Let's take for a moment the function of Greenway Ecopsychology. What is its purpose? Clearly it is more than just idle or self-referential theorizing. It wants to accomplish a goal, be a contribution to human culture and thereby perhaps be a benefit to all beings (by supporting a more harmonious human interconnection with the whole). You wrote: "So we're working on a map that might at least participate and enhance a very subtle, often hidden, but huge worldwide effort -- to overcome dualistic modes of thought....."
But we also have your example of Antoinette (from "Robert 4"), in which we saw the rigorous and carefully choreographed two-year program that guided her through the study and practices necessary to build up to the potential transformative realizations. So we have a possible challenge of implementation: how to reconcile "worldwide" with the simultaneous recognition that apparently to reap the benefits of the "map", one must apply oneself in a very focused and particular way. It is also a fairly scholarly path, as Antoinette's reading list is extensive and demanding, and of course, it is almost all in Western material, which will impede "worldwide". But I am very struck by your beautiful description of a transformative moment, in which one has "overcome dualistic modes of thought": in every situation (not obsessively, but as often as is comfortable) the "psychology" and the "ecology" are considered as constant guides for processing experience. ("I am now ....." '' it is now....") and, in time there is a "we" that emerges, even an "I-Thou" emerges, and the experience begins to transcend the separate self walking into those mighty "resources" over there. "We" are in each other's presence. For me, this is getting to the heart of the matter. Perhaps we can expand it. Though the map is huge and vast and requires an abundance of words to adequately express itself, when we start getting into the territory of a non-dualistic moment, the words thin out. But I suspect you can say more. So perhaps for a moment let's leave the "how to" aside, and just try to explore the moment itself. What is it? What does it feel like? How might it change our relationship with the world?
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AuthorDiscussion between Walker Abel and Robert Greenway. Archives
January 2015
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