About Seeds for Thought

This is a collective blog by different members of the International Community for Ecopsychology. It is an extension of the public communication offerings we initiated in 1999 with the publication of our website and Gatherings, a journal on ecopsychology.

As befits the nature of this complex, intertwined field of enquiry, each writer focuses on a different theme, but we all address the idea of relationship between the human psyche and the natural world.

This is a subject that involves us all.
We’d like to invite you to weave your own voice into the tapestry of this blog, to engage with us and each other on the subjects that most interest, irritate & inspire you, using the ‘comment’ function at the bottom of each post.

Comments

[Craig Chalquist, PhD]

I like to imagine that being healed by the Earth does something for the Earth as well. I think its spirit or soul gets something out of being appreciated. Maybe that's why we're here to begin with: humans as Gaia's frontal lobes. And if Gaia is "only" a mythic figure, it bears reflection that the gene which gave us the power of speech is labeled MYT. Only the H was lacking.

[Amy Lenzo]

Craig,

Your comment about what the Earth might receive from our appreciation reminds me of something someone once said to me about how we can "listen' someone or something into being... maybe in a similar way our attention on the Earth helps bring something out of her.

My thinking on this isn't very well developed, but your comment made me think about how our attention and appreciation might be effecting the earth beyond our taking better care of her on a physical level.

I love the idea of humanity being Gaia's "frontal lobes"!

[Andrew Rothery (UK)]

I logged onto Gatherings at Christmas time and after enjoying reading the new articles, thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be great to have more opportunities to talk with other ecopsychologists/ecomythologists!" Lo and behold, I log on again and here we all are...another step in our evolution as a cohesive, global community of earth-loving beings. Well done all those who have enabled this to happen, this is an excellent development.

[Amy Lenzo]

Andrew! How nice to hear from you! For those of you who don't know, Andrew wrote a wonderful article for Gatherings called 'The Science of the Green Man' (you can read it at http://www.ecopsychology.org/journal/ezine/green_man.html), which so many people responded to. Your voice is very welcome among us, Andrew! I hope we hear more from you in days to come...

[scott Adam Alf]

Hey out there its the long lost pahana?. Anyone know Hopi or Dineh'.

I've got this great web sight,great ideas,resources,and people like yourselfs to work with. Millions to educate and not enough time in life to do it all. I live in Ann Arbor MI as a fallen angel from the A.E.I. and a son to a freind and assiociate recognized by Micheal Cohen. The vision has hopefully never left me. I was president of the Environmental studies club at the UM Fort Kent, revitalizing it from defunct status, and I believe it is still active there. I was School Mascot and served on the s senate as Pres. for a while(but almost always there ) Iwas student assistant to the advisor,received the divisional award at graduation. Was the only citizen to oppose the dawn who spoke out at the millinocet Me meeting to stop the big A damn suggesting it was more feasible to utilize the natural concept of cogeneration(symbiotic) energy generation,8 meetings later thats the grounds it was stopped on. Bruno Hicks was there, I also took the student senate protest of Star Wars to D.C. Oh by the way I have eco/peace kind people contacts outside of DC for camping/transitional facilitators headed that way. My Father the Late Herbert ALF ran eco/gifted programs in DC and Tennessese(sp).

Meanwhile here I am sitting stuck on an Island between a fifth of the worlds Fresh Water. I came to Ann Arbor to go to grad school it turned out the year I wanted to apply Bill Stapp scheduled his retirement and signalled the end to the Environmnetal Education at the University of MI. I took a job working outside continued work with the National wildlife Federation in total working with them 1986,87,89,90,92 the years allude me while landscaping in MI I was working with the planting of Native Species by a well known Land scape Architect (Chris Graham) who worked for the state DNR and the city planning commision for a while, I worked as a resident Naturalist under the auspices of Dan Keto doing camp programs. Keto is the current director of the Kalamazoo Nature Center. I've also worked for the City of Ann Arbor as a naturalist but the 18.00 for a 3 hour commitment with unscheduled commitments left me stranded in a paradise with no $ for living. Still active as a canoeist and a member of the society of Les Voyageurs here in Ann Arbor. Am active in thought about teaching nature. I have made some Bad discisions in life , but loving the wholeness of the Gaia concept throughout my life . Even named my dog Outdoor so I could always have a companion there, even indoor.

