Overcoming Fear, Denial, Myopia, and Paralysis

In: Worldviews: global religions, culture and ecology, Band 21, Heft 2, S. 175-193

Abstract

Drawing on insights from neuroscience, psychology, Buddhism, and the Beatitudes of Jesus, this paper explores the role emotions play in influencing human responses to the ecological crisis. While political, technological, and economic factors contributing to this crisis are often analyzed, emotional factors tend to be neglected or underestimated. Humans may be suffering from a condition analogous to the "myopia for the future" described by Antonio Damasio which impedes both our perception of the crisis and our response to it. Traditional Buddhist psychology's analysis of the "three poisons" provides helpful insights into why humans may fail to respond to distressing information. At the same time, emotions have the potential to empower humanity to overcome the interwoven dynamics of denial, despair, and addiction and to facilitate a collective response to the ecological crisis. Joanna Macy has developed an integrated set of interactive, spiritual practices to enable persons to reconnect emotionally to the entire Earth community, overcome both despair and myopia for the future, and take meaningful action to heal the world. The Aramaic version of Matthew's Beatitudes as interpreted by Neil Douglas-Klotz also models a spiritual process for overcoming despair by working with and through emotions to empower restorative action.