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Abstract
Introduction
The Process
Common Knowledge
Color Chart Examples
Conclusion
References
About the Author
 From experiences and studies that use sensory activities to reconnect with nature, I develop some principles and a simple formula that clients easily apply to any moment of their lives and thereby reap therapeutic benefits from contact with natural areas. In the process, clients learn how to use and own the activities so that the benefits are always available to them. Examples of clients in various stages of using this ecotherapy are reviewed and suggest that the activities on site or via the internet serve the client as a psychological diagnostic tool as well as a lasting therapeutic experience.
Introduction
The study Counseling With Nature: The Greening of Psychotherapy (Cohen 1995) suggests that the natural environment contains unique sensory wisdoms that support mental and environmental health. In the study we present participants with the written names of colors written in ink colors that are different from the written words, for example the word Green (G) is written in Orange (O) ink. Participants are also presented with words that are written in the same color ink, for example green (G) written in green ink (GG). Participants discover that they feel less comfortable with words that are written in different ink colors (GO) and that they have a learned tendency to say the written word before they can say the ink color. Applied Ecopsychology recognizes that our ability to learn how to register the meaning of a written word is a function of the new brain, the neocortex. Our ability to register the greenness of the ink color as a distinct sensation is an inherent function of the old brain, the limbic mind. The old brain directly senses and registers the environment; the new brain mediates old brain signals into reasonable language. When signals from these two parts of the brain are at odds, participants feel uncomfortable, green in orange(GO); when signals are congruent, participants feel comfortable, green in green(GG).
The Process
Applied ecopsychology recognizes that nature beautifully sustains global life through attractive non-verbal contacts, sensory relationships that build themselves without using our new brain stories. Applying ecopsychology is a relatively simple therapy because it lets tangible contact with nature do the work. To participate, we go to a natural area and merely say (new brain) what we feel nature doing (old brain). The process consists of three elements:
- Validate Non-Verbal Sensory Knowledge:
We validate that our ability to sense and feel is of, by and from the old brain and nature; that sensations and feelings, for example senses of color, sound, or thirst, are facts as real as Earth itself.
- Nature Connect:
We learn to use activities that produce tangible sensory contacts with nature, including nature within ourselves and others.
- Validate Natural Feelings:
When we feel comfortable in a connection with nature we validate that we sense green in green (GG), congruency of the new brain and old brain. Our GG feelings are nature's way of telling us that our new brain reasoning and story is supporting our old brain connections with nature.
- Bring GG's Value into Consciousnsess:
We help our new brain develop reasonable respect for our new feeligsby asking our selves if we are willing to give up haviing these good feelings. We ask if if makes snese to have them removed from our lives and if not, why not?
When we feel uncomfortable in a connection with nature we validate that we are green in orange (GO), indicating that a conflict exists between the new brain and old brain. Our stressful GO feelings are nature's way of telling us that our new brain reasoning and stories are not supporting our old brain connections to nature. GO always tells us to go, to find in nature other fulfilling natural attractions that are GG and validate them.
Nature is alive and always changing, When we feel uncomfortable in a connection
with nature we validate that we are green in orange (GO), indicating that a conflict
exists between the new brain and old brain. Our stressful GO feelings are nature's
way of telling us that our new brain reasoning and stories are not supporting our
old brain connections to nature. GO always tells us to go, to find in nature other
fulfilling natural attractions that are GG and validate them.no two moments or
things in nature are ever the same. For this reason, once the GG state is
established it always begins to sustain itself by changing, to seek additional
connections to its changing surroundings. For survival, we and nature constantly
need and enjoy multisensory connections with all of life and its changes, not just
one GG connection in a single moment. We validate that as we enjoy the GG
comfort state, no matter where are, indoors or in nature, we soon naturally seek an
additional GG connection with nature. Until we establish it, we slowly return to
feeling GO discomfort. GO tells us to continue to consciously participate in life, to
again use an activity that connects us to nature, so we repeat the process. Each
time we repeat it, we not only establish new GG relationships with people and
Earth, we also further learn how to establish and trust them. In the process,
rationally our new brain applauds our old brain's natural connections with nature
(GG) and it applauds itself for being reasonable enough to orchestrate
reconnecting moments for us. With this nurturing and support from nature and
ourselves, our natural senses increasingly awaken and provide the new brain with
nature's additional GG support and wisdom. In time the process becomes a habit,
an enjoyable, multisensory nature connected way of thinking that produces
responsible stories and relationships personally and globally.
