The Ecology of Perception – a conversation with David Abram
Jan 11, 2022
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Cultural ecologist and philosopher David Abram discusses animism, perception, and our connection to the Earth. Topics include the impact of writing systems on sensory experience, the sacredness of language and breath in oral cultures, the influence of GPS on our orientation skills, and finding hope and resilience in times of uncertainty.
Our senses bind us to the wider ecosystem, emphasizing our participation in the living world.
Language can either hinder or enhance our connection to the animate earth, influenced by writing systems.
Breath, language, and the sacredness of air are intertwined, urging a reconnection with nature.
Deep dives
Main Ideas/Key Points/Insights 1
David Abraham is a cultural ecologist and philosopher known for his work on animism and sensory perception. He emphasizes the role of our animal senses in binding us to the wider ecosystem. He also explores the ways language can either stifle or enhance our rapport with the animate earth.
Main Ideas/Key Points/Insights 2
David Abraham traces his fascination with magic and the mysterious back to his childhood. His interest in sleight of hand magic led him to travel and study indigenous magicians who viewed themselves as intermediaries between humans and the more-than-human community. This experience shaped his understanding of the animacy and intelligence of the natural world.
Main Ideas/Key Points/Insights 3
Abraham discusses the impact of writing and literacy on our senses and perception of the world. He argues that alphabetic writing systems shift our awareness away from the animate earth and towards a more human-centric perspective. The alphabet becomes a potent form of magic, allowing us to communicate and gather knowledge, but also leading to a narrowing of our sensory experience.
Main Ideas/Key Points/Insights 4
Abraham highlights the importance of breath and our relationship to the air. He draws connections between breath, language, and the sacred, emphasizing the forgotten holiness of the air. He also discusses the negative consequences of disregarding the sacred nature of the air, which has led to environmental degradation and climate change.
Main Ideas/Key Points/Insights 5
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Abraham sees an opportunity for reorientation and a renewed connection with the natural world. He calls for a deeper engagement with the local earth and heightened awareness of our interdependence with other beings. Abraham expresses hope for cultural transformation and a shift towards celebrating diversity and radical otherness.
This week we are revisiting our interview with cultural ecologist and philosopher David Abram where he discusses the animism, power, and potency of the living world. In our current moment of ecological and societal instability he calls on us to remember our inherent participation in the collective, embodied flesh of the Earth.