More to come dinner,freinds and psedo-family call. Still getting to the dreams I guess . I have a poem called re-entry I'm writing about returning to the city. see ya soon

[scott Adam Alf]

Time here is not 12:56 AM . where are you? its 7:52 PM

[heather witham]

hi, scott. the blog is based in the UK: hence the time difference. :) welcome!

[Paul]

I am new to ecopsychology and am getting there via Theodore Roszak's Voice of the Earth. In athe last 2 chapters he gets to what I really wanted to know and I am thoroughly engrossed. I am posting this to let all readers know of the the book "The Healing Wisdom of Africa" by Malidoma Patrice Some. The Author is a member of the Dagara tribe of Burkino Faso (sub-saharan Africa) He has a PhD from the Sorbonne and Brandeis. He was isolated from his tribe at age 5 or 6 and raised within the Catholic Church. He broke away at age 20 and returned to his people. There he was initiated, which he describes in a previous book "Of Water and Spirit". Their psychic technology is astonishing. In the present book he describes the life of indigenous and traditional people as a paradigm for an intimate relationship with the natural world, and details the rituals that support that life. Marvelous book.

[heather witham]

Thanks for the recommendation, Paul! And welcome!

[Lawrence Curtis]

Greetings,

I am interested to open a discussion regarding how wildlife film make a difference or how you all feel they can better server the bigger picture of conservation awareness. As a past student of Psychology and Anthropology now working in the documentary film world, these are concerns that many of us conservation minded filmmakers have and we want to better serve using this medium. In additon to welcoming comments, I would love additional insight into the elements that could be (or should be ) incorporated into a film that serves to create change.
Thank you.
L. Curtis
www.curtisfilms.com

[Linda Buzzell-Saltzman]

Welcome, L. Curtis and thanks for an intriguing topic for discussion!

For many years I worked in the documentary film industry, first for David L. Wolper ("National Geographic") and then for the late Capt. Jacques-Yves Cousteau. I believe that documentary films -- which in the 1970s were shown on prime time network TV to large audiences! -- were an important part of raising consciousness and awareness about environmental questions during that watershed decade and beyond.

But obviously they didn't solve the problem, because we are in much worse shape now environmentally than we were then.

So what do documentary films need to do differently in the 21st century? This question is part of the reason I am so interested in the field of ecopsychology. What would motivate people to make real changes in their lives?

One thing we have learned is that people need to be included in documentary films about nature. Too many environmentalists made films about animals and so-called wilderness without understanding that people -- not just modern industrial people who are causing such damage but native peoples -- have always been part of ecosystems. When living sustainably in nature, we can play a positive role like any other animal. As I'm sure you know, having studied anthropology, the "wilderness" of America was apparently human-managed long before Europeans arrived.

Also environmentalists have made some psychological mistakes. Many people think that they are only interested in saving whales and spotted toads and don't care at all about human suffering or human contributions. So they vote against environmental measures and environmental candidates.

And environmentalists and nature filmmakers have sometimes been naive psychologically, making the mistake of using fear and guilt as motivators for behavior change. After a hard day's work, one doesn't want to come home and be confronted in a hostile way about one's behavior.

I think the new approach is to help people connect with positive values as well as to face the difficult situations... and to encourage or portray collective action that is making a difference, so we have good role models and see some hopeful progress. Otherwise it's just all doom and gloom and it's too easy to change the channel.

I also believe in independent documentaries that can be distributed in new ways, as the political documentaries have been in recent years --through house parties, community screenings, etc.

There are so many exciting "green" topics that are crying out for more good films -- permaculture, eco-villages, the Earth Charter, fossil-free communities, restoration successes, green building, lawns to food programs, school gardens/lunches, ecotherapy, etc. Films like these will help people learn to live in harmony with the earth once more.

Good luck with your films! We desperately need beautifully made, exciting and inspiring documentaries about the environment right now more than ever.

