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Environment Psychology and Theology

Humans as Part of Nature

AJ R Chun PhD

Fresno Psychology Examiner Environmental PsychologistTheologist

Nature : the inherent character or basic constitution of a person or thing, a creative andcontrolling force in the universe, an inner force or the sum of such forces in anindividual, a kind or class usuallydistinguished by fundamental or essentialcharacteristics , the physical constitution or drives of an organism, a spontaneousattitude, the external world in its entirety, humankind's original or natural condition, thegenetically controlled qualities of an organism.

What about humans themselves, are they part of nature?Most of us would concludesooner or later that humans are part of nature.This exception was a secular man whoexplained that humans are above nature because we are on one of the top layers of the food chain. ³We eat the salmon. That to me seemsProbably « if you want to admit itor not, it is an act of a higher creature feeling that it has the right to eat the salmon.´

The rest of us gave various reasons why humans are part of nature. Mostmentionedwas our dependence on natural resources like water and oxygen. Otherscalled humanspart of nature because we form a part in the ³chain of being´. ³We aremade up out of allthe elements that are found in nature.´ Some religious respondents

regarded humans as nature because its creation needs the involvement of a³higherpower´. In the words of a Muslim woman: ³Humans are a creation of God, theyare anatural being.´ Two Buddhists clarify that it took the bringing together of manycauses tocreate both nature and humans: ³The consequence of so many thingstogether so that wehave human beings («). The ground and the mountain and the trees« There are manycauses to make the ground there, the water there and the trees growing.´Although alarge majority concluded that humans are part of nature, many of the laterresponses onthis subject showed their doubts about the naturalness of humans. First,somerespondents got confused by the human ability to think. ³We have the brains,´ we canuse our wisdom´ and ³are self-conscious.´ According to some this makes usdi erent

from the rest of nature: ³Obviously we are in position to change things more thaneveryother species, so we are di erent, we are part of it but we have moreresponsibility,because of our brain.´ Only a few respondents of those who earlier calledhumans part ofnature put the rational capacities of humans above the abilities of therest of nature:³So I think at a certain point I think human is above nature.´

Second, many respondents let the naturalness of humans depend on their behavior.If humans ³don¶t pollute´, ³treat it properly´ and ³don¶t make it unbalanced´, then they

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arenature or more natural. ³Humans can be part of nature. If we consider ourselves onewiththe earth if we respect it well enough, then I consider us part of nature.´ Therespondentsoften give illustrations of more natural people like tribes in the Amazon or the NativeAmericans in Canada. At this point the interviewer confronted these respondents

withthe implication of their thoughts. Is one person more part of nature than the other?Based upon their actions? Yet, all these respondents disagreed; ³You can¶t say thatsomepeople are a part of nature and some aren¶t. («) We are all people and we all dosomethingwrong.´

A third doubt on the naturalness of humans became clear when half of therespondentstalked about a fundamental process of disconnection between humans andnature.Especially for the Native respondents this is an important issue:Sometimes, youdon¶t think about how we are connected, we become removed from it, wedon¶t have tothink about it, we go to the grocery store and buy our food and we don¶t seethe bugsand animals that had a hard time because of what we are doing. We are not doingit

ourselves; somebody else does it for us.Many respondents add that this alienation from nature has emerged over time.AllNatives, many Buddhists, and some Muslims mentioned that humans could see Godor spirits in nature as long as they have the right eyes. ³Wherever you see, the Godiseverywhere, if you know how to see.´ They elaborated on the topic by saying thatweforgot how to see. We got further alienated from the original spirit and spiritualcontactwith nature due to the development of the human intellect. The Buddhistsprimarilyemphasized the lost connection with our own original spirit. The Nativesstressed thelost connection with the spirits in nature:To us we are told to listen to thewater, the fire and we believe that trees can give usmessages and that one time a longtime ago the animals could all speak to us and we wouldbe spiritually healthy enough tounderstand. So we are not as healthy as we used to be along time ago.

More on Environmental Psychology Design Product, Home and Work; based on Higher Power The Nature.

AJ R Chun PhDFresno Psychology Examiner Environmental Psychologist/Theologist