Green Psychology

A visionary ecopsychologist examines the rift between human beings and nature and shows what can be done to bring harmony to both the ecosystem and our own minds. • Shows that the solution to our ecological dilemma lies in our own consciousnesses. It is becoming more and more apparent that the causes and cures for the current ecological crisis are to be found in the hearts and minds of human beings. For millennia we existed within a religious and psychological framework that honored the Earth as a partner and worked to maintain a balance with nature. But somehow a root pathology took hold in Western civilization--the idea of domination over nature--and this led to an alienation of the human spirit that has allowed an unprecedented destruction of the very systems which support that spirit. In Green Psychology Ralph Metzner explores the history of this global pathology and examines the ways that we can restore a healing relationship with nature. His search for role models takes him from shamanic ceremonies with the Lacandon Maya of Mexico to vision quests in the California desert, from the astonishing nature mysticism of Hildegard von Bingen to the Black Goddesses and Green Gods of our pagan ancestors. He examines the historical roots of the split between humans and nature, showing how first sky-god worshiping cultures, then monotheisms, and finally mechanistic science continued to isolate the human psyche from the life-giving Earth. His final chapters present a solution, showing that disciplines such as deep ecology and ecofeminism are creating a worldview in which the mind of humanity and the health of the Earth are harmoniously intertwined.

Foreword-Theodore Roszak Introduction 1 The True, Original First World 2 Gaia's Alchemy: Ruin and Renewal of the Earth 3 A Vision Quest Experience 4 Mystical Greenness: The Visions of Hildegard von Bingen 5 The Role of Psychoactive Plant Medicines 6 Psychopathology of the Human-Nature Relationship 7 Historical Roots of the Split between Humans and Nature 8 Sky Gods and Earth Deities 9 The Black Goddess, the Green God, and the Wild Human 10 Reunification of the Sacred and the Natural 11 Transition to an Ecological Worldview 12 The Place and the Story Epilogue-John Seed Notes Bibliography Index