frustration and anxiety are reduced (ref. 3)
Children with ADHD gain improved concentration (ref. 4)
Blood pressure naturally lowers (ref. 5)
Sleep quality improves (ref. 6)
Creativity increases (ref. 6)
Energy levels rise (ref. 6)
Mood becomes more stable and positive (ref. 6)
Immune function strengthens through increased natural lymphocytes (ref. 6)
Recovery after illness and surgery accelerates (ref. 6)
People suffering from burnout and exhaustion experience relief (ref. 7)

The forest doesn’t just influence us — it heals us.

In this article, we go deeper. We turn our attention to the trees themselves, to the ancient intelligence that lives within them, and explore what they can teach us about healthy living and the path toward a truly fulfilled life.

Trees are far wiser than we humans when it comes to the true art of living: how to live in health, in balance, in community, and with deep meaning. While we often push our way through life burdened by stress, performance pressure, and inner restlessness, trees embody a quiet, steady wisdom shaped over millions of years — a wisdom unfolding all around us, every single day.

Professor Dr. Suzanne Simard at the University of British Columbia has, since the 1990s, uncovered some of the most groundbreaking research ever done on the intelligence of trees — their relationships, cooperation, communication, and highly sophisticated social systems. If you were fascinated by the interconnectedness portrayed in the film Avatar, much of that was inspired by scientists like Dr. Simard.

In her book The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate (ref. 8, 9, 10, 11) and in the documentary Intelligent Trees (ref. 12), she reveals how trees communicate through the so-called wood wide web — a vast and intricate underground network far more complex than our own World Wide Web.

At the center of this network stand the oldest and largest trees, often called mother trees. They act as the forest’s wisdom keepers and central hubs — living nodes that support, nourish, and guide the entire ecosystem. They send nutrients to struggling trees, warn the forest of danger, and help maintain balance within their community. A single mother tree may be connected to thousands of others.

What we see above ground — trunks, branches, and crowns — is only a tiny fraction of the truth. The real magic happens below: an immense, highly coordinated communication system where tree roots partner with mycorrhizal fungi in a deep symbiotic relationship. This network links the entire forest together like the nerves of a single body. It allows trees to share information, offer assistance, send signals of distress, and function as one unified, living organism.

Trees do not just exist in nature.

They are nature’s living intelligence — and they carry an ancient wisdom that has the power to transform our own lives as well.

What Trees Can Teach Us

Trees are not just majestic beings — they are living masters, showing us how a healthy, joyful, and meaningful life is actually lived in practice. By observing their rhythms, relationships, and ancient wisdom, we discover life principles that are just as essential for us humans as they are for the forest itself. (See references 8–12 for further reading.)

Here are some of the most powerful lessons trees can offer us on our path toward understanding what a truly fulfilling life is all about:

Flexibility — the art of bending without breaking
A tree that refuses to yield to the wind will eventually snap in the storm. The same is true for us. When we become rigid in our thinking, locked into fixed beliefs, or stuck in “I’m right” mentalities, we create fertile ground for stress, anger, frustration, and illness.
Just as a tree’s strength lies in its ability to sway, our strength lies in our ability to remain flexible — in body, mind, and biochemistry. A nervous system that cannot return to balance (homeostasis) becomes overburdened and fragile. Flexibility isn’t weakness. It’s wisdom.
Community and social connection — we are meant to belong
A tree standing alone dies faster. It’s one of nature’s most honest truths. Trees thrive in community. They lift one another, protect one another, and share nourishment with one another.
The same applies to us. Community isn’t merely pleasant – it is vital. Social isolation is one of the strongest predictors of illness, while healthy relationships are among the most powerful sources of healing.
Communication — the heart of harmony
Trees communicate constantly through their underground network of roots and mycorrhiza. They share information about danger, nutrients, and needs. No shouting. No dominance. They communicate to understand — and to safeguard the whole.
Human conflict, in contrast, often arises from poor communication: misunderstandings, quick judgments, lack of respect, or inability to listen. Trees remind us that real communication is about creating connection, not winning.
Kommunikasjon – hjertet i all harmoni. Trær kommuniserer konstant via sitt underjordiske nettverk av røtter og mykorrhiza. De deler informasjon om farer, næring og behov. Ingen roper. Ingen dominerer. De kommuniserer for å forstå – og for å beskytte helheten.
Mange menneskelige konflikter oppstår på grunn av manglende kommunikasjon: misforståelser, raske konklusjoner, mangel på respekt eller evne til å lytte. Trær minner oss på at ekte kommunikasjon handler om å skape forbindelse, ikke vinne.
Competition — when the whole is more important than the individual
In the forest, nothing is about being the biggest or the best. The strongest trees support the weaker ones so the entire ecosystem can flourish in balance. The health of the community always comes first.
Our culture often works the opposite way: the individual is prioritized over the collective, and competition — driven largely by fear — creates stress, anxiety, and suffering. Trees show us that we are stronger together than we ever are alone.
Taking it slow — nature’s rhythm knows no haste
Trees live in a time scale we can barely comprehend. They do not rush. They do not push. They do not chase goals. In the forest, speed is a threat, not a virtue.
For those of us caught in the hamster wheel of pressure and productivity, trees become gentle yet powerful teachers: Life does not blossom under constant haste. Chaos, overthinking, and stress are recipes for both emotional and physical suffering (see the article “Learn How to Live a Happy and Meaningful Life in Your Current Situation”(Coming soon)).
Continuous growth and expansion — always reaching for the light
From the moment a seedling breaks through the soil, it grows toward the light — and continues to do so until its final breath. Growth isn’t a phase in a tree’s life. Growth is the life of a tree.
Trees show us that continuous, healthy expansion isn’t just natural — it is essential. The same is true for us. (See the article “Our Inner Expansion — Why Do We Long to Become More Than We Are?”)
In the rest of the article, we will explore why this inner movement is the foundation for a joyful, meaningful, and sustainable human life.

