Mechanisation of the spirit

Poor words, but the best I can get. By "spirit" I mean the inner being of an entity: that which holds its isness. When I am overwhelmed by a landscape or a flying bird, it is not their picture that draws me to them, but a sort of connection with their being. It is so fragile: I start thinking, and it is gone. The birds themselves know only spirit. We humans, including me, usually crush it.