[carrie solomon]

I am a designer studying for a masters degree and currently in my thesis year. I've just begun to investigate methods of designing products which relate directly to forms found in nature (plant life, ground cover, tree, leaves). I'm very much interested in how our perceptions of natural forms, particularly when abstracted and primarily SUGGESTING plantforms as opposed to mimicking them (as in unsuccessfully rendered fake plants) can be affected by exposure to such forms. My hypothesis is that there is an ingrained need or awareness in all humans that makes exposure to natural forms the cause of relaxation, happiness and the ability to essentially feel "more human". I am currently attempting to investigate these forms found in nature and to adapt them to objects that we all live with in our homes (wall coverings, tables, lamps, vases, etc.) and especially for those of us living in large cities. I would love feedback on this concept. Thank you.

[Linda Buzzell-Saltzman]

I totally agree, Carrie, that humans have evolved to respond to the natural forms that were present at the time. I think we're hard-wired to feel good and "right" when they're present, which is why so many of us feel so uncomfortable in industrial and machine environments. Have you read E.O. Wilson on biophilia? This theory is about the human need for nature and natural surroundings.

Good luck with your design work!

[amy lenzo]

This sounds fabulous, Carrie. Please share what up come up with (designs, essays, articles, etc.) and I will publish and/or link to them in Gatherings or my Art & Ecpsychology posts in this blog.

I know I have a deep affinity with the soft rolling curves of the hills in Vermont and southern Vermont, and it's the shape of the landscape itself that calms and soothes me. I find it so restful on the eye.

Colors, too - the fresh light green of spring makes me feel hopeful, autumn's deep rusts and golds stimulate my sense of reflection, and the clear strong blues of the sky open up my psyche.

The idea of integrating these elements in the everyday objects of my life is one that I too have been exploring, and I look forward to the results of your ongoing research with pleasure and anticipation.

[Ken]

AS REGARDS THE PREMISE THAT WAS POSTED A WHILE AGO ON THIS BLOG THAT NATURE SEEKS BEAUTY TO EVOLVE, YOU MAY WISH TO REFER TO THE STUDIES OF BUSS CURRENTLY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN, PREVIOULY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN WHO WAS ONE OF THE EARLY PROPONENTS OF EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY. IN A MULTICULTURAL(OVER 30 CULTURES)STUDY HE FOUND THAT MEN HAD A CONSISTENT PREFERENCE FOR MATING WITH FEMALES WHO EXHIBITED AN APPEARANCE WITHIN CERTAIN PARAMETERS EG. A WAIST TO HIP RATIO OF .70 AS WELL AS CERTAIN SYMETRY OF FACIAL FEATURES. THE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH ARE OFTEN LABELED AS"BEAUTY" ARE PRESUMED TO BE INDICATORS OF A HIGHER LEVEL OF HEALTH, FERTILITY AND FITNESS WHICH FROM AN EVOLUTIONARY STANDPOINT INCREASES THE LIKELYHOOD OF PRODUCING MORE VIABLE OFFSPRING AND HENCE HAVING A GREATER SELECTIVE VALUE AMONGST PROSPECTIVE MATES. THE DATA IN BUSS'S STUDY INDICATE THAT IN FACT THIS OCCURS ACROSS A WIDE RANGE OF CULTURES. HENCE THE PROPOSITION THAT "EVOLUTION SEEKS "BEAUTY".
THE SAME STUDY ALSO INDICATES A FEMALE PREFERENCE TO MATES WITH RESOUCRCES, STATUS OR THE MALE EQUIVALENT TO "BEAUTY" Think MALE PEACOCKS TAILS , LIONS MANES AND OTHER MALE DISPLAYS WHICH FUNCTION AS INDICATORS OF STATUS, STRENGTH, RESOURCE ACQISITION CAPACITY THAT FUNCTION AS FITNESS INDICATORS TO MATES OF THE CAPACITY TO RAISE VIABLE OFFSPRING PAST INFANCY WHICH IN A MANNER OF SPEAKING IS THE EVOLUTIONARY IMPERATIVE FOR SEEKING "BEAUTY"
AND Strength. Perhaps PARAPHRASING ODE TO A GRECIAN URN TO ODE TO TO A FORTUITUS GENOME WHICH PRODUCES A NARROW WAIST AND HIGH CHEEK BONES , OR MUSCLED BICEPS AND FIDUCIARY PROWESS.