Nature is alive and always changing, no two moments or things in nature are ever
the same. For this reason, once the GG state is established it always begins to
sustain itself by changing, to seek additional connections to its changing
surroundings. For survival, we and nature constantly need and enjoy multisensory
connections with all of life and its changes, not just one GG connection in a single
moment. We validate that as we enjoy the GG comfort state, no matter where are,
indoors or in nature, we soon naturally seek an additional GG connection with
nature. Until we establish it, we slowly return to feeling GO discomfort. GO tells
us to continue to consciously participate in life, to again use an activity that
connects us to nature, so we repeat the process. Each time we repeat it, we not
only establish new GG relationships with people and Earth, we also further learn
how to establish and trust them. In the process, rationally our new brain applauds
our old brain's natural connections with nature (GG) and it applauds itself for
being reasonable enough to orchestrate reconnecting moments for us. With this
nurturing and support from nature and ourselves, our natural senses increasingly
awaken and provide the new brain with nature's additional GG support and
wisdom. In time the process becomes a habit, an enjoyable, multisensory nature
connected way of thinking that produces responsible stories and relationships
personally and globally.
One of many contributions that the GO to GG nature reconnecting process makes
is that it automatically encourages into our consciousness every past or present
situation that ordinarily prevents us from being GG. Sometimes the situations are
uncomfortable and that is the remarkable strength of the ecotherapy process. It
feeds and energizes itself from our GO discomforts. It thrives by letting nature
change them to GG comfort in exactly the same way that nature thrives by feeding
on our other byproducts, energizing itself with them and transforming them into
pure food, water and air that sustain us. Reconnecting with nature always
provides us with some way to gain the GG wisdom, energy and support from
nature that we need to address each new GO disconnection we encounter. All this
is a gift from nature as free as clean water, fresh air and sunshine, all we need to
do is participate.
The cognitive aspect of ecotherapy consists of the new brain learning to trust using
nature connecting activities as well as understanding and verbalizing how the GO
to GG process works. It learns why the process is trustable and how it changes
the GO stories that block us from enjoying GG. Ecotherapy recognizes that in our
society our childhood relationships condition/addict us to think and be conscious
through new brain stories, not through sensory old brain nature connections. It
recognizes that our stories can be either GO or GG, that personal and global
wellness depend upon which stories we choose or create moment by moment.
The essence of ecotherapy is that its activities always enable the new brain to include tangible, non-verbal old brain connections with nature in people and places as part of any story or relationship. In our increasingly nature disconnected world nothing short of this makes sense. It is nonsense to expect to use a disconnected process or connect to something that is disconnected and not feel or be further disconnected sooner or later. It makes sense to recognize that whenever we receive gratification from doing something that does not involve unadulterated contact with nature, subconsciously we learn, once again, that we don't need nature for our lives. In this sense, even comfortable moments watching videos that promote nature secretly tell us that we can continue to enjoy life without nature, for we have the video. Remaining disconnected from nature emotionally keeps us in the rut we've been in for centuries and every time we travel that rut we deepen it.
Sentiently reconnecting in natural areas is an ecopsychological ladder that takes us out of our rut. Each rung of the ladder is a responsible relationship with nature that takes us to long term wellness by creating immediate wellness. The ladder makes rational connections with Earth that are far more genuine and rewarding than the many stories and fantasies that presently take us down Civilization's wayward path or claim to get us off it.
Common Knowledge
The color chart study in Counseling with Nature is not only an experience, it is
also a metaphor for how and why reconnecting with nature works anywhere. The study shows that in Western Civilization we already have the know-how we need to get out of our rut. It shows that our stories already contain the following common knowledge.
At birth we are biologically at one with nature. We are born illiterate because nature is a non-verbal way of knowing and being.
