Nature in Mind

Nature in Mind explores a kind of madness at the core of the developed world that has separated the growth of human cultural systems from the destruction of the environment on which these systems depend. It is now becoming increasingly clear that the contemporary Western lifestyle not only has a negative impact on the ecosystems of the earth but also has a detrimental effect on human health and psychological wellbeing. The book compares the work of Gregory Bateson and Henry Corbin and shows how an understanding of the "imaginal world" within the practice of systemic psychotherapy and ecopsychology could provide a language shared by both nature and mind. This book argues the case for bringing nature-based work into mainstream education and therapy practice. It is an invitation to radically reimagine the relationship between humans and nature and provides a practical and epistemological guide to reconnecting human thinking with the ecosystems of the earth.

Roger Duncan is a registered Systemic Psychotherapist who works with children and adolescents in the NHS and in private practice with individuals, families, and organizations.

Acknowledgements About the author Introduction Chapter 1 Our indigenous heritage Chapter 2 The wilderness experience Chapter 3 Mind and nature revisited Chapter 4 Into the woods Chapter 5 Maps and territories Chapter 6 Soul encounter beyond the borders of language Chapter 7 Patterns of systemic relationships in nature Chapter 8 Reimagining human development Epilogue References Index