Ecopsychology
Encyclopedia
Ecopsychology connects psychology
and ecology
. Its political and practical goals are to show humans ways of healing alienation
and to build a "sane" society and a sustainable culture. Theodore Roszak
is credited with coining the term in his 1992 book, The Voice of the Earth. This was a call for the development of a field in which psychology
would go out of the built environment
to examine why people continue to behave in "crazy" ways that damage the environment
, and the environmental movement
would find new ways to motivate people to action, ways more positive than protest
. Roszak expanded the idea in the 1995 anthology Ecopsychology, which he co-edited with Mary Gomes and Allen Kanner. This book, with articles by each of the editors and many others who would become prominent voices in the field, is still considered by many to be an key primer on ecopsychology. As Roszak mentions, there are a variety of other names used to describe this field: Gaia psychology, psychoecology, ecotherapy, environmental psychology
, green psychology, global therapy, green therapy, Earth-centered therapy, reearthing, nature-based psychotherapy, shamanic counselling, and sylvan therapy.
The basic idea of ecopsychology is that while today the human mind is shaped by the modern social world, it is adapted to the natural world in which it evolved. According to the "biophilia hypothesis" of biologist E.O. Wilson, human beings have an innate latent instinct to emotionally connect to nature, particularly aspects of nature that reflect what attachment psychologists have termed the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptiveness (EEA), meaning the conditions under which humans lived for the majority of their evolution as a species.
out of office buildings and homes and put it into the open. According to the precepts of ecopsychology, a walk in the woods or even in a city park is refreshing, because that is what humans have over thousands of years evolved to do. Psychologists such as Roger Ulrich, Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, Frances Kuo and others have studied the beneficial effects of natural settings, and even of looking at pictures of landscapes, on the human psyche. Richard Louv
's Last Child in the Woods
: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
discusses these findings in detail.
Another premise of ecopsychology is that steps taken to accept and notice nature can sharpen the senses and help people cultivate new skills. For example, the ability to track and navigate through a wilderness is improved if nature is noticed and accepted rather than feared. Similarly, ecopsychology proposes, sailors who appreciate the sea gain a keen sense for breeze directions.
. It considers that this is worth doing because when nature is explored and viewed without judgement, it gives the sensations of harmony, balance, timelessness and stability. Ecopsychology largely rejects reductionist views of nature that focus upon rudimentary building blocks such as genes
, and that describe nature as selfish and a struggle to survive. Ecopsychology considers that there has been insufficient scientific description and exploration of nature, in terms of wildness
, parsimony, spirituality
and emotional ties. For example, parsimony is the best way to produce an evolutionary tree of the species (cladistics
), suggesting that parsimonious adaptations are selected. Yet today, the brain is often seen as complicated and governed by inherited mind modules, rather than being a simple organ that looks for parsimony within the influences of its surroundings, resulting in the compaction in minds of a great diversity of concepts.
, pagan, Buddhist, and Hindu
cultures, as well as shamanism
. This is not to say that such cultures are viewed without scepticism where appropriate. Of interest is how identity becomes entwined with nature, so that loss of those sacred places is far more devastating to indigenous people than often understood. Other lessons include how to live sustainably within an environment and the self-sacrifices made to tolerate natural limits, such as population control or a nomadic existence that allows the environment to regenerate.
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. Its political and practical goals are to show humans ways of healing alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
and to build a "sane" society and a sustainable culture. Theodore Roszak
Theodore Roszak (scholar)
Theodore Roszak was professor emeritus of history at California State University, East Bay. He is best known for his 1969 text, The Making of a Counter Culture.-Background:...
is credited with coining the term in his 1992 book, The Voice of the Earth. This was a call for the development of a field in which psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
would go out of the built environment
Built environment
The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.The built...
to examine why people continue to behave in "crazy" ways that damage the environment
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, and the environmental movement
Environmental movement
The environmental movement, a term that includes the conservation and green politics, is a diverse scientific, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues....
would find new ways to motivate people to action, ways more positive than protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
. Roszak expanded the idea in the 1995 anthology Ecopsychology, which he co-edited with Mary Gomes and Allen Kanner. This book, with articles by each of the editors and many others who would become prominent voices in the field, is still considered by many to be an key primer on ecopsychology. As Roszak mentions, there are a variety of other names used to describe this field: Gaia psychology, psychoecology, ecotherapy, environmental psychology
Environmental psychology
Environmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field focused on the interplay between humans and their surroundings. The field defines the term environment broadly, encompassing natural environments, social settings, built environments, learning environments, and informational environments...