Early in life, society educates and conditions our new brain to be literate, to learn
and think in language. We become conscious of the world through written and spoken stories. However, our old brain and the natural environment remain a non-language relationship, an interconnected sensory way of knowing and being.
As we mature, in any given moment of our lives our stories have the capacity bring to our awareness new brain thinking and cultural beliefs or old brain natural sensations.
We culturally live, learn and bond to living indoors, to creating enjoyment while
separated from nature. We learn to applaud stories about how to manage the world
so that we may continue to enjoy living our nature separated lives. We are
conditioned to know who we are personally and collectively from our stories and
their nature separated, nature conquering beliefs, settings and ways. To sustain
our artificial indoor world, our stories educate us to assault and conquer our
sensory nature connected old brain ways of knowing and thinking along with the
natural environment. We can not do one without doing the other for both are
nature.
Our new brain stories run from disassociative GO stories to connective GG stories
We can discern one from the other because GO stories lead us to conflict and
feeling uncomfortable, GG stories lead us to harmony with unadulterated nature in
people and places and they feel comfortable. We come to our senses personally
and globally by letting the stress we feel from GO move us to reconnect with
nature and enjoy the attractive comfort we feel from GG.
We are aware that we may find true green (G) where nature has created it, in the
natural environment and in people's unadulterated inner nature. We enjoy the
rewards of GG by making tangible contact with nature within and around us. We
know we are often mislead by GO stories parading as GG, for example
advertisements that show people enjoying cigarettes while sitting in the grandeur
of a natural area, or we may think we are connecting with nature by watching
videos about nature instead of enjoying genuine contact with a natural area.
We know that for the survival of life and ourselves, we must participate in and support our beneficial co-dependent relationship with Earth.
Applied ecopsychology is a green in green story that we may choose to enact by
doing nature reconnecting activities. Each activity takes us from GO to GG and
since we own the activity, we can use it anywhere, time and time again to the same
effect. Applied ecopsychology gives our new brain good reasons to do these
activities. The new brain chooses to make sense of our natural sensory
relationships because it is reasonable to do so. It feels comfortable and it produces
responsible short and long term effects (Cohen 1994a), The new brain learns that
by choosing to reconnect with nature we can choose to feel good without being
abused or abusive .
Ecotherapy is effective because when we actually reconnect with the non-language world of nature, our mind automatically brings to consciousness experiences and
feelings from our past that ordinarily prevent us from being connected to nature.
These experiences are no longer hidden from us in our subconscious. The beauty
of ecotherapy is that when we engage in reconnecting activities to relieve stress of
any kind, our inner nature innately selects the places and situations in nature that it
needs for healing. Our inner nature identifies and reconnects to them for it is them
and it longs for them. For example, when we stop drinking and disconnect from
water, the sense of thirst begins to tell us that we need water and water becomes
attractive, it sounds, feels and tastes better. For this reason at any given moment
that we connect to nature certain natural things always appear to beckon and feel
attractive (GG) while others tell us to seek and fulfill our attractions (GO).
In the integrity and safety of any natural area, including a park or the nature of
another person, no matter what natural thing makes us feel comfortable or
uncomfortable, that thing at that moment always contains a special GG or GO
wisdom to help our personal growth and relationships. For example, we discover
that anger, fear and grief are guides from our natural sense of pain that beneficially
identify various kinds of GO relationships and enlist the wisdom of GG; joy is our
natural reward for establishing GG. In this way, nature reconnecting activities are
similar to using a psychological test as a therapeutic experience. Many of these
activities are available free of charge on the internet at Pacificrim along with participants reactions to them.
Color Chart Examples
Based on participation in the color chart study, the following are some examples
of people in various intensities and stages of participation in the GO to GG nature
reconnecting process. I have changed the names of the individuals they describe:
In real life, when Linette feels stressed she goes to the park and, alone or with
friends, uses nature reconnecting activities to replace her stress with good
feelings. The process enables her to obtain GO and GG support from nature in
herself, the environment and her friends. It gives her insights as to why she was
stressed as well as a vehicle to improve her stressful relationships. When Linette
views the color chart, she chooses to stay on the green in green line much of the
time because she recognizes that it is more comfortable and sensible than the green
in orange lines. Occasionally she enjoys choosing GO with the knowledge that she
can always safely return to GG. She feels thankful for the ability to feel GG and says it is an oasis.
