Nature Scene.

"Spell of the Sensuous" might be one of the most eye-opening books ever given to me. At first I was unsure if I would even be able to get through it-- it's full of big words and tangling webs of philosophical thought-- but just when I thought it was going to be the driest book ever and that I would have to shamefully explain to the person who passed it on to me that it was too difficult a read, I came to a part in the book where a philosophy written by Maurice Merleau-Ponty blew my fucking mind.

A chapter entitled "The Mindful Life of the Body" was the first of many chapters to shatter some life-long illusions for me. Here it is expressed that our experiencing "self" is with our bodily organism. This at first terrified me, as I am used to identifying myself as something without a "shell" or of the flesh, although I am aware of my body, highly aware of it and most of the time feel anxious and trapped in it. Here I was invited to look at my body as the life experience itself, that without this body I could not hear the ocean, touch the grass, be touched, or taste. That the sensory aspect of this body is how we come into contact, not just with this life on earth but with ourselves, where we can reflect, we can think, we can learn. "Far from restricting my access to things and to the world, the body is my very means of entering into relation with all things." Dudes, maybe this isn't that big of a deal to anyone else, but if I really think about it, so much of my behavior comes up for judgment. This is a good thing. This book called me to take a step back from the hustle of my urban life, my monetary worship, my slavery to "the man", and remember that there is a magic connection between all things-- the river, the grass, the snakes and rabbits, the blue of the sky... the EARTH, dudes.

I constantly have feelings and thoughts like "this is bullshit" when I look around at society and watch as we all just accept this industrial world as freedom, and that if all the grocery stores closed we would all starve. Its like we have been brainwashed into believing that all this "convenience" of technology and mass-produced packaged food is for our benefit. No one wants to look at how we treat the animals, the earth, our own bodies because we are convinced that the way we have it is great. The most incredible civilization ever. It's sick. We are so victimized by our needs that we have forgotten that not only has this earth provided everything, but we have detached ourselves from its magic, its infinite knowledge, and its compassion.

"Spell of the Sensuous" literally turned my thoughts upside down, shattered illusions, and held me responsible in an incredible way. READ IT. The author truly understands the magic of earth, the magic of language, and shows us how deeply rooted in ecology it is. The only downside is if you live in a city you may never view it the same, because you may realize how incredibly sold short you are, and will probably make plans to move straight into the forest or tropics or desert as soon as you can. Yes! Country witch!