Lifelong Growth Is Our Nature

If you were to ask a tree:

“Why do you keep growing, from the moment you sprout until the day you die?”

— the tree wouldn’t even understand the question. Growth isn’t something a tree chooses. It is the tree. It is the very way it exists.

The same is true for us — though many of us forget it.

We often think of growth as something that happens occasionally: when life forces us to change, or when we decide it’s time to “pull ourselves together.” But the truth is that continuous growth is just as natural for humans as it is for trees. And when we allow ourselves to develop a little bit every day, something profound happens inside us:

We feel more alive
We experience deeper meaning
We strengthen our self-worth
We grow a little more whole, day by day

This isn’t about physical growth. It’s about the inner evolution that shapes who we are — the mental, emotional, and spiritual maturation that helps us become more of our true selves.

The Intelligence of Trees – Our Natural Guides to a Fulfilled and Joyful Life — ***Dear tree, why do you keep growing from the moment you sprout until you die?***

When you watch a tree stretch toward the light, you may recognize something from your own life.

Think back to periods when you were actively growing — learning, exploring, challenging yourself, opening new layers of your inner world.

How did it feel?

For many people, these phases bring:

increased inspiration
more energy
a stronger sense of meaning
the joy of mastery
delight, excitement, and aliveness

Now compare that to times when life ran on autopilot — when each day was about functioning, checking boxes, keeping everything going… while growth and development were quietly pushed aside.

How did that feel?

Most people find that the absence of growth leads to emptiness, stagnation, or a sense of being disconnected from themselves. Not because anything is “wrong” — but because we are living against our nature.

Trees remind us of a simple but profound truth:

Life only blossoms when we grow.

And when we forget this, we lose something essential — something that was always meant to be part of us.

One of the Shaman’s Most Important Tasks

As a shaman, one of my most essential responsibilities is to guide people back to the healthy rhythms of nature — the same rhythms that have supported life on this planet for millions of years. When a person rediscovers these rhythms and begins to live in harmony with them, something profound begins to shift:

They come back into resonance with their true nature, their essence, and the quiet wisdom of their soul.

The trees show us one of these rhythms with absolute clarity:

Continuous growth from birth to death is the pulse of life itself.

From the moment we draw our first breath until we take our last, we are designed for development, learning, expansion, and inner evolution. I explore this more deeply in the article “Our Inner Expansion – Why Do We Long to Become More Than We Are?”

When we follow this rhythm — when we allow ourselves to grow and mature a little every day — we create the foundation for fullness, abundance, and deep meaning in life, just as we see in the forest.

But when we resist it, when we stop growing or close ourselves down, stagnation sets in. And stagnation leads to emptiness, frustration, stress, illness, and a slow fading of our inner spark.

Why This Creates Such Powerful Results

One of the main reasons I often achieve such transformative results with people in difficult life phases is that I help them begin an active growth process from the very beginning.

Not as pressure — but as reawakening.

