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Adrian Harris
Tag Archives: philosophy
Is the Universe Conscious?
Is everything at least a little conscious? It may sound crazy, but this idea, known as panpsychism, has a long and reputable history. Panpsychism was pretty much dismissed by 20th Century science, but it’s making something of a comeback. Some … Continue reading
Embodied Ecology: A Relational Vision
One core principle lies at the heart of embodied ecology: We are relational earthbodies, fundamentally intertwined with the more-than-human-world. Almost every thinker I’ve discussed on this blog speaks that same truth in their own voice. Let’s listen to a few. … Continue reading
Posted in Ecopsychology
Tagged Abram, body, Clark, duality, Ecosomatics, Eisenstein, embodiment, epoc, Gendlin, Linden, Merleau-Ponty, philosophy, Shepherd, Varela
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Glen Mazis
Glen Mazis is a philosopher and poet whose writing frequently merges both skills. I came across his book Earthbodies (2002) during my PhD research on embodied knowing and found it hugely exciting. Mazis explains that ‘bodies’ are much more than … Continue reading
Posted in Ecopsychology
Tagged Abram, connection, embodied knowing, embodiment, environment, Gendlin, Merleau-Ponty, philosophy, skin-bag body
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Phenomenology: What is it and why should you care?
Would a sentient fish ever wonder what water is? Do you ever wonder what time is? Probably not: Some aspects of our experience are so ‘obvious’ that we just don’t notice them. Phenomenology is a philosophical approach that aims to … Continue reading
Samhain: Feast of the Dead
Tonight is the Pagan festival of Samhain, more commonly celebrated as Halloween. At Samhain Pagans celebrate our ancestors & beloved dead. It also offers an opportunity to meditate on our mortality, a fundamental aspect of embodiment which arguably makes life … Continue reading
Posted in Religion and spirituality
Tagged embodiment, meditation, nature, philosophy, spirituality
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The Stupidity of Rationalism
Last weeks edition of ‘In Our Time’ (BBC Radio 4) discussed game theory and gave a telling account of a scenario called The Prisoners Dilemma. Imagine that Jo and Jack have been arrested for a crime. The police know they’re guilty but can’t prove it, so … Continue reading
Posted in Cognitive science
Tagged bodymind, embodied situated cognition, emotions, Johnson, Lakoff, philosophy
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Eugene Gendlin
Writing a PhD thesis on embodied knowing was a tricky task and at times I doubted that I could research something so nebulous. My big breakthrough came when I read the work of contemporary philosopher and psychologist Eugene Gendlin. Gendlin … Continue reading
Posted in Key ideas
Tagged Abram, Clark, connection, embodied situated cognition, Gendlin, philosophy, psychology
7 Comments
Merleau-Ponty
This is the first of a series of posts that introduce thinkers who have been especially influential on my work. I begin with the French philosopher Merleau-Ponty (1908-1961), who was a pioneer in the study of embodiment. Merleau-Ponty was fascinated by our ‘being-in-the-world’ – the way … Continue reading
Posted in Key ideas
Tagged bodymind, Descartes, duality, embodiment, Merleau-Ponty, philosophy
4 Comments
London’s burning
Ubuntu is an African word which can be inadequately translated as ‘humanness’. It may, in fact, be untranslatable, but the principle is expressed in the African saying: ‘Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu’ – ‘A person is a person through other persons’. One of the most influential Western philosophers claimed that … Continue reading
What is the body?
What do somatic trainers talk about on a week-end get together? One hot topic was exploring what the body might be. We had a brainstorm on that topic one evening and selected our best one-liners for broadcast. This playful exercise suggests that there … Continue reading