Psychology, the Environment, and Spirituality: A potential career pathway...

Taken from a paper by Oliver Straigton. Ecopscychology and spirituality: Essential factors in sustainability? IEST 5004 Environmental Research Project. pg. 3. Via personal email correspondence on 5/22/07

"Spirituality is deemed important for sustainability for [4] main reasons:

1. A re establishment of the psychospiritual connection between humanity and the planet would be an essential feature of any efforts in sustainability. To be [a] successful venture, sustainability requires that it is the overarching theme in ALL aspects of human activity and interaction with the environment meaning that action on all levels of society is motivated by the full understanding that we are part of and not apart from the natural world.

2. At present the rational paradigm in which we live is grossly unsustainable because it is morally and ethically uninformed and many thinkers have argued that one of the essential features in achieving sustainability is a moving away from rationalisation of nature in to commodities and us into consumers, denying the spiritual and mysteries of the universe, cheapening human life and encouraging self definition in consumerist terms.

3. Participation in modern industrialised societies is spiritually unfulfilling and results in over consumption, materialism, and the environmentally destructive effects of these. A spiritually aware society and economy offers the opportunity to seek true fulfilment and happiness thereby negating the need for over consumption.

4. Spiritual renewal and the development of higher human traits of love, compassion, honesty and love are seen as a means to transcend divergent and conventionally unsolvable sustainability problems."