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Copyright 2003 Frequently Asked Questions What is wilderness spirituality? My personal vision of wilderness spirituality has its roots in animism, pantheism, shamanism, myth, Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism, bioregionalism, ecology, voluntary simplicity, archetypal psychology, Gary Snyder, Edward Abbey, indigenous spiritualities, and Native North and South American traditions. That is quite a gemisch, but I believe it embraces common themes of human interrelatedness with all life; the importance of right relationships with humans, animals, and the spirits that dwell in all places; the centrality of story and song in maintaining those relationships; and the essentially magical and unpredictable nature of a world that is filled with soul. Wilderness spirituality means, among other things, the spirituality of Ötzi and his contemporaries. This sort of spirituality has been both remarkably widespread and remarkably persistent in human beings. It has had a troubled relationship with more recent exclusivist and monotheist spiritualities, which have tried both to demonize and incorporate it. It is awe and wonder and terror in the wilderness; a recognition of the sacredness of special times and places; an awareness of the non-human persons and powers in the world; an acceptance of the inevitable cycles of time. Wilderness spirituality can be called paganism, animism, shamanism, and pantheism; it is the spiritual practice of many indigenous peoples in the world even today. It is a spirituality that grows spontaneously out of the experience of the wilderness, and puts us in touch with the basic questions of our humanity, our relationship with nature, and our ultimate destiny in the world. For More Information
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