thinking biophilia two
'Biophilia (as love of life) existed way before we gave a name to it, and exists in our life and in our buildings whether or not they have elements of biophilic design'
I want to go out into the countryside,
Oh sit by the clear cool, crystal water,
Get my spirit, way back to the feeling,
Deep in my soul
- Van Morrison, Hymns to the SilenceThe new moon with old moon in arms
A few nights ago I noticed the new moon, an upturned crescent, with the distinct outline glow of the moon forming the circle.
Welcome to the next post in this thinking biophilia series1 in which we explore the body of knowledge, from thinkers, authors, ecologists, spiritualists and others who have shaped our ‘connectivity with nature’ thinking. In which we, the new moon, hold in our minds, are aware of and emboldened by what has gone before and that shapes where we are and who we are.
What then would we learn, were we to sit in on an online web call - one which spanned back in time and in which great nature thinkers of the past were sharing their insights and littering the chat line with quotes and references?
Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. Rachel Carson.
Let's join that call …
As the Goethe quote in the first issue of Nature Journal reminds us, “The individual is made up of the universal; the universe operates through and in the individual.”
This connection between the individual and the universal is at the heart of biophilic design, which seeks to integrate natural elements and patterns into the built environment. However, as the sub-title sentence suggests, biophilia exists in our lives and our buildings even when they are not intentionally designed with biophilic elements.
Nature is messy.
Nature is messy, complex yet interconnected, in which each iteration or innovation has to be better than the previous.
So here is a messy and connected pool of thinkers, not necessarily in any timeline - but as we know, each would have learnt from earlier writers and inspired the following. Muir had copies of Wordsworth on his writing bureau for example.
And having heard and read these thinkers, let’s open a discussion as to what that means to us today.
Where to start is tricky, but as John Muir famously said “when we pull on one thing we find it connected to everything else” so, recalling a comment from Aldo Leopold in Sand County Almanac and his Land Ethic, for me makes a great place to start pulling
When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.
We are all part of the thinking community that needs to shape a land ethic for the 21st century and beyond. To do that, we must engage in thoughtful dialogue with each other, inviting a diversity of perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds. Together, we can form a land ethic that can be passed down to future generations. (from the Aldo Leopold Foundation)
Way back in the 1940’s Aldo Leopold wrote about being active in a wounded world, something we all face today with differing degrees of eco-anxiety. He talked about seeing wild geese as more important to him than owning a TV (remember this was the 1940s when TV was the latest new-fangled bit of tech to have - probably comparable today with the latest phone or social media trend), and he talked of the ability to see wildflowers as a universal right.
And then going way back, Taoism and Zen for example view the natural world as a source of wisdom, inspiration and healing, and emphasise the importance of living in harmony with the natural order.
Romantic poets, such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Percy Bysshe Shelley celebrated the beauty and power of the natural world and celebrated the importance of human connection to nature. Their poetry often explored how nature could inspire, heal, and nourish the human soul, and called for humans to live in harmony with the natural environment.
Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. Wordsworth
Henry Thoreau too was influenced by Indian spiritual thought, in his book “Walden” he celebrated wilderness and the natural world, for humans to simplify their lives and live in harmony with nature. Thoreau believed that spending time in nature could provide a sense of renewal and rejuvenation, and could help individuals connect with their true selves and find meaning and purpose in life.
we need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature
Similarly, John Muir was a strong advocate for the protection and preservation of wild places and believed that experiencing the natural world could be a source of inspiration and wonder, of spiritual and emotional healing.
In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.
Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike.
John Muir
evolution of biophilia as we see it today
In his book “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness,” Eric Fromm argues that modern society has become increasingly disconnected from the natural world, which has led to a sense of alienation and disconnection. He believed that reconnecting with nature was essential to restoring a sense of wholeness and balance in human life. He saw biophilia as the antidote to depression.
Eric Fromm: Biophilia - the passionate love of life and of all that is alive.
Edward O. Wilson, an American biologist and naturalist, considered one of the foremost experts on biodiversity and the natural world, first introduced the concept of biophilia in his 1984 book “Biophilia,” where he argued that humans have an innate connection to the natural world and that this connection is essential to our physical, mental, and emotional health.
The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need. Edward O. Wilson,
Stephen Kellert, an American social ecologist and a prominent figure in the development of biophilic design. He believed that our environment has a profound impact on our well-being. Kellert was an advocate for incorporating natural elements into the built environment to improve the quality of life for humans, and that biophilic design can address many of the challenges that we face in our modern world
Biophilic design is not simply about creating good-looking buildings; it is about creating healthy, supportive environments that address the very real and substantial challenges that we face in our daily lives
and, looking from wider perspectives ….
City Planning
Patrick Geddes, Scottish city planner and intellectual thinker, is not often connected with biophilic design thinking, but in Cities in Evolution, he talks about how buildings themselves should be designed to connect people to nature, and how disconnection affects the health and “mental and moral tone” of the community.
Comfort, beauty, and health should be secured by the building in every possible way, from its shape and position, as adapted to its environment, to its arrangement and decoration, as adapted to its inhabitants, and to their need for light, air, and sunlight, and for access to nature.
Indigenous Wisdom
There are indigenous thinkers whose work aligns closely with the principles of biophilia who offer unique perspectives …
One important indigenous thinker is Robin Wall Kimmerer, a botanist and member of the Potawatomi Nation. Kimmerer talks and writes on the importance of indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing, and explores how indigenous peoples have developed deep and meaningful relationships with the natural world. Her book “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants” is a powerful exploration of the intersections between indigenous knowledge and Western science.
