Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind

This is a great anthology by thinkers operating outside the contemporary box of psychology, and other corporate forces. Every article is a wake up call intended to jar humans out of their prolonged sleepiness. The authors hope to engage discussion on a new (and at the same time old) propositions that human viability, along with psychic rebirth, and health can be discovered again in nature. Once we end our fascination with technology which continues to numb our senses, and cause our continued estrangement with the natural world, a new possibility takes hold, inviting us to encounter the astonishing diversity that heals. Perhaps if we decide to take this engagement seriously for the first time in our lives something wonderful may result. Our alienation from Mother Earth might finally be abridged, and our personal healing insured. I highly recommend this series of essays inviting us to look again toward the integration of our own minds, bodies, and spirit with the Earth community of beings. If you do, you may never be the same again.

Assembled here are some of the leading lights of ecopsychology, with papers and excerpts from the books they've written: Roszak himself, Aizenstat, Hillman, Gomes, Glendinning, and on and on. A rare collection of important voices.The idea of ecopsychology is to open up awareness to the unheard voice of the Earth. "Animism" is a 19th century assumption that assumes the world lives only to the degree we project into it. The authors here realize that animism is a reductionistic and outdated concept that only serves to justify the ongoing rape and dematerialization of the natural world--a world that in fact projects her presence into those of us who can learn to hear her. This is not a back-to-nature project but a necessity if we are to preserve what's left of the Earth from our greed, haste, and the global warming of the psyche endemic to a society of rapacious and immature consumers too bent on private advantage to do what our ancestors did for a million years of history and prehistory: recognize and respect her personhood. And today, we can do so with all our critical faculties intact and a bit of help from green technics.

Page 12, "if the self is expanded to include the natural world, behavior leading to the destruction of this world will be experienced as self-destruction". I think I have been somewhat of an ecopsychologist for some time now, but haven't realized it. This book brought to an organized sense, ideas, thoughts and feelings I already had. More importantly it introduced me to MANY new insights and thoughts about our planet and how we view it and treat it as NOT ME, when in fact, not only is it part of ME, but moreso, we are part of it. This is a very comprehensive book that takes us from theory, into practice, then to cultural and political issues, and onward with over 150 titles of suggested reading. Ecopsychology is a growing somewhat underground movement, a movement however, that many believe will come to fruition in this day and age of our concrete jungles, addiction to science and technology, and our general detachment from our original mother, the Earth. There are approximately 25 contributors to this book, a few, I must admit offer very dry reading. Overall however, this is one of the most enlightening books I have read. If you have even a general interest in Nature or Psychology, you would enjoy this book.

This book has provided me with a greater scope of how we are affected by the Earth and how we affect it. I am sad to see it is out of print, because the information it presents is vital for the future of us and our planet. I intend to pass on this book to friends and relatives to make them aware of the spiritual power that becoming more acquainted with the Earth provides. I feel like in this day and age we seemed to have lost interest and respect for our surroundings and our roots. What this book tries to do is get us back to those roots to get a deeper understanding of life, which, I'm sure, many of us have often wondered about. It celebrates the mystery, wildness and beauty that nature holds.

This book is a must read. Full of insightful articles by the leading forward thinkers in the field of psychology. Looks at the big picture in explaining the pathologies of our modern post-industrial society. Covers many different aspects of the eco-psychology discussion. Don't miss this book!