While doing the color chart, Paul recognizes that he feels stress because he intends to say the ink color yellow but is overwhelmed by the written word brown and he tends to say it or unwittingly does say it. However, Paul has learned to give his inner nature the time and space to say the ink color yellow and be sure that he has said it, rather than be subject to his programmed tendency to read the word brown. Paul has learned to sensibly, painstakingly fulfill his intentions here and elsewhere, and not be subject to stressful stories that lead to undesirable effects.
Sarah is similar to Paul but she often tries to relieve her disconnected feelings by pointing out to others how and when they are green in orange. She invasively puts her relationships at risk by being an authoritative teacher or parent substitute and bearing discomforting news or telling people what to do without first getting their consent.
Art did not trust the color chart and how he reacted to it until he found experts that
validated that others had experienced what he experienced with it. He needed some
authority with credentials to tell him it was all right for him to trust the difference
in feelings he experienced between GO and GG on the chart.
Carol learned the color orange as the word green and vice versa when she first
learned to talk. She is bonded to this way of knowing and until it becomes a
discomforting concern that she tries to correct, she will repeat this error again and
again and she knows this will happen. To change this error, she may choose to
learn to do what Paul and Linette do with their stress, to use nature itself to re-live
her orange in green experiences and gain GG support to select and enjoy green in
green.
Bill's pain from his abusive disconnected past relationships now color most of his
potentially green experiences and makes them into orange stories. He relates to
others abusively, as if the immediate moment was orange and giving him his pain.
Bill often chooses orange in green ways of relating in order to explain to himself
why he feels pain. He chemically abuses himself to tranquilize the discomfort of
his immediate and past relationships and considers therapy as nonsense because he
has no personal problem, his problem is that others pick on him or the world
sucks. By court order Bill is being treated with medications and various therapies
while in and out of jail.
Adolph Hitler, like Bill, often sensed his immediate life through his past GO pain.
He effectively created emotional GO stories that aroused and directed the GO
stress in others to persecute people of different nationalities and religions, as if
they were what caused the stress felt by their persecutors.
The applied ecopsychology process is summed up in Al. He said that he never
learned the color gray because when his parents originally showed him the color
gray he said it was black. They told him he was wrong and they then showed him
a lighter gray, that he said was white. He was again told he was wrong. He never
felt comfortable identifying gray for it carried with it the risk of being wrong. At
the age of 53 years, today Al still does not know the color gray, he still calls gray
either black or white. At a nature connecting workshop, when Al went to a natural
area to find immediate attractions there, unconsciously, on each of 5 separate
occasions the natural things that attracted him were colored gray: rocks, bark,
lichens, sticks and driftwood. His inner nature seemed to automatically be using
moments in nature to bring up and resolve an ancient conflict with his parents that
disconnected him from gray in gray (GG). As he continued doing the activities, he
gained enough support from GG in the environment and the workshop group to
risk calling gray gray (GG). His reward was an easing of his stress about his
situation and enjoying the spontaneous approval he received from his new brain
and other workshop participants. He was sure that with practice he could feel
comfortable identifying the color gray (GG) but he did not think he would spend
time doing it. It was not as high a priority as were the challenges of his daily life
as a mental health worker and environmental consultant. He did say, however,
that very high priority situations did exist that needed immediate relief. He noted
that over 80% of the population suffers from stress and almost 90% feels
discontent about how we treat the environment. He felt that Applied
Ecopsychology would work wonders in solving these aggravating personal and
environmental problems and that's where he would put his energies to enjoy GG.
Conclusion
The world and its people are at risk as a result of our excessive separation from
nature. Applied Psychology addresses this problem with a simple hands on GO to
GG ecotherapy process. It teaches the new brain that it makes sense to make space
for the old brain to sentiently reconnect with nature, locate its immediate
disconnectedness, and validate and consider the stories arising from the process.
These stories contain nature's wisdom and support to attain GG. They promote
mental and environmental health, for the two are identical.
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