Spirituality in the work of Theodore Roszak : implications for contemporary ecopsychology

Despite the recent flourishing of ecopsychology research, risks may be involved if ecopsychology remains a loosely defined paradigm. We suggest that drawing from some of the central themes of Theodore Roszak’s The Voice of the Earth (1992), a seminal text of ecopsychology, may help to elucidate the unique contribution of ecopsychology and its sustained relevance for environmentally focused psychologies. To provide a comprehensive review, we consider The Voice of the Earth by placing this text in the context of Roszak’s broader body of literature, discussing his earlier and more recent works. We particularly focus on the theme of spiritual experience throughout Roszak’s literature, as we believe that this is one of the more unique and important aspects of his work that has implications for the future development of ecopsychology as a paradigm and social movement. In conclusion, we suggest that Roszak’s emphasis on the value of a spiritual or animistic experience of nature, as a means of fostering empathy toward the natural world, may assist in providing meaningful focus to contemporary ecopsychology

Editorial: ecopsychology: past, present and future

Opening paragraph: One of the central tenets of ecopsychology is the articulation and examination of our psychological, including the emotional, relationships with the natural world. The fundamental challenge is to locate the human mind back within the natural world and to understand that this relationship is a reciprocal one (e.g., Boston, 1996; Schroll, 2007; Scull, 2009; Greenway, 2010). However, finding a 'core' language to represent ecopsychology as a unified discipline is problematic, and it might best be seen as a space for thought, language and practical actions that attempt to articulate the human-nature relationship which, thus far, other branches of the social and natural sciences have failed to do

Ecopsychology Revisited

Ecopsychology Revisited is a critique of and deconstructive approach to several trends termed “ecopsychology.” This work attempts to bring light to some of the misconceptions that have hardened as “ecopsychology,” as these ideas have been reinterpreted and sometimes oversimplified by the general public and some professionals outside mainstream psychology. Part of the confusion arose when “ecopsychology” became inadequately amalgamated with other ideas. Nevertheless, within the social and behavioral sciences, at least, there is great value in devising and applying evidence-based strategies that track the normative ramifications dealing with cognition, emotion and behavior, exploring how or why humans relate to natural processes in a wide range of ways.https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/monographs/1012/thumbnail.jp

British surfers and their attitudes and values toward the environment

The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of British surfers toward their environment. Eight surfers were interviewed and their views analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis to explore their perceptions of the factors that have influenced their engagement in proenvironmental behaviors. The findings suggest that surfers (in this sample), while motivated to engage in proenvironmental behaviors, are also influenced by a range of factors and appear to be primarily motivated by their identification and a need to maintain their experience of that sport. This reveals an inherent dilemma. Through their sport surfers are able to observe the effects of environmental degradation on the environment (e.g., polluted water), the ecosystem, and on their personal health. However, they are also aware of the trade-offs required in pursuing their sport that may damage the environment (e.g., toxic material involved in sport kit manufacture). When questioned, surfers stated they would be unwilling to give up their sport even at the cost of the environment in which those activities are experienced. This highlights a possibly common problem among environmentally minded outdoor enthusiasts: when do personal benefits outweigh the responsibilities of environmental stewardship? The value of these findings is discussed in relation to the promotion of proenvironmental behaviors and engagement with proenvironmental groups

Reviewing ecopsychology research: exploring five databases and considering the future

This brief article aims to provide an overview of the current dispersal of the term ecopsychology within the academic literature. It summarizes the results found when entering the term ecopsychology into five academic databases. The numbers of hits are discussed and comparisons are made with other related terms. The results are further broken down to provide a snapshot of the type of material referred to in these searches. A more detailed inspection of the material referenced in journal articles is undertaken. Here, popular outlets and dates of publication are highlighted. A final search for articles that report original research data directly associated with ecopsychology is also reported. Possible reasons for the low yield and the implications of this are highlighted along with suggested pathways forward

Ecopsychology and race : an exploratory study

While ecopsychology has brought critical attention to the relationship between the natural environment and the human psyche, very little has been written about how race and racism shape our experience of the natural world. This qualitative study asked the following central question: How are race and racism relevant to ecopsychology in theory and practice? Twelve semistructured interviews were conducted with a racially diverse group of ecopsychologists, environmental justice activists and spiritual leaders. Interview data emphasized the importance of employing a broad definition of ecopsychology that encompasses not only the relationship between psyche and nature, but the relationship between psyche, nature and society. The findings also suggested that in order to address race and racism in practice, applied ecopsychology should not focus on an individual therapy model, but instead turn to group and community level interventions such as urban agriculture and green jobs. The study\u27s findings point to a need for ecopsychology to critically examine its own whiteness, expand its analysis on how racism and white supremacy are linked to the ecological crisis, and to ally itself with people of color working towards similar goals

Wild Minds: Adventure Therapy, Ecopsychology, and the Rewilding of Humanity

This dissertation sits at the intersection of ecopsychology and adventure therapy. It explores humankind’s relationship with nature and wilderness, as well as the co-evolution of ecopsychology and adventure therapy within the field of psychology. The primary aim of this dissertation is to lay the groundwork for rewilding humanity with the specific focus of providing practitioners with a compelling case for intentionally integrating ecopsychology with their adventure therapy practice. This theoretical paper concludes with a suggested expansion of ethics and competencies for adventure therapists

Inception of ecopsychology elements as to strengthen spiritual values among teacher trainees

This study assessed the impact of incepted ecopsychology elements on spiritual values among teacher trainees. A modified pretest - posttest was used to evaluate the effect of incepted ecopsychology elements in Environmental Education as a quantitative portion. Triangulation with embedded design was used as qualitative portion. Findings showed that there is a significant differences on spiritual values between experimental and control groups. Respondent from experimental groups believed they considered strengthen their spiritual values toward environment after participated in the class even though after four month the treatment activities. Findings from this study suggested the implementation of Environmental Education should incepted ecopsychology elements in order to strengthen spiritual values toward environment

A Curriculum Guide for the Inclusion of Ecopsychology in an Alternative Education Setting

Ecopsychology is a relatively new field. It is a hybrid of environmentalism and psychology. The study of ecopsychology and nature awareness emphasizes that people, chiefly children, need nature in order to maintain brain health. This study examines the impact that nature has on humans, and focuses on the positive impact nature has on students with ADHD, ADD, autism, learning disabilities, students at-risk, and students at large. The author lobbies for a paradigm shift in traditional curriculum to accept and honor the extensive potential for students\u27 emotional and psychical health. The proposed project focuses on creating approaches to integrate and implement ecopsychology sensitive curriculum into high school alternative education classrooms in Washington State. Adoption of such concepts and practices in alternative school settings are discussed

Ecopsychology, Transpersonal Psychology, and Nonduality

Nonduality is at the core of both transpersonal psychology and ecopsychology and provides a means of finding common ground between these approaches. However, misunderstandings and the lack of an adequate conceptual language for nonduality have limited the value of this concept for ecopsychology. Nonduality is presented as a range of experiences and stages of development in which particulars are perceived and understood as part of an allencompassing totality. Specifically, nonduality is understood in terms of a self-identity in which separating boundaries no longer isolate one from other expressions of Being. A description of nondual dimensions of Being based on the Diamond Approach of A. H. Almaas provides ways of articulating the transpersonal dimensions of ecopsychology