Because when a human being starts to grow again, even in small steps, the spark comes back. Their perspective opens. Hope returns. And life begins to breathe again.

I explore this process more deeply in the article

“To Ignite the Spark of Life, We Need HOPE and a Positive Life Perspective!”(coming soon)

The Consequences of a Life Without Active Growth

When a human being stops growing, something quiet — but profoundly serious — begins to happen inside. Life slips into repetition. Days start to look the same. Thoughts repeat themselves. Emotions move in predictable loops. Very little new arises to spark curiosity, ignite inspiration, or awaken vitality.

Change fades.

Challenges disappear.

Fresh impulses dry out.

The blood no longer stirs with inspiration, passion, insight, or those small “wow” moments that make life feel bigger. And the older we become, the easier it is to get stuck in what is familiar and comfortable:

the same people

the same tasks at work

the same meals

the same opinions

the same evenings with tacos and Netflix

A life without play, novelty, and uplifting impulses slowly loses its color.

Play is not just for children — it is one of the deepest sources of human inspiration, joy, and meaning. When life becomes flat and routine-driven, motivation drops. Creativity dims. And our interest in what once gave us energy begins to fade.

In this emptiness, unhealthy coping mechanisms and addictions often take root:

more sugar, more junk food, more alcohol, more social media, more news, more screens — more of everything that offers a brief moment of relief, but never fills the real need underneath.

Because what we truly long for is not more stimulation –

but more growth.

Boredom and Illness

The more monotonous our lives become, the larger the emptiness that grows inside us. And in that empty space, boredom thrives — a state that research links to increased risk of depression, anxiety, addiction, stress, and even heart disease (ref. 13, 14, 15).

Boredom also makes us less flexible and less tolerant. We’ve all seen people who instinctively reach for their phone the moment there’s a pause. Try interrupting them — and notice the reaction. It reveals more than words ever could.

Many of the people I work with who struggle with boredom find it difficult to admit it. Partly because it has become so normal to spend hours every day scrolling through social media and streaming platforms. But beneath the surface, something important is happening:

Every time we scroll, the brain is hunting for something new.

This hunt activates the brain’s novelty center, which then triggers the reward system and releases a small burst of dopamine — a quick hit of “feel good.” And the moment dopamine hits, the limbic brain says:

“More.”

This creates a dopamine loop — a subtle addiction to constant external stimulation (ref. 16). Many people believe they are online because it’s “fun,” but in reality, it’s often an attempt to compensate for a life lacking inspiration, vitality, and meaning.

But here’s the good news:

Boredom can also be a friend.

It can be a gentle but unmistakable signal that something needs to change. It tells us we need fresh impulses, new growth, new movement — that the soul is longing to wake up a little more to life.

Boredom is not a sign of weakness.

It’s a call to grow.

What We Regret Most at the End of Life

Research shows that the five most common regrets people have at the very end of life (ref. 17) are:

I wish I had had the courage to live a life true to myself — not the one others expected of me.
I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
I wish I had expressed my feelings more openly.
I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
I wish I had allowed myself to be happier.

These sentences carry more than sadness — they carry wisdom.

They show us the two possible paths we can take:

one that leads to regret… and one that leads us home to a life that truly feels lived.

The more we embrace the wisdom of the trees — the wisdom of continuous growth – the more grounded we become in ourselves. And when we feel rooted, it becomes easier to grow, to change direction, and to shape the life our heart longs for, instead of the one society tells us we “should” live.

You don’t have to wait until the end of your life to realize what truly matters.

There is no reason to meet death with regret.

Life is here now — in this very moment — and it is never too late to begin living more in alignment with who you really are.

Let the quiet, patient wisdom of the trees guide you.

Let it inspire you to take the first step toward a life you can one day look back on with warmth, gratitude, and a deep sense of fulfillment.

Tips for Understanding the Wisdom of Trees

Here are some simple practices that can help you come into deeper resonance with the wisdom and rhythm of the trees:

Prioritize regular forest bathing.
Give yourself time in the woods. Silence, fresh air, and the presence of living trees do something profoundly healing to both body and soul. In the article “Forest Bathing: Nature’s Powerful Medicine Against Stress, Anxiety and Burnout”, you’ll find practical guidance on how to get the most out of these nourishing moments.
Protect the trees and the forest.
Trees cannot defend themselves. They depend on us to safeguard their existence. When we care for the forest, we are simultaneously caring for ourselves.
Learn about the lives of trees through modern science.
Scientific research offers a fascinating window into how trees communicate, cooperate, and form intricate ecosystems. The more we understand, the more our respect—and our connection—deepens.
Learn nature’s rhythms through the shamanic perspective.
To understand the deeper, non-measurable wisdom of the trees, we need guidance from a qualified shaman. In the article “ABC Guide to Finding Your Spiritual Teacher” you’ll find insights on how to choose a safe and experienced guide.
Share your insights with others.
Knowledge grows stronger when shared. Talk about the wisdom of trees. Invite others to walk with you in the forest. Help awaken a greater awareness of the value of nature.

