Nature and the Human Soul by Bill Plotkin. His website, www.animas.org, offers the first chapter to read. The book describes an ecopsychological development from birth to death that beautifully weaves together the work of Joanna Macy, David Korten, Paul Hawken, among others.

His premises in writing the book are that a more mature human society requires more mature human individuals, nature (including our own deeper nature, soul) has always provided and still provides the best template for human maturation, and every human being has a unique and mystical relationship to the wild world, and that the conscious discovery and cultivation of that relationship is at the core of true adulthood.

Lead-in quote to Chapter One.

it’s 3:23 in the morning
and I’m awake?
because my great great grandchildren?
won’t let me sleep?
my great great grandchildren?
ask me in dreams?
what did you do while the planet was plundered?
what did you do when the earth was unraveling?
surely you did something?
when the seasons started failing?
as the mammals, reptiles, birds were all dying?
did you fill the streets with protest?
when democracy was stolen?
what did you do? once? you? knew?... ?
— Drew Dellinger, “hieroglyphic stairway”

Bill Plotkin goes on to describe an eight stage map, the ecocentric stages of development which is the basis for his book. Click on the image to the right for a larger view. Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1:

A Patho-Adolescent Society

"In current Western and Westernized societies, in addition to the scarcity of true maturity, many people of adult age suffer from a variety of adolescent psychopathologies — incapacitating social insecurity, identity confusion, extremely low self-esteem, few or no social skills, narcissism, relentless greed, arrested moral development, recurrent physical violence, materialistic obsessions, little or no capacity for intimacy or empathy, substance addictions, and emotional numbness.

We see these psychopathologies most glaringly in leaders and celebrities of the Western world: Politicians blatantly motivated by image preservation, reelection prospects, power, wealth, and privilege. Moralizing religious leaders caught with their moral compasses askew. Entertainment icons killing themselves with alcohol, drugs, eating disorders, and cosmetic surgeries. Captains of industry reaching unprecedented nadirs of greed and power obsessions.

When we take an honest look at the people in charge of the governments, corporations, schools, and religious organizations of industrial growth societies, we find that too many are psychological adolescents with no deep understanding of themselves or the natural environment that makes their lives possible."

with gratitude,
Werner

Tags: Nature