From our biophilic perspective it may seem that we are attributing human characteristics onto plants, and in a way, that is exactly what we are doing! Now, before you brush this off as a human-centric and perhaps even a naïve thing to do, let's look at the bigger picture. Let us remember that our human roots are deeply embedded in an animistic worldview, it is only because of the suppression of such ways that we have become pathologically disconnected from our wider animal, plant and mineral families. And it is indeed still an indigenous perspective worldwide by those that have kept it alive.
“Starved for the wild, I found myself drawn to unexpected places: abandoned city lots teeming with weedy life. These forgotten patches of green, bursting with wildflowers and buzzing with pollinators, became my sanctuaries.” – Vanessa Chakour
If we are to reimagine the world we hope to create for the future, then are we choosing a reality that is grounded in relationality? We are not separate from other people, plants, animals, rocks, or the earth herself. Our lives are all inter-related and interdependent. This means that we must expand our concepts of ourselves to encompass our family, our pets, our plants, our neighbours, our community, our land, our nation, our history, our myriad cultures, our whole world and the entire universe. This means that the condition of the world around us affects and reflects the conditions within us.
“The more I noticed, the more my curiosity about plants grew. I soon learned that many of the wildflowers had been used as medicine across cultures, and are rich in history and lore. I began to see plants as individuals and was moved to share the beauty of the urban wild with others.” – Vanessa Chakour
Why pretend that there is only one limited objective reality and why should we assert that this reality is inert, inanimate and insentient? Who made these rules and restrictions, and how is it serving us? Doesn't it only create separation and apathy? Wouldn't it make more sense to animate our world so as to feel that we belong to it, and it is worthy of our protection? This is all to say that when we attribute human characteristics to plants, places, or any inanimate object, we form a relationship with it. And this relationship serves us in that we feel nourished by this connection.
“I witnessed profound shifts in my students’ wellbeing and their emotional connection to the landscape. Many reported feeling soothed and less stressed after our outdoor workshops. They had a sense of calm reminiscent of a secure bond.” – Vanessa Chakour
There is a Māori whakataukī (proverb) that says: Ko au te whenua, te whenua ko au.
I am the land, the land is me. One explanation of this is that we are one and the same, in other words, what affects me, affects the land, and vice versa. Although we have been fooled to believe that we are separate beings, detached from nature, radically individual, we are not. Indeed, the process of individuation is essential for a stable adulthood, but that does not imply selfishness or separation, it is simply a process of refining our uniqueness. Oneness, although a tired New Age term, is still an important philosophy to live by, not because it asserts sameness but because it asserts belonging.
“Connecting with restorative wild spaces might influence the emotional development of children, but also the healing of adults, by fostering resilience and belonging – wild connections might even mitigate some of the negative effects of insecure attachment.” – Vanessa Chakour
Animism is how we have always seen the world, and even if we don’t believe that trees have spirits or that fairies exist in prairies, it can make us feel better when we do. It can be playful, it needn’t be serious or untethered to reality. When we animate the world we feel kinship with all that exists. When we ascribe sentience to things that do not present the obvious signs of life we befriend them. From this perspective we feel an innate belonging to this world, which not only does wonders for our own mental health but also gives us a sense of guardianship. We are taken care of, and in turn, we take care of.
“There is something hopeful about this expanded perspective: healing doesn’t need to come only from our social worlds, it can also come from the simple act of rekindling our connection to the Earth.” – Vanessa Chakour
If you are alive, then you are part of this wild biophilic happening! Do you want to be “objective” and disconnected, or might you find the animist in you that yearns to befriend the plants, rocks and rivers all around you? Try it now. What do you notice in your immediate environment? A beloved plant, a painting, a jumper? Perhaps you want to look further outside to a tree, a garden statue, a bicycle? You might even like to do this exercise while you’re out and about in your neighbourhood. Pick 3 things and give them a name, notice their personality, and talk to them regularly.
"The restoration of anthropomorphism helps us to relate to a wounded land that we should heal, to keep in mind its ecological balances, to understand that the ancestral land is like a living body still.” - James Ritchie
This blog was inspired by Vanessa Chakour's article: REWILDING attachment theory