Mental Resilience and the integral View ( Continued from page 28)
High instances of depression and anxiety in the world today indicate a prevalent dualistic view in society. Symptoms of depression include feeling discouraged about the future, feeling like a failure, being disappointed in oneself, and losing interest in other people. They show dualistic views of past vs. future, success vs. failure, and self vs. other, which can lead to a fragmented experience of reality. On the other hand, symptoms of anxiety include worrying too much and having trouble relaxing. Identifying with our thoughts can increase worry and rumination, limiting our experience of the world around us. Worrying can lead to chronic tension, which can make it more difficult to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. To overcome complex challenges of life today, we need a new way of thinking and being, one that accounts for a high degree of integration, complexity, and change. To experience the world in an integrated way doesn’t just mean
understanding conceptually that everything is connected, but experiencing this inter-dependence as the key aspect of human life. In his essay ‘What is Ecopsychology?’, Andy Fisher gave a wonderful example of our deep integration with nature, by stating:
My lungs have no meaning without air, Which has no meaning without plants, Which have no meaning without the sun, And so on ad-infinitum.
These lines reflect how our lungs, the organ most severely affected by the COVID-19 virus, are fully dependent on the air, plants, and the sun, and represent a continuous circle of life on Earth. Experiencing our full interdependence with nature and each other can help us evolve as human beings and enable us to create a more resilient, sustainable way of life.
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Ontario Parks Association
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