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Papers by Adrian Harris
Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 2013
Gendlin’s focusing emerged from person-centered research and is widely used within person-centere... more Gendlin’s focusing emerged from person-centered research and is widely used within person-centered and experiential therapy. An increasing number of people are now practicing focusing in the natural environment. In this paper, I develop key aspects of my doctoral research to investigate the significance of this practice. My research suggests that focusing in nature is not only a powerful tool for personal development but that it can also significantly deepen our sense of connection to the natural world.
The phenomenological experience of focusing provides a challenge to the idea that every individual is a separate self, a belief that is common amongst adherents of classical person-centered theory. By challenging this notion, focusing in nature adds support to the more relational models of the self found in person-centered and experiential theory and beyond.
Keywords: Gendlin; focusing; ecopsychology; relational; nature; embodiment
Nova Religio, 2009
... empowerment in 1990s teenage Witchcraft 97 Hannah E Johnston 9 A Charming Spell: The intentio... more ... empowerment in 1990s teenage Witchcraft 97 Hannah E Johnston 9 A Charming Spell: The intentional ... this linkage that, by the twentieth century, caused the appearance of pagan witchcraft as ... Books have always been crucial to the transmission of ritual magic, but mass literacy ...
Although outdoor therapy has emerged as a signifiant praitiie, there is very little researih into... more Although outdoor therapy has emerged as a signifiant praitiie, there is very little researih into what impait it might have on the therapeutii relationship. This researih ionfrmed the relevanie of all the themes disiussed in the extant literature and identifed two signifiant new themes:n the ‘turning point’ and ‘transferenie’. The turning point in the therapy proiess appeared to mark the entry into a liminal or transitional spaie that faiilitated psyihologiial healing. An anthropologiial model of rites of passage rituals is one possible way of theorizing this proiess, but the work of Winniiott and Merleau-Ponty are also ionsidered. The theme of transferenie in outdoor therapy pushed the ionventional meaning of the term; the researih ionsiders what it means to say that a ilient experienied the transferenie to a natural phenomenon. The traditional psyihodynamii model of transferenie ian be applied in outdoor therapy, ideas from the work of Winniiott and Merleau-Ponty are again ionside...
European Journal of Ecopsychology, 2011
My fieldwork with activists living on UK protest camps revealed the impact of spending extended p... more My fieldwork with activists living on UK protest camps revealed the impact of spending extended periods of time in the organic environment. The wilderness effect–previously described in the context of US treks in places like the Grand Canyon–was ...
Although embodied knowing is fundamental to our experience, no previous study has detailed its ro... more Although embodied knowing is fundamental to our experience, no previous study has detailed its role in a specific spiritual group. This thesis offers a new model of embodied situated cognition, and develops an embodied hermeneutics which uses Focusing in phenomenological research. I apply these tools to the first detailed ethnography of Eco-Paganism to reveal powerful processes of connection which have considerable significance for religious studies and ecopsychology. Chapters 2 and 3 survey the literature on Eco-Paganism and embodied cognition. Chapter 4 uses the latter to synthesise a model of embodied situated cognition which I call the 'enactive process model', because it draws primarily on enactivism (inter alia, Varela et al., 1991), and Gendlin's process philosophy (Gendlin, 1997). Current research shows that key aspects of cognition are situated and embodied (inter alia, Varela et al., 1991), such that we often think with place (inter alia, Preston, 2003). This raises epistemological questions which I address in a discussion of embodied philosophy in Chapter 5. I then explain my embodied hermeneutics methodology, and the practical application of the Focusing Interview technique, in Chapter 6. My fieldwork autoethnography, Chapter 7, provides an intuitive, felt understanding of life on a road protest site, and is followed by ethnographies of urban and protest site Eco-Paganism in Chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 10 discusses six processes which create a sense of connection to the organic environment, which include the felt sense (Gendlin, 1981) and the wilderness effect (Greenway, 1995). I conclude that a type of wilderness effect can catalyze the emergence of a complex 'nature based' spirituality amongst site Eco-Pagans, while a less intense form affects urban Eco-Pagans. Eco-Pagans sometimes use these processes of connection to think with a place. The processes of connection and thinking with place are fundamental to embodied situated knowing in Eco-Paganism, and help explain many of its distinctive aspects. By demonstrating the importance of embodied situated knowing in Eco-Paganism, I highlight the potential for further research into processes of connection and the impact of different physical spaces on religious 2 practice in general.
