The Spell of the Sensuous

In this major work of ecological philosophy, David Abram draws on diverse sources including the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, Balinese shamanism, Apache storytelling, and his own experience as a magician to reveal the intricate relationship between human perception and the natural world.

The book delves into the character of perception and the sensual foundations of language, highlighting how even abstract language echoes the natural world.

Abram argues that humans have severed their ancient reciprocity with nature and explores what it would take to recover a sustaining relation with the earth.