Mountain reflections
reverence for the consciousness of nature
pp. 27-46
in: Fernando Castrillón (ed), Ecopsychology, phenomenology, and the environment, Berlin, Springer, 2014Abstract
Our relationship with the environment is primarily developed through our physical senses; however, this lived experience is made possible by the phenomenon of consciousness. Through a transcendental phenomenological approach to our interactions with nature, we can discover ourselves as consciousness enlivened by the natural world. Ecopsychology, similarly, explores the ways in which we are intimately connected to this living Earth and reaffirms the importance of an ecological awareness. The focus of this writing is on the relationship between the consciousness of the individual and the expressions of consciousness in nature. Through the lens of ecopsychology and phenomenology, I reflect on my experiences while climbing a mountain in the heart of Alaska and the moments where my relationship to nature deepened.