Our Separation from the Natural World
"We often forget that we are nature, nature is not something separate from us. So when we say that we have lost our connection to nature, we've lost our connection to ourselves." - Andy Goldsworthy
This quote explains the foundation of our disconnection from nature. In modern society, we have come to believe that the planet is a "human's world," and the plants, animals, and elements that inhabit it are simply resources for our exploitation. We spend our lives working, spending, and consuming at a proliferating speed, often turning a blind eye to the impact it has on the environment and our own health. How will we fix our relationship with the natural world?
Why Are We So Disconnected? The "Collective Amnesia"
All over the world, people have become alienated from the natural world. One primary reason is explained through the metaphor of "collective amnesia." Paul Devereux explains this as a "double forgetting, wherein a culture forgets and then forgets that it has forgotten how to live in harmony with the planet".
In historical times, humans and nature had an incredibly close bond. Many tribal cultures acknowledged that nature and humans were one body-spirit. We have become disconnected because we have forgotten this traditional knowledge, these rituals, and our ability to identify with nonhuman life.
How Culture Shapes Our Relationship with the Earth
In America, our disconnection is reinforced by cultural norms that promote dualism—the belief that we are separate entities from the outside world. This is reinforced through language, religion, and our daily practices. Some religious traditions, for instance, teach that our spirit rises upward, while our "lower" natural, animal instincts and bodily sensations draw us downward. When we believe our bodies are separate from our spirits, we project this onto our environment and begin to believe we are separate from the Earth.
This stands in stark contrast to many Indigenous cultures. The Okanagan nation, for example, perceives the self and the surrounding land as interrelated; their language refers to the land and the body with the same root syllable. As Jeannette Armstrong writes, "We are our land and place". This non-dualistic view teaches that we must take care of the Earth if we want to survive and preserve our own souls.
The Consequences: For the Planet and For Us
This growing separation has driven a dangerous imbalance in our relationship with nature. Our modern lifestyle of extensive work hours, urban living, and mass consumption has profound implications for both the planet and for us.
Ecological Implications: Climate change, the decimation of natural habitats, and the loss of non-human species all over the world.
Human Implications: A rise in cancer, chronic fatigue, immune dysfunction, depression, anxiety, and other psychological disorders.
Put simply: the earth is dying, and so are we.
How We Can Reconnect and Heal
Reconnecting with the earth is necessary to mend this division. This process begins with a simple but profound shift away from a dualistic perspective and toward a non-dual frame of mind—seeing ourselves as part of the earth, not separate from it.
By spending time in nature, we can reawaken the dormant, organic version of ourselves and uncover bodily, perceptual, and spiritual forms of pleasure. This "ecological self" understands its place in the natural world and is eager to cultivate a relationship with the earth based on equality, acceptance, and nurturing. Taking care of the planet, spending time in nature, and making environmentally-conscious decisions supports the healing of ourselves and, at the same time, heals the earth.
References
Armstrong, J. (1995). Keepers of the Earth. In M. E. Gomes, T. Roszak, & A. D. Kanner (Eds.), Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind (pp. 316-324). Counterpoint.
Don, C. (Director). (2013). Ed Duran Video [Film]. YouTube.
Durning, A. T. (1995). Are We Happy Yet?. In Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind (pp. 68-76). Counterpoint.
Endredy, J. (2005). Ecoshamanism: Sacred Practices of Unity, Power, and Earth Healing. Llewellyn Publications.
Glendinning, C. (1995). Psychology, Trauma, and the Wild. In T. Roszak, M. E. Gomes, & A. D. Kanner (Eds.), Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind (pp. 41-54). Counterpoint.
Kanner, A. D., & Gomes, M. (1995). The All-Consuming Self. In T. Roszak, M. E. Gomes, & A. D. Kanner (Eds.), Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind (pp. 77-91). Counterpooint.
Metzner, R. (1995). The psychopathology of the Human-Nature Relationship. In T. Roszak, M. E. Gomes, & A. D. Kanner (Eds.), Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth Healing the Mind (pp. 55-67). Counterpoint.