, green psychology, global therapy, green therapy, Earth-centered therapy, reearthing, nature-based psychotherapy, shamanic counselling, and sylvan therapy.
The basic idea of ecopsychology is that while today the human mind is shaped by the modern social world, it is adapted to the natural world in which it evolved. According to the "biophilia hypothesis" of biologist E.O. Wilson, human beings have an innate latent instinct to emotionally connect to nature, particularly aspects of nature that reflect what attachment psychologists have termed the Environment of Evolutionary Adaptiveness (EEA), meaning the conditions under which humans lived for the majority of their evolution as a species.
Practical benefits
An important part of ecopsychological practice is to take psychotherapyPsychotherapy
Psychotherapy is a general term referring to any form of therapeutic interaction or treatment contracted between a trained professional and a client or patient; family, couple or group...
out of office buildings and homes and put it into the open. According to the precepts of ecopsychology, a walk in the woods or even in a city park is refreshing, because that is what humans have over thousands of years evolved to do. Psychologists such as Roger Ulrich, Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, Frances Kuo and others have studied the beneficial effects of natural settings, and even of looking at pictures of landscapes, on the human psyche. Richard Louv
Richard Louv
Richard Louv is an American nonfiction author and journalist. He is best known for his seventh book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder , which investigates the relationship of children and the natural world in current and historical contexts...
's Last Child in the Woods
Last Child in the Woods
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder is a 2005 book by author Richard Louv that documents decreased exposure of children to nature in American society and how this "nature-deficit disorder" harms children and society...
: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
Nature deficit disorder
Nature Deficit Disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, refers to the alleged trend that children are spending less time outdoors, resulting in a wide range of behavioral problems...
discusses these findings in detail.
Another premise of ecopsychology is that steps taken to accept and notice nature can sharpen the senses and help people cultivate new skills. For example, the ability to track and navigate through a wilderness is improved if nature is noticed and accepted rather than feared. Similarly, ecopsychology proposes, sailors who appreciate the sea gain a keen sense for breeze directions.
Reasons to embrace nature
Ecopsychology explores how to make links and bonds with natureNature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
. It considers that this is worth doing because when nature is explored and viewed without judgement, it gives the sensations of harmony, balance, timelessness and stability. Ecopsychology largely rejects reductionist views of nature that focus upon rudimentary building blocks such as genes
Gênes
Gênes is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Italy, named after the city of Genoa. It was formed in 1805, when Napoleon Bonaparte occupied the Republic of Genoa. Its capital was Genoa, and it was divided in the arrondissements of Genoa, Bobbio, Novi Ligure, Tortona and...
, and that describe nature as selfish and a struggle to survive. Ecopsychology considers that there has been insufficient scientific description and exploration of nature, in terms of wildness
Wildness
Wildness is literally the quality of being wild or untamed, but further to this, it has been defined as a quality produced in nature , as that which emerges from a forest , and as a level of achievement in nature...
, parsimony, spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
and emotional ties. For example, parsimony is the best way to produce an evolutionary tree of the species (cladistics
Cladistics
Cladistics is a method of classifying species of organisms into groups called clades, which consist of an ancestor organism and all its descendants . For example, birds, dinosaurs, crocodiles, and all descendants of their most recent common ancestor form a clade...
), suggesting that parsimonious adaptations are selected. Yet today, the brain is often seen as complicated and governed by inherited mind modules, rather than being a simple organ that looks for parsimony within the influences of its surroundings, resulting in the compaction in minds of a great diversity of concepts.
