Dingo's Smile

Abstract: There is much to be said for being with, sitting in, and remembering that we are of this Earth. Arne Naess's "simple in means, rich in ends" highlighted the need for us to contemplate the diversity our lives as... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract:
There is much to be said for being with, sitting in, and remembering that we are of this Earth. Arne Naess's "simple in means, rich in ends" highlighted the need for us to contemplate the diversity our lives as interwoven with the broad and complex cosmos from a humble sense of self, doing so in ways that wedded body, mind and soul (Bodian 1995, p. 26). Naess’s declaration was an Earth wisdom for and from the ages that bridged the gap between modern and indigenous life as much as that of the individual and the collective. Naess set us the task of finding a plethora of paths to reconcile these apparent paradoxes. Others have taken up the challenge.
This paper introduces the work of Beyond the Threshold (BTT) as one such path. BTT is a Perth-based community association offering contemporary Rites of Passage referred to as Vision Fasts held in remote locations throughout Australia. Vision Fasting has been translated and popularised by Steven Foster and Meredith Little from The School of Lost Borders for more the forty years. Vision Fasting is a time of fasting, seclusion and exposure where one is removed from the usual rhythms and demands of life. With the support of a team of experienced guides, the Vision Faster is encouraged to move away from the company of other humans as well as the distractions of food (generally for a period of four days), drinking only water while embarking on a journey of intentional contemplation to (re)discover Nature itself and our own inner nature. The Vision Faster is supported to brave the elements, stripping bare so that they might come home to self as one with others. In this place of Earthen reflection, the Vision Faster is encouraged to take stock of all four stages of their life (Summer – childhood; Autumn – adolescence; Winter – adulthood; Spring – eldering/rebirth) to (re)awaken the most essential elements within. As clarity emerges, the person becomes better positioned to enter a fifth stage of life, that being integration or their becoming “more fully human” through a kind of death that brings forth new life for the Self and towards others. From this place, where the Vision Faster is better able to offer themselves in service to their loved ones, their community and indeed all life on Earth.
In italics and interwoven throughout the paper is the story of one journey that unfolded through a Vision Fast in the Gold Fields of Western Australia. This anecdote is included here to demonstrate the power of a particular form of ecosophy that Naess eruditely advocated, and link between the works are made here (Naess ). The two streams of consciousness presented offer a version of Deep Ecology theory wedded with practice, demonstrating through the principle author’s experiences how Vision Fasting can support the enrichment of modern life both within and without simultaneously, for the betterment of the person and the planet. The paper is intended to appeal to both theoreticians and practitioners of sustainability alike, positing Vision Fasting as an important contribution to the practice of sustaining self and Earth.
Cross-referencing eco-therapeutic insights about the powerful impact of Nature on the human soul, the paper argues the case for “(re)membering” of the human spirit as a vital contribution to sustaining all life on Earth.