Tranquil States in a Natural Environment

In this chapter I explore my findings from participant observation with a group who engaged in voluntary fortnightly tasks to tend a local forest. Participants also included those who used a local park for recreation. I begin with a brief look at literature which examines the effect of nature, notably the tranquil altered states of consciousness (ASCs) induced. Theodore Roszak is seen as the founder of the ecopsychology movement and his ideas are briefly explored. Spiritual ASCs from being in Nature are identified. The controversy around the validity of Nature as a spiritual experience is briefly mentioned. I introduce my fieldwork group and explain their ethos and motivation, as well as overall organization of tasks. I explore their ASC experience from being in the forest, mostly daydream states. Collective ASCs at the end of tasks are described. I give examples of how Nature tasks are enmeshed in the lifeworld of the individual. Spiritual experiences in Nature were reported by participants, even those who did not practise any religion. I give examples of therapeutic aspects of being in Nature, which all participants said they experienced. This was often an inner dialogue where negative experience was dispelled with Nature ASCs. I give examples of the wide variety of other ASC inducers used when Nature was not available. These include playing and listening to music and making mosaics. Recordings of steam engine noises were also mentioned as an inducer, and TV experiences where fantasy and reality merged. The experience of touching wood objects was also ASC-inducing. In sum this group is identified as high on imaginative ability which aided their ASC experiences.