The Soul of the Wilderness September 12, 2007
Posted by Lizanne in : News , trackback
Ever since I’ve come to know about Dr Ian Player’s Wilderness Trails and the very positive effect those few days in wild nature had on the human psyche, I decided to delve a bit deeper into the concept of ecological spirituality. I came upon some thought provoking insights, but also found that there are quite a few different views and opinions regarding this matter. The ones that caught my attention were ideas on eco-therapy and the mystic experiences of nature.
Howard Clinebell, for example, developed a notion of eco-therapy in which healing for the earth also brings healing for ourselves. This means that human alienation cannot be healed without addressing our alienation from the earth itself. It seems to suggest that theories of therapy and counseling have to be extended towards a notion of eco-therapy, which has a more holistic view of the whole cosmos and the human consciousness within it. It also seems that taking steps to overcome the disconnectedness from nature that modern life has as its consequence, is an important aspect of psychological well-being. In this view, encouraging a growing connection between man and nature is a basic necessity for the healthy human psyche.
This brought me to ponder the concept of ecological spirituality. If eco-therapy can heal our traumatised psyches, wouldn’t eco-spirituality help to keep us healthy in the first place? In looking for an answer, I started looking for a good definition of spirituality, and was content with “an experience of the presence of God and a conscious response (in worship, ritual and praxis) to this presence of God”.
I went on to look at spirituality from a Christian perspective, and found that the Christian church very well acknowledges the grandeur of nature and the order of creation as one way in which to experience this presence of God. It stands alongside meditation on Scripture, worship, music, proclamation, service and fellowship, human conscience, internal illuminations, mystic experiences in a person’s self-consciousness and self-reflection, etc. This goes hand in hand with revelations in the past through the history of Israel, the life, ministry, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the church. But indeed, the Christian church does acknowledge that God may indeed be experienced in nature itself.
The next question however, is how to position oneself to actually experience God in nature? In this regard, Leonard Boff uses the category of mysticism, which points to the experiential dimension of spirituality. He defines “mystery” as the “dimension of depth to be found in every person, in every creature, and in reality as a whole. Out of necessity, this Mystery is unfathomable and inexplicable. It seems that reality proves to be immeasurably greater than our human reason, as well as our will to dominate it. Boff argues that this sense of mystery is an awareness that the whole is much more than the parts, that we cannot in the least grasp the depth and the layers of our reality and our existence within it. And it is this sense of unfathomable mystery that we as humans need to foster.
Typical themes that are addressed within this context include silence, detachment, prayer, fasting, repentance, contemplation, the rediscovery of the self (i.e. as connected to the earth), spiritual exercises, the need for spiritual direction, the need for a retreat which will bring one closer to nature, etc.
As I came upon these insights, I realised that these thoughts and ideas were the tip of the iceberg, and that I have stumbled upon a whole new world of wild splendour waiting to be revealed. I guess that kindling a sense of mystery within nature and towards life is a lifelong journey, but I am inspired once again to gear up and go walking in the wilderness to experience a piece of the magic and mystery. And as in the past, I know that I will come back changed, healed, uplifted, and secure, and that the activities I choose to fill my days with will make sense and will be inspired from within the soul of the world. This is my dream, but also my reality.
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