The transpersonal dimensions of ecopsychology: Nature, nonduality, and spiritual practice.

Davis, John

doi:10.1080/08873267.1998.9976967

Cited by 56 publications

(59 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The idea of a split between the human psyche and the cause of this split has been attributed by many writers to industrialization and the systems of thought needed to sustain and support such a disconnection (Davis, 1998;Du Nann Winter, 1997;Kidner, 2001;Roszak, 1992). Drawing on psychodynamic theory, I want to explore the underlying emotional reasons how this split formed and why it continues to sustain itself.…”

Section: The "Split" With Nature: Causes and Affectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature and Self—An Ambivalent Attachment?

Jordan

2009

Ecopsychology

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This article explores how our attachment to nature is formed in our early love relationships and draws on ideas from psychodynamic theory and contemporary research in developmental psy Links Between Person and PlanetM y aim in writing this article is to propose that our love for nature and concern for the planet is intrinsically tied up with our early love relationships. Our current societal ambivalence toward nature is being sorely challenged; to acknowledge our dependency on nature is central in solving aspects of the environmental crisis in which we fi nd ourselves. From the perspective of psychodynamic theory, I will explore how the "self" is formed in early attachment to caregivers and how good attachment is central to emotional health and well-being. I will then explore how by incorporating nature into a broader system of attachment relationships it can play a central role in helping us to regulate our emotional worlds. I will explore the problem of the "split" between nature and psyche and consider why such splits form in relation to vulnerability and poor early experience. Finally I will suggest how we can heal some of these splits and foster stronger attachments to nature.In using psychodynamic ideas to illustrate the points I am making, I will go straight to the issue of anthropocentrism in my argument. A critique of my argument is that it is fundamentally anthropocentric, seeing human relatedness as the central concern in relation to our environmental crisis. There is a danger in linking psychodynamic thought with ecopsychology; all relationships, including those with nature, can be reduced to parental imagos. I would argue there has to be a movement between the intrapsychic understanding of the development of self and then how this self goes about forming object relationships, particularly with the environment. It is not nature itself that needs therapy, rather the humans who inhabit it. There is a growing body of evidence and argument that natural environments do much better without human interference (Mabey, 2008;McKibben, 1990;Terborgh, 1999). The issue of human dependency and how this becomes enacted in our relationship to nature needs to be addressed. We need to understand how complicated patterns of dependency and intimacy are constructed by humans in relation to one another and how, subsequently, these become manifest in our relationship to nature.As far back as 1960, Harold Searles proposed that, although essential psychodynamic concepts were contained within Freud's writings, Freud failed, as have others since, to explicitly acknowledge the signifi cance of the nonhuman environment in the development of human psychological life (Searles, 1960). Later writers in ecopsychology have further attempted to elaborate Freud's concepts. Roszak (1995) posited that the core of the mind is the ecological unconscious, where repression of the cosmic consciousness of man's evolutionary relationship to nature is repressed in an act ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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Section: The "Split" With Nature: Causes and Affectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature and Self—An Ambivalent Attachment?

Jordan

2009

Ecopsychology

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“…The growing field of eco-psychology reflects this attitude in its developing social-therapeutic-environmental philosophy, claiming that reconnection with nature is essential not only for the maintenance of the physical world (habitats, animals, plants, landscape, and cultures) but also for people's well-being and happiness (Roszak, 2001;Roszak et al, 1995;Totton, 2003). Many writers have written about the therapeutic aspects of nature and contact with nature (Abram, 1996;Berger, 2004;Beringer & Martin, 2003;Davis, 1998;Naor, 1999;Roszak, 2001;Totton, 2003). Few have tried to reconstruct the knowledge gained through practice and intuition into creating a therapeutic framework using the relationship with nature as the key reference point for therapy.…”

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confidence: 99%

Incorporating Nature into Therapy: A Framework for Practice

Berger¹,

McLeod²

2006

Journal of Systemic Therapies

116

100

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In most cases, therapy is addressed as an indoor, verbal, and cognitive activity, with the relationship between therapist and client at its center (McLeod, 2003). This article presents an alternative approach to therapy, conducted in creative ways in nature, addressing the environment not merely as a setting but as a partner in the process. The article includes examples of work that took place with different clients, in varied settings. It aims at presenting basic concepts from this young framework that will inspire other practitioners to "open the doors" and explore these ideas with their clients in nature.The concept of conducting transformative and healing work in nature is not new; it can be traced back to ancient times when people lived in communities in nature. In those days, shamans would incorporate nature's healing powers into the performance of rituals and into the overall framework of traditional medicine. These rituals, which can be viewed as an ancient form of therapy

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“…These transpersonal moments can be triggered through a variety of experiences, such as sports, sex, meditation, nature encounters, creative exploration, and meditation (Taylor, 2012). They have been characterized by "euphoria, noesis, harmony or union with the universe, a profound sense of beauty and love, and ineffability" (Davis, 1998). Peak experiences often result in increased clarity and compassion as well as refined levels of beauty and truth (Swan 2010).…”

Section: Peak Experiences In Naturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Awakening to Self and Nature E xperiences in nature have contributed to human and planetary well-being (Davis, 1998;Swan, 2010), to psycho-spiritual transformation (Coburn, 2006;Wood, 2009), and awakened transpersonal life processes, including feelings of connections with the greater whole (DeMares & Krycka, 1998;Maslow, 1970;Wood, 2009). Coburn's (2006) research of 12 mid-life women thru-hikers who walked the entire Appalachian Trail and Wood's (2009) study of nine wilderness questers highlight the transformative power of nature.…”

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confidence: 99%

Intentional Kayaking: Awakening to Intimacy Within the Natural World

Rowe

2013

IJTS

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The transpersonal dimensions of ecopsychology: Nature, nonduality, and spiritual practice.

Cited by 56 publications

References 17 publications

Nature and Self—An Ambivalent Attachment?

Nature and Self—An Ambivalent Attachment?

Incorporating Nature into Therapy: A Framework for Practice

Intentional Kayaking: Awakening to Intimacy Within the Natural World

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