Cultures that embrace nature
In its exploration of how to bond with nature, ecopsychology is interested in the examples provided by a wide variety of ancient and modern cultures that have histories of embracing nature. Examples include aboriginalIndigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
, pagan, Buddhist, and Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
cultures, as well as shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
. This is not to say that such cultures are viewed without scepticism where appropriate. Of interest is how identity becomes entwined with nature, so that loss of those sacred places is far more devastating to indigenous people than often understood. Other lessons include how to live sustainably within an environment and the self-sacrifices made to tolerate natural limits, such as population control or a nomadic existence that allows the environment to regenerate.
Pain and delusions without nature
Ecopsychology contends that people feel an escalation of pain and despair in response to nature's continuing destruction. It also believes that that without the influence of nature, humans are prone to a variety of delusions, and that to some degree life in the wild forms the basis for human sanity and optimal psychological development. The topic is explored in detail Paul Shepard's book Nature and Madness.See also
- Gaia psychology
- Green exerciseGreen exerciseGreen exercise refers to physical exercise undertaken in relatively natural environments. Physical exercise is well known to provide health benefits. There is also good evidence that viewing and being in natural environments has calming and positive mood effects...
- Green prescriptionGreen prescriptionA green prescription is a referral given by a doctor or nurse to a patient, with exercise and lifestyle goals written on them.The term, used by health practitioners in New Zealand draws parallel to the usual prescriptions given to patients for medications, and emphasises the importance of exercise...
- SustainabilitySustainabilitySustainability is the capacity to endure. For humans, sustainability is the long-term maintenance of well being, which has environmental, economic, and social dimensions, and encompasses the concept of union, an interdependent relationship and mutual responsible position with all living and non...
- Environmental psychologyEnvironmental psychologyEnvironmental psychology is an interdisciplinary field focused on the interplay between humans and their surroundings. The field defines the term environment broadly, encompassing natural environments, social settings, built environments, learning environments, and informational environments...
- Transpersonal ecologyTranspersonal ecologyTranspersonal ecology is largely associated with Warwick Fox, although the work of some other people, such as Rupert Sheldrake and James Lovelock, has some relevance to the field....
- Conservation psychologyConservation PsychologyConservation psychology is the scientific study of the mutual relationships, and the connections between humans and the rest of nature, with a particular focus on how to encourage conservation of the natural world...
- ecophenomenology
Further reading
- S. Foster with M. Little. The Book of the Visionquest: Personal Transformation in the Wilderness. 1987 Prentice Hall Press, New York
- C. Glendinning. My Name is Chellis & I’m in Recovery from Western Civilization. 1994 Shambhala, Boston.
- H. Clinebell. Ecotherapy: Healing Ourselves, Healing the Earth. 1996 Fortress Press, Minneapolis, MN.
- J. Macy & M.Y. Brown. Coming Back to Life: Practices to reconnect our lives, our world. 1998 New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, B.C.
- R. Metzner. Green Psychology: Transforming Our Relationship to the Earth. 1999 Park Street Press, Rochester, VT.
- L. Buzzell & C. Chalquist (Eds). Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature In Mind. 2009 Sierra Club Books, San Francisco.
External links
- Gaia Psychology / Online Ecopsychology Education and Training
- The Center for Ecopsychology / Certificate Training in Ecopsychology
- Circling San Francisco Bay - A Pilgrimage to Wild and Sacred Places
- Ecopsychology and the Way of Wilderness by Steven Harper
- Project NatureConnect
- International Community for Ecopsychology
- European Ecopsychology Society
- Collective Blog on Ecopsychology
- John Scull: "Ecopsychology. Where does it fit in psychology?"
- New Ecopsychology or Spiritual Ecology
- Theodore Roszak: "The nature of sanity"
- Ecopsychology journal
- http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/6320/ University of the West of England symposium
- Naropa University Ecopsychology Degree Program
- Daniel B. Smith: "Is There an Ecological Unconscious"
- Ecopsychologists Reveal Nature's Amazing Restorative Power by Niki Collins-Queen http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewarticle.asp?id=14049