Despite the challenge of feminist epistemology, the Western analytic tradition resists the notion... more Despite the challenge of feminist epistemology, the Western analytic tradition resists the notion that knowledge could in any sense be ‘embodied’. However, references to embodied cognition, embodied knowledge or embodied knowing are widespread and can be found in fields as diverse as anthropology, business studies, cognitive neuroscience and religious studies. That list is far from complete and at the time of writing, Academia.edu lists nearly 165,000 papers that mention the phrase ‘embodied knowing’ alone. While it would be would be impossible to review more than a fraction of the literature, there is considerable value in identifying where there appears to be common ground. Having read a representative sample of the literature, I believe I have identified several common themes or patterns which might guide us towards mapping the territory of these embodied ways of knowing (EWK).
Drafts by Adrian Harris
This table sets out the four dimensions of embodied ways of knowing discussed in my paper, "Embo... more This table sets out the four dimensions of embodied ways of knowing discussed in my paper, "Embodied Ways of Knowing: Mapping the Territory".
'Mapping the Dimensions of Embodied Ways of Knowing' is an attempt to an attempt to set out the r... more 'Mapping the Dimensions of Embodied Ways of Knowing' is an attempt to an attempt to set out the relationships between different models of embodied ways of knowing. It is part of my discussion paper, "Embodied Ways of Knowing: Mapping the Territory".
Conference Presentations by Adrian Harris
Interrogating Psychedelic Integration, 2024
Existing recommendations for preparation and integration frequently include spending time in natu... more Existing recommendations for preparation and integration frequently include spending time in nature. Ecopsychology supports this suggestion as the research has demonstrated that nature connection can:
• improve overall mood;
• reduce stress levels;
• enhance creativity;
• support cognitive processing and facilitate mindfulness.
The poster considers the limitations facing the clinical application of this approach and suggests further research.
Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, 2013
Gendlin’s focusing emerged from person-centered research and is widely used within person-centere... more Gendlin’s focusing emerged from person-centered research and is widely used within person-centered and experiential therapy. An increasing number of people are now practicing focusing in the natural environment. In this paper, I develop key aspects of my doctoral research to investigate the significance of this practice. My research suggests that focusing in nature is not only a powerful tool for personal development but that it can also significantly deepen our sense of connection to the natural world.
The phenomenological experience of focusing provides a challenge to the idea that every individual is a separate self, a belief that is common amongst adherents of classical person-centered theory. By challenging this notion, focusing in nature adds support to the more relational models of the self found in person-centered and experiential theory and beyond.
Keywords: Gendlin; focusing; ecopsychology; relational; nature; embodiment
Nova Religio, 2009
... empowerment in 1990s teenage Witchcraft 97 Hannah E Johnston 9 A Charming Spell: The intentio... more ... empowerment in 1990s teenage Witchcraft 97 Hannah E Johnston 9 A Charming Spell: The intentional ... this linkage that, by the twentieth century, caused the appearance of pagan witchcraft as ... Books have always been crucial to the transmission of ritual magic, but mass literacy ...
Although outdoor therapy has emerged as a signifiant praitiie, there is very little researih into... more Although outdoor therapy has emerged as a signifiant praitiie, there is very little researih into what impait it might have on the therapeutii relationship. This researih ionfrmed the relevanie of all the themes disiussed in the extant literature and identifed two signifiant new themes:n the ‘turning point’ and ‘transferenie’. The turning point in the therapy proiess appeared to mark the entry into a liminal or transitional spaie that faiilitated psyihologiial healing. An anthropologiial model of rites of passage rituals is one possible way of theorizing this proiess, but the work of Winniiott and Merleau-Ponty are also ionsidered. The theme of transferenie in outdoor therapy pushed the ionventional meaning of the term; the researih ionsiders what it means to say that a ilient experienied the transferenie to a natural phenomenon. The traditional psyihodynamii model of transferenie ian be applied in outdoor therapy, ideas from the work of Winniiott and Merleau-Ponty are again ionside...