[annie Em]

"Helloa"

I can't help but think that Darwin's discovery of evolution becomes Darwin's folly when it comes to focused interpretations..? ((The territory is not the map)) It seems that Buss is on to something very interesting, but his interpretations of a females choices in preference could not hope be comparable to other animal's preference. Human culture has aligned its values with an eye on 'resource aquisition capacities,' but is that a natural value that can be viewed in the span of a peacock's feathers?
From an unbias gendered perspective on authentic biological purpose, it would make more sense for any specie to exhibit its value in symmetry, along with reasoning capability, or just the capacity for dynamic communication...
It seems that most human's are in a state of confusion/defense from the repression of resources that they..think-to-keep-from-feeling. How could anyone assign a valued commodity that is biologically authentic~ other than that of symmetry, or balance?Could it be that the semiotic nature of our human cultures with language, expression, etc., may be just too far removed from natural instincts to impose this kind of reasoning on species that do not share our culture?

[jo]

The elephant in the room is that there are just too many people - the planet is too small -- promote the new ecosaving code:
more nature and animals & fewer babies.
Let your lineage come to an end and plant some trees instead.

don't have a baby - do something useful for the planet & reduce your carbon footprint that way- or adopt if you really want to nurture a child!

It sounds rather extreme but that's only because no one dare discuss this very non pc subject prob due to past terrible historical events.

Ecosaving would in itself be mentally stimulating giving one a very ecological connection with the world and posterity.

[Nats]

Hi,

I dont know if this is the right place to post, i'm new here...

i was wondering if anyone could share some ideas with me,

been thinking this morning, and came up with lots of questions,

how is ecopsycology going to stand up to corporations such as tesco, which seem to have naturalised into the majority of peoples lives? how can this knowledge really help when it has limited access across society, and when parts of society may not be open to its ideas...

how can our thoughts avoid being another 'western' idea popularised by those who have the opportunity through their social situation to make direct decisions and lifestyle choices... how do we consider and understand issues concerning peoples across the globe struggling for survival or forced from their homes as the result of violent conflict?

i guess i'm new to this way of thinking and am finding the enormity of global considerations a little daunting

thank you
take care
x

[Stele Ely]

How about transforming our consumer focused holidays into ecological holidays that celebrate what each other has done for community, planet, family and friends.

With word, song, art, games, handmade goodies and simple gifts - our holidays could become a super fun time to cheer on each others contributions that have benefited the local and global good.

Ecological cheerleaders needed -- pom-poms optional.

Stele Ely www.EarthE.org

[Ariel]

Hello,
I am currently co-organizing a conference about sustainable innovation and business. I am interested in finding excellent and provocative speakers about Eco-psychology. The conference will be on the East coast, so an east coast based speaker candidates would beideal but not essential.
Look forward to hearing your responses and feel free to ask me more specific questions.

Best wishes - Ariel

[Steve Salmony]

Somehow Nature needs to be preserved and actively protected from overwhelming human overconsumption, overproduction and overpopulation activities now overspreading the surface of Earth.

What if ideology and selfish interests are “blinding” denialists to the virtual mountains of good scientific evidence of global warming and climate change?

The astounding, clearly visible, pernicious impacts of human overconsumption and overproduction activities of 6 billion (soon to become 9 billion) human beings upon Earth’s environment and its body of resources are overpowering and soon to be patently unsustainable, I suppose.

How much longer can the relatively small planet we inhabit withstand the colossal ravage being dealt to it in our time by human hands?

Steven Earl Salmony
AWAREness Campaign on The Human Population, established 2001
http://sustainabilitysoutheast.org/

[Steve Salmony]

Without a doubt, we need new thinking and new leadership and, yes, we need both now.

Hmmm…... ok…... for just a moment let us consider that at least one way to realistically address the challenges posed by global warming and global warming could be by limiting the rate of increase in the unbridled growth of the global economy.

Perhaps we could follow what we already know from good science, sound reasoning and common sense. We can choose to respond ably and differently, in a more reality-oriented way, to the emergent global challenges looming before humanity, the ones that we can certainly manage because these challenges can be seen so clearly now to be spectacularly induced by the unrestrained global growth of human overconsumption, overproduction and overpopulation activities now threatening to ravage the Earth.