The more you learn to understand—and live in harmony with—the rhythms of the trees, the more vibrant, meaningful, and inspiring your life becomes. It isn’t always easy; we have been conditioned to ignore nature, both within and around us. But the rewards are immense.

I am living proof of this.

Before my collapse in 2003, I believed I understood what life was about. I did everything “right,” yet it led me straight into illness, misfortune, and a profound sense of emptiness. But when I began my shamanic journey in 2004, an entirely new world opened before me:

I began to understand what happens when we live in alignment with nature’s rhythms.

I saw the connection between my inner world and the ancient wisdom of the natural world.

And gradually, my life transformed in ways I could never have imagined – into deeper meaning, greater joy, more harmony, and a quiet inner bliss that once felt completely out of reach.

If you feel the time has come to dive deeper into this ancient wisdom – and to truly open the door to the gifts nature has been waiting to share with you – I am here to guide you.

References

Ref. 1: Take Two Hours of Pine Forest and Call Me in the Morning, Outside – https://www.outsideonline.com/1870381/take-two-hours-pine-forest-and-call-me-morning

Ref. 2: The influence of urban green environments on stress relief, Journal of Environmental Psychology, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272494413000959

Og (PDF) http://www.tlu.ee/~arro/Happy%20Space%20EKA%202014/urban%20green_stress%20Ojala%20jt.pdf

Ref. 3: AGGRESSION AND VIOLENCE IN THE INNER CITY Effects of Environment via Mental Fatigue, Kuo, F. E., & Sullivan, W. C. (2001) https://is.muni.cz/el/1423/podzim2011/HEN597/um/Readings_Env_Psy/Kuo__F.E.__Sullivan__W.C.__2001_.pdf

Ref. 4: Children With Attention Deficits Concentrate Better After Walk in the Park, Journal of Attention Disorders, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23192434_Children_With_Attention_Deficits_Concentrate_Better_After_Walk_in_the_Park

Ref. 5: Blood pressure-lowering effect of Shinrin-yoku (Forest bathing): a systematic review and meta-analysis, NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28814305

Ref. 6: The Science of Nature & Forest Therapy, https://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/about/science

Ref. 7: Personer med utmattningssyndrom mår bättre av skogsbad, SVT, https://www.svt.se/nyheter/vetenskap/personer-med-utmattningssyndrom-mar-battre-av-skogsbad-1

Ref. 8: «The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate». Prof. Dr. Suzanne Simard,

Ref. 9: How trees talk to each other, Prof. Dr. Suzanne Simard, TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/suzanne_simard_how_trees_talk_to_each_other

Ref. 10: Nature’s internet: how trees talk to each other in a healthy forest, TEDx Seattle, https://tedxseattle.com/talks/natures-internet-how-trees-talk-to-each-other-in-a-healthy-forest/

Ref. 11: The Intelligent Plant, Scientists debate a new way of understanding flora., Michael Pollan, The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/12/23/the-intelligent-plant

Ref. 12: «Intelligent Trees», Dokumentar med bla. Dr. Simard, https://www.intelligent-trees.com/

Ref. 13: Nature experience reduces rumination and subgenual prefrontal cortex activation, PNAS, https://www.pnas.org/content/112/28/8567

Ref. 14: City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans, NCBI, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21697947

Ref. 15: What does boredom do to your brain? Professor Peter Enticott, School of Psychology, Deakin University. https://this.deakin.edu.au/self-improvement/what-does-boredom-do-to-your-brain

Ref. 16: Levitin, D.J. (2015, January 18). Why the modern world is bad for your brain. The Guardian. Retrieved March 7, 2018, from

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jan/18/modern- world-bad-for-brain-daniel-j-levitin-organized-mind-information-overload

Ref. 17: The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, Bronnie Ware, https://bronnieware.com/blog/regrets-of-the-dying/

The Intelligence of Trees – Our Natural Guides to a Fulfilled and Joyful Life