European Journal of Ecopsychology, 2011
My fieldwork with activists living on UK protest camps revealed the impact of spending extended p... more My fieldwork with activists living on UK protest camps revealed the impact of spending extended periods of time in the organic environment. The wilderness effect–previously described in the context of US treks in places like the Grand Canyon–was ...
Although embodied knowing is fundamental to our experience, no previous study has detailed its ro... more Although embodied knowing is fundamental to our experience, no previous study has detailed its role in a specific spiritual group. This thesis offers a new model of embodied situated cognition, and develops an embodied hermeneutics which uses Focusing in phenomenological research. I apply these tools to the first detailed ethnography of Eco-Paganism to reveal powerful processes of connection which have considerable significance for religious studies and ecopsychology. Chapters 2 and 3 survey the literature on Eco-Paganism and embodied cognition. Chapter 4 uses the latter to synthesise a model of embodied situated cognition which I call the 'enactive process model', because it draws primarily on enactivism (inter alia, Varela et al., 1991), and Gendlin's process philosophy (Gendlin, 1997). Current research shows that key aspects of cognition are situated and embodied (inter alia, Varela et al., 1991), such that we often think with place (inter alia, Preston, 2003). This raises epistemological questions which I address in a discussion of embodied philosophy in Chapter 5. I then explain my embodied hermeneutics methodology, and the practical application of the Focusing Interview technique, in Chapter 6. My fieldwork autoethnography, Chapter 7, provides an intuitive, felt understanding of life on a road protest site, and is followed by ethnographies of urban and protest site Eco-Paganism in Chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 10 discusses six processes which create a sense of connection to the organic environment, which include the felt sense (Gendlin, 1981) and the wilderness effect (Greenway, 1995). I conclude that a type of wilderness effect can catalyze the emergence of a complex 'nature based' spirituality amongst site Eco-Pagans, while a less intense form affects urban Eco-Pagans. Eco-Pagans sometimes use these processes of connection to think with a place. The processes of connection and thinking with place are fundamental to embodied situated knowing in Eco-Paganism, and help explain many of its distinctive aspects. By demonstrating the importance of embodied situated knowing in Eco-Paganism, I highlight the potential for further research into processes of connection and the impact of different physical spaces on religious 2 practice in general.
Despite the challenge of feminist epistemology, the Western analytic tradition resists the notion... more Despite the challenge of feminist epistemology, the Western analytic tradition resists the notion that knowledge could in any sense be ‘embodied’. However, references to embodied cognition, embodied knowledge or embodied knowing are widespread and can be found in fields as diverse as anthropology, business studies, cognitive neuroscience and religious studies. That list is far from complete and at the time of writing, Academia.edu lists nearly 165,000 papers that mention the phrase ‘embodied knowing’ alone. While it would be would be impossible to review more than a fraction of the literature, there is considerable value in identifying where there appears to be common ground. Having read a representative sample of the literature, I believe I have identified several common themes or patterns which might guide us towards mapping the territory of these embodied ways of knowing (EWK).
This table sets out the four dimensions of embodied ways of knowing discussed in my paper, "Embo... more This table sets out the four dimensions of embodied ways of knowing discussed in my paper, "Embodied Ways of Knowing: Mapping the Territory".
'Mapping the Dimensions of Embodied Ways of Knowing' is an attempt to an attempt to set out the r... more 'Mapping the Dimensions of Embodied Ways of Knowing' is an attempt to an attempt to set out the relationships between different models of embodied ways of knowing. It is part of my discussion paper, "Embodied Ways of Knowing: Mapping the Territory".
Interrogating Psychedelic Integration, 2024
Existing recommendations for preparation and integration frequently include spending time in natu... more Existing recommendations for preparation and integration frequently include spending time in nature. Ecopsychology supports this suggestion as the research has demonstrated that nature connection can:
• improve overall mood;
• reduce stress levels;
• enhance creativity;
• support cognitive processing and facilitate mindfulness.
The poster considers the limitations facing the clinical application of this approach and suggests further research.