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Eudemonic Awakening: Nature's Impact on Human Well-being

Explore the convergence of nature and eudemonia, focusing on Aristotle's concept of 'good spirit' and the intrinsic need for human well-being. Discover how engaging with nature can lead to fulfillment and a deeper sense of connection to life.

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Eudemonic Awakening: Nature's Impact on Human Well-being

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  1. Eudemonic awakening: Nature and eudemonia DrJoe Hinds Canterbury Christ Church University, UK

  2. Overview • Defining Eudemonia • Eudemonia & nature • Existentialism, transpersonal • Research examples • Final thoughts

  3. Eudemonia Aristotle – ‘good spirit’ (kindness, courage & honesty) - wellbeing by realising & attaining what is worth having in one’s life; living in truth to oneself; in accord with reason & contemplation(Huta, 2013; Norton, 1976) Considered to be intrinsic need for human well-being rather than more externally (Hedonic) derived sources of happiness such as social recognition, personal image & wealth (Kasser & Ryan, 1996)

  4. Eudemonia Eudemonia (Authenticity) is characterised by the convergence of contemplative, emotional & behavioural ‘parts’ of the self, prompting “the fulfilment of human nature” & leading of a “full life” (Haybron, 2008, p. 35) The union of the physical, intellectual & emotional with an acceptance of finitude has been expressed previously as wisdom (Kohut, 1966; Sternberg, 1998)

  5. Does not have to involve ‘happiness’ per se, rather it contributes to the development of values, worth & meaning in one’s life (Vernon, 2008) • “Affect is not something you strive for in itself but a by-product of the way you give your self to a life situation” (May, 1969, p. 15)

  6. Eudemonia Although eudemonia is not directly associated with, or defined by, emotions, “positive affect … would be expected, under many circumstances, [as] a by product of eudaimonic living” (Ryan, & Deci, 2001, p. 151) Inner peace, appreciation of life, feelings of connection, high morals, & contemplation(Huta & Ryan, 2010)

  7. Eudemonia Effort & agency that contribute to a purposeful existence; developing, exercising & extending our human capacities over the life course (Ryff, 2013)

  8. Nature & eudemonia Direct engagement with nature may evoke a qualitatively different, higher quality well-being than the ease & comfort of modern lifestyles: contemplation, vitality, inner peace & a deep appreciation of life (Eigner, 2001; Hinds, 2011) Nature likely to be experienced with feelings of “awe, pleasure, [&] wonder”- feelings of reverence, wonder & aesthetic pleasure can be experienced in response to nature (Keltner & Haidt, 2003; Maslow, 1956)

  9. Component 1 Eudemonia (serenity, awe, alive, empathy, refreshed, connectedness, freedom, contemplative) 2 Mountain W Forest W River W Beach W Wood land W Valley W 2 - 2 0 Component 2 Apprehension Hill W (isolated, anxious, lonely, fun, talkative relaxed) Garden W Park W Farmland Field W - 2

  10. Nature & eudemonia John Dennis (1688) Italian Alps: “a delightful horrour, a terrible joy” (cited in MacFarlane, 2003, p. 73) “I have enjoyed perfect exhilaration. I am glad to the brink of fear”(Emerson, 1836, p. 38) Ambivalent emotions: fear, awe, respect, & happiness(van den Berg & terHeijne, 2005) Importance of solitude (Maitland, 2008; Storr, 1997)

  11. small sample (N = 5) 9-day wilderness trip Isle of Hoy, Orkney, Scotland, UK semi-structured interviews interpretative phenomenological analysis (Smith, 1996) Nature & eudemonia

  12. “When I was coming down in the van I thought ‘bloody hell how am I supposed to spend a week here?’ you know away from the city & shops, I love shopping (laughs), I’m like, what am I going to do?”

  13. “Hoy, its amazing because its so quiet and there’s hardly anything here but you can really enjoy that there’s nothing here and camping by the beach as well, I loved that, I really loved that”

  14. “Just walking through the hills […] & being in awe of what’s around & unique that’s what makes me realise that material things just aren’t important …its the world, the natural environment that is more important. I feel a lot happier when I come on these things”

  15. “Its time to recollect, […] take a step back from everything and just be yourself, just be a person sat on a beach watching the sun and its as simple as that but its so much more”

  16. “To actually get out somewhere that’s so quiet, so remote, nobody else on the beach, sit out on a rock looking out at the sunrise just gives you time to think & […] you know try to remember who I am & what it is that I want & to have a bit more confidence in myself”

  17. Nature & eudemonia Smallholders & gardening (Jacob, 1997; Webber, Hinds, & Camic, 2015) Climbers(Lester, 2004) General encounters (Passmore & Howell, 2014) White-water rafting (Arnould & Price, 1993) Extreme sports (Brymer & Gray, 2009) Forest encounters (Williams & Harvey, 2001) Wilderness experiences (Fredrickson & Anderson, 1999; Hinds, 2011)

  18. Nature & eudemonia Nature can be a catalyst for a transcendent awakening The Greeks of Aristotle’s time revered the Earth as a living Goddess, expressing their awe, wonder & gratitude to Her(Midgely, 2000) That which was taken for granted during Aristotle’s time, namely a belief in a transcendent ‘other’, is largely missing in contemporary western society (Vernon, 2008)

  19. Nature & eudemonia • Embodied & multi-sensory immersion within nature elicits an emotional process • Transpersonal (relational /connection) • Existential (awe - vulnerability / life cycle) • Contemplative & transformativemoments • Development of both a self- understanding & an understanding of one’s relation to the world

  20. Nature & eudemonia “We cannot win this battle to save species and environments without forging an emotional bond between ourselves and nature … we will not fight to save what we do not love…we must have visceral contact in order to love” (Gould, 1991, p.14)

  21. References Aristotle (1959). Politics: Book VII, The most desirable life. J. Warrington (Trans.). London: Heron Books. Jordan, M. & Hinds, J. (In press). Ecotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice.Palgrave MacMillan. Hinds, J. (In press). The role of the natural environment for eudemonic well-being and identity during adventure experiences. In C.L. Norton, H. Hooper, A. Rose & T. G. Szabo (Eds.), Explorations: Adventure therapy around the globe. Common Ground Publishing Webber, J.,Hinds, J., & Camic, P. (2015). The wellbeing of allotment gardeners: A mixed methodological study. Ecopsychology, 7, 20-28. Hinds, J. & Sparks, P. (2011). The affective quality of human-natural environment relationships. Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 451-469.

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