A Psycho-Evolutionary Theory of Outdoor Education

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A Psycho-Evolutionary Theory of Outdoor Education
James Neill University of Canberra Tonia
GrayUniversity of Wollongong Jason
BocarroUniversity of New Hampshire

• Graham Ellis-SmithKadjinny Enterprises
• Ricardo Sierra
• Earth Mentoring Institute
• Kaushal DesaiAdventure India

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Overview

• Evolution What has really changed?
• Psycho-evolutionary theory (PET)
• Intra-indigenous consciousness (IIC)
• Implications of PET for Practice
• Implications of PET for Research

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Ishi was sure he knew the cause of our
discontent. It stemmed from an excessive amount
of indoor time. 'It is not a man's nature to be
too much indoors.
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"If today I had a young mind to direct, to start
on the journey of life, and I was faced with the
duty of choosing between the natural way of my
forefathers and that of the... present way of
civilization, I would, for its welfare,
unhesitatingly set that child's feet in the path
of my forefathers.  I would raise him to be an
Indian!"
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What has really changed?
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What has really changed?
The Wall Tens of Years
Hunting Hundreds of Years
Mountaineering Hundreds of Years
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What has really changed?
Sail rafts 20,000 years?
Canoes 100,000 years?
Seakayak 30 years
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Sources of Food
2,000,000 years
40 years
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Tool Usage
Stone/Wood 500,000? years
Industrial Machines 150 years
Copper/Iron 3,000 years
Computers 20 years
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What has really changed?
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What has really changed?

• Technology in its myriad forms intercedes between
  direct experience and daily intimacy with nature
• Humans inbuilt sensitivities and capacities for
  acquiring knowledge about nature are
  under-utilised
• We are yet to understand the impacts of humans
  living en masse in radically artificial environs

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Psycho-evolutionary Theory (PET)
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Psycho-evolutionary Theory

• Proposition 1
• Human beings have a genetic predisposition
  towards life-like or nature processes
  (Biophilia Hypothesis)

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Biophilia Hypothesis
Edward Wilson, an etymologist proposes
thathumans have an instinctive affinity with
life-like processes i.e., nature, due to our
evolutionary history
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Psycho-evolutionary Theory

• Proposition 2a Everybody is indigenous.
• Proposition 2b Rediscovery of indigeneity can
  occur through experiential reconnection with
  elements of nature and experiences which were
  significant to ones ancestors -gt unlocking of
  intra-indigenous consciousness (ICC)

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Psycho-evolutionary Theory

• Proposition 3 Lifestyles of domesticated humans
  in the 21st century AD have been altered so far
  from that for which humans were equipped by
  evolution that humans are suffering for lack of
  direct contact with nature and the associated
  activation of intra-indigenous consciousness that
  arises from direct contact with nature.

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Howard Frumkin

• Literature review of the positive physical health
  effects of nature (in American Journal of
  Preventive Medicine)
• Uses biophilia hypothesis as underlying the
  apparent positive benefits.
• Research reveals positive, healthy effects of
  nature-based experiences e.g., effects of
  animals, nature scenes, adventure therapy, etc.

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Example evidence of natures imprint on
consciousness

• 90 of childrens stories, cartoons, etc. feature
  animals as the main characters
• Photos and artworks of nature and natural scenes
  adorn our homes, work-places, used as screen
  savers, etc.
• Dwellings with views of nature (e.g., ocean
  views) are highly valued

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Psycho-evolutionary Theory

• Proposition 4 21st century Western society
  exhibits a paradox Each citizen consumes and
  pollutes the environment in an unsustainable
  manner in order to service lifestyle indulgence.
  Ironically these citizens are also driven to
  experience relatively unadulterated nature-based
  indigenous-culture based experiences get
  mental physical benefits from doing so.

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Psycho-evolutionary Theory

• Proposition 5a Outdoor education is a form of
  ritualistic or compensatory cultural adaptation
  to deal with the recent, rapid divorcing of
  nature from daily life.
• Proposition 5b Outdoor education occurs in
  industrialized lifestyles in order to reconnect
  people with nature, simple living, and the
  corresponding activation of IIC.

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Psycho-evolutionary Theory

• Proposition 6 The rift between evolution and
  culture could be bridged by re-connecting people
  with nature and natural processes, thereby
  activating IIC.

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What if we could experientially grasp our
evolutionary heritage?
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e.g., via indigenousRites of Passage
What if we could connect to the knowledge of our
ancestors?
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Practice Implications

• PET suggests that by engaging peoples IIC, a
  powerful source of knowing can emerge i.e.,
  people can genuinely come to understand
  themselves as part of, not apart from, nature and
  begin to act accordingly, potentially dealing
  with the critical post-industrialized
  apartness.
• Outdoor education could be more directly engaging
  in activities and processes which facilitate the
  unlocking of IIC.

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Example Methods for Developing Intra-Indigenous
Consciousness

• Walking with awareness (next simplest to being
  with awareness) e.g., Sacred Run
• Minimum technology / basic tool experiences
• Workshops/ceremonies to unlock connections with
  nature, e.g., Council of All Beings
• Inner symbology altered consciousness
  activities, e.g., Vision Quests, sweat lodges,
  etc.
• Experiential indigenous-reconnection programs
  such as Rediscovering Your Indigenous Heart

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Research Theory Implications

• Occams Razor (parsimony) in modern science
  suggests the simplest explanation which fits the
  data is preferred
• PET is yet to be disproven it is a simple theory
  for guiding research and practice
• Potentially profound implications for society,
  education and outdoor education
• PET could inject OE into society as a vital
  component for our evolution but OE must
  genuinely evolve a focus on unlocking ICC