An Ecological Sense of Self for an Ecologically Sustainable Future

The core premise of the work is that our global §environmental and social crises are of our own §making and can only be transformed by us. Therefore §it is imperative that humanity finds ways of §protecting and sustaining the natural environment §for our collective survival. This necessarily §depends on human beings ability to co-exist in §harmony with other humans and species and to feel §connected to and protect nature.§This work examines three spiritual or wisdom §traditions Australian Aboriginal spiritualities, the §Goddess movement and Tibetan Buddhism, as they §relate to Arne Naess''s concept of the ecological §self. The ecological self is a psychological §construct that suggests that human beings can evolve §from a narrow egocentric way of being and relating §to others, to one that is more open, inclusive. The §three spiritual traditions provide a compassionate §and non-violent view of human consciousness that has §the potential to transform into an ecologically §sensitive creative force.§This work would be of particular interest §to, academics, students, educators and spiritual §practitioners interested in the natural environment, §spirituality, psychology or story.