Of course, it is fair to ask what the family of humanity could choose to do “ably and differently, in a more reality-oriented way.” Here are several ideas that come to mind.

1. Implement a universal, voluntary, humane program of family planning and health education that teaches people the need for setting a limit on the number of offspring at one child per family.

2. Establish an upper limit on the growth of the individual human footprint.

3. Restrict the reckless dissipation of limited natural resources so that the Earth is given time to replenish them for human benefit.

4. Substitute clean, renewable sources of energy, through the use of substantial economic incentives, for the fossil fuels we rely upon now.

5. Recognize that everything human beings do on the surface of our planetary home utterly depends on the finite resources and frangible ecosystem services of Earth. Perhaps the time is nearly at hand when an endlessly expanding, gigantesque global economy on a relatively small planet of the size and make-up of Earth becomes patently unsustainable.

[Steve Salmony]

Dear Friends,

Please forgive me for saying that I believe my not-so-great generation of elders is literally on the verge of devouring the birthright of its children and mortgaging their future, while not giving so much as a thought to the needs of coming generations. My generation may be remembered most for having ravaged the Earth and irreversibly degraded its environment, leaving our planetary home unfit for life as we know it or for human habitation or both.

Unfortunately, many too many of our brothers and sisters as well as virtually all of political leaders, economic powerbrokers and 'talking heads' in the mass media are not yet acknowledging the distinctly human-induced predicament looming ominously before humanity, even now visible on the far horizon. Because human overproduction, over-consumption and overpopulation appear to be occurring synergistically, at least to me it makes sense to see and address them as a whole. Picking the most convenient or most expedient of the three aspects of the human condition could be easier but may not be a good idea. The "big picture" is what we need to see, I suppose. At some point we are going to be forced to gain a "whole system" perspective of what 6.6 billion (soon to be 9 billion) people are doing on Earth. That is to say, the human community needs to widely-share a reasonable and sensible understanding of the colossal impact of unbridled production, unrestained consumption and unregulated propagation activities of the human species on Earth....... and how life utterly depends upon Earth's limited resource base for existence.

If human beings can share an adequate enough grasp of the leviathan-like presence of the human species on Earth, then we can choose individually and collectively to behave differently from the ways we are behaving now, lest my generation could lead everyone to inadvertently precipitate the massive extinction of biodiversity, the irredeemable degradation of environs, the pillage of our planetary home and, perhaps, the endangerment of humanity.

Sincerely,

Steve

[Steven Earl Salmony, Ph.D., M.P.A.]

Something is happening that many too many people appear not to be seeing, I suppose.

Scientific evidence is springing up everywhere that indicates the massive and pernicious impact of the human species on the limited resources of Earth, its frangible ecosystems and life as we know it.

Guided by mountains of carefully and skillfully developed research regarding climate change, top rank scientists like Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Dr. James Hansen, Dr. Hans J. Schellnhuber and Dr. Christopher Rapley issued a Climate Code Red emergency declaration this month to leaders of governments and to the family of humanity proclaiming the necessity for open discussion and action by politicians and economic powerbrokers.

From my humble perspective, many leaders of the global political economy are turning a blind eye to human over-consumption, overproduction and overpopulation activities that can be seen recklessly dissipating the natural resources and dangerously degrading the environs of our planetary home. The Earth is being ravaged; but it appears many leaders are willfully refusing to acknowledge what is happening.

Because the emerging global challenges that could soon be presented to humanity appear to so many fine scientists as human-induced, leaders have responsibilities to assume and duties to perform, ready or not, like them or not.

Perhaps leadership in our time has too often chosen to ignore whatsoever is somehow real in order to believe whatever is politically convenient, economically expedient, socially agreeable, religiously tolerated and culturally prescribed. When something real directly conflicts with what leaders wish to believe, that reality is denied. It appears that too many leaders are content to hold tightly to widely shared and consensually validated specious thinking when it serves their personal interests.

Is humanity once again finding life as we know it dominated by a modern Tower of Babel called economic globalization? That is, has human thinking, judging and willing become so egregiously impaired by our idolatry of the artificially designed, manmade, global political economy that we cannot speak intelligibly about anything else except economic growth and profits without sounding like blithering idiots?