Winona LaDuke, an environmental activist, economist, writer, industrial hemp grower and member of the Anishinaabe tribe, focuses on the intersection of environmental justice and indigenous rights, and the importance of respecting and protecting the natural world to promote human well-being and sustainability.
Vine Deloria Jr. was a Standing Rock Sioux scholar, writer, and activist who wrote on the importance of indigenous perspectives and ways of knowing, and called for a fundamental rethinking of the Western understanding of nature. His book “God is Red” is a powerful exploration of the intersections between indigenous spirituality and Western religious thought, and argues that a deep and meaningful connection to the natural world is essential for human well-being and spiritual fulfilment.
Linda Hogan, is a Chickasaw poet, storyteller, writer and environmental activist who has written extensively on the relationship between humans and the natural world. Her work also focused on the importance of developing a deep and meaningful connection to the natural world and explores how indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing can help humans live in harmony with the natural environment. Her book “Dwellings: A Spiritual History of the Living World” is a powerful exploration of the connections and the importance of respecting and protecting the natural world to aid human well-being.
Greg Cajete is a Tewa educator and author who has written on intersections between indigenous knowledge and Western science. His focus is teaching "culturally based science, with an emphasis on health and wellness and exploring how indigenous perspectives can help humans develop a deeper and more meaningful connection to the natural world.
Greg Cajete: “Indigenous knowledge is about living in balance with the natural world, about the reciprocal relationships we have with all living things.”
Druidism and Paganism both emphasise the importance of developing a deep and meaningful connection to the natural world, to the changing of seasons and offer unique perspectives on the human-nature relationship. Their beliefs and practices help ‘cultivate a sense of awe and wonder in the face of the natural world, that both enhances our wellbeing and the health of the natural world in reciprocity.
Robin Wall Kimmerer: In the old times, our people didn’t use the word ‘environmentalism’ because we didn’t have to. It was simply how to live in the world without damaging it. And now it seems that’s what we need to remember - how to live on the earth without damaging it. And with that comes a remembering of the power of the sky, the power of the moon, the power of the stars. That’s our cultural ecology. And that’s the one that I remember and that I want to hold on to.
Importance of the night sky
The experience of being able to see the stars clearly can have a profound effect on our sense of connection to the natural world and on our mental health.
Gary Snyder To look up and out at this kind of night is to become present to something vast, mysterious and eternal; to become fully aware that what is outside is also within.
Sense of orientation and awareness of natural cues such as the sun and moon play an important role in our connection with nature and with biophilia (as our innate love all that is alive). Our ability to navigate through natural landscapes and find our way is deeply rooted in our biology and evolution as a species. Research is increasingly showing that being in nature can help improve our spatial awareness and cognitive functioning.
Biophilic design expert Tim Beatley Orientation is more than just knowing which way is north. It is about having a deep connection to the land and place and understanding how the rhythms and cycles of the natural world inform our daily lives.
The natural world provides us with a compass, with the sun and stars helping us determine direction and navigate through the environment. Our bodies are attuned to the natural world, and our sense of direction and awareness of the environment is linked to our biophilic tendencies.
As Stephen Kellert noted, The human brain is hard-wired for the natural world, which includes orientation to the sun and sky, to greenery, and to the rhythms of the day and night.
And so to, or back to, Vastu Architecture
Like the sun and moon in the sky, the house should be a source of light in the darkness, and a source of life …. Vastu Shastra
Vastu architecture is an ancient Indian architectural practice that emphasises the harmony between humans, the built environment, and the natural world. Vastu principles are believed to enhance the well-being and productivity of building occupants by optimising the flow of energy and light, and by creating a connection between the built environment and the natural world.
The principles of Vastu architecture are closely related to biophilia, as they emphasise the importance of natural materials, natural light, and the integration of the built environment with the surrounding landscape. In Vastu, the orientation and placement of a building are believed to be critical to the well-being of its occupants, as they affect the flow of energy through the building.
Vastu architecture encourages the use of natural materials such as wood, stone, and clay, and the incorporation of natural light and ventilation to create a healthy and harmonious living space. The placement of rooms and other elements within a building is also carefully considered, based on their relationship to the sun, the moon, and other natural elements.
Joanna Macy and Work That ReConnects
Joanna Macy, an American Buddhist, environmental activist, author, and deep ecology scholar, has written extensively on ecology and spirituality. Her work focuses on the importance of cultivating a deep connection to the natural world as a way of promoting environmental sustainability and personal well-being.
Macy talks on the importance of experiencing a sense of awe and wonder in the presence of nature, a central aspect of biophilia. Her “Work That Reconnects” process aims to help individual and communities connect more deeply with the natural world, and develop a sense of ecological consciousness, responsibility and well-being
This is just scratching the surface of this body of knowledge, of the thinking that has gone before us, yet thinking we should absorb and be aware of as we shape our connectivity and reciprocity with nature, our building's connectivity and reciprocity and importantly start to heal the future. You will have your sources from which you gain inspiration. Please do share.
So, join me on this thinking journey, your comments and thoughts on how we order and structure these thoughts - indeed if we even have to do so, will be hugely appreciated.
At the moment further editions in this post series will include themes around Bringing Nature inside - Mindfulness and Seva of being Active in Nature - learning from Lockdown. And More
