Earth-based Religion

I remember when I was at school we had a text book that covered all the major world religions, and there was one section of the book called "Earth-based Religion" which covered neopagan spirituality. The phrase "Earth-based" amuses me because it suggests that some religions are based on other planets. Many religions speak of worlds that are separate to this planet, heavens and hells which exist in different dimensions. An Earth-based religion would be concerned with the here and now, rather than other worlds. It also suggests to me a religion which is well "grounded" in reasonable ideas, and is "down to earth" in the sense of being practical, straightforward, and sensible. I asked some friends what "Earth-based" and "Nature-based" spirituality and religion meant to them:

• "To me; It means a spirituality brought about by an awareness, born of the Wonders of Nature and of the Planet, the elements and the creatures that live upon it, not something created by Human Beings in order to control other humans or to give emotional crutches and bribes in some "supposed" afterlife." - Mark
• "Being inspired by nature, the seasons, wind, rain and sun. Taking pleasure in being outdoors and generally feeling a connection to the earth." - Pan
• "Connecting on another level with the inner-you and the earth and all that it entails to reach a better understanding of yourself and the world around you." - Talon
• "I would define Earth-based spirituality as holding a viewpoint that the Earth and spending time in nature are a source with which to connect to your higher/unconscious self & the Universe." - Candace
• "For me, any religion can be earth-based, nature-based, nature-centered. If it sees our relationship to the earth not as a domineering one. When we hold that-which-is-not-human as something to hold domination over then I do not consider a path earth-based. When a religion claims a relationship to earth/nature, then I assume there is a view of union and oneness and not humans as those with the power over. One of the most powerful commonalities I have found which have kept me involved in inter-faith movements is our often-shared respect for the earth (including envionmentalistm). That's my simplistic view." - Anni
• "To me, it is a religion that reveres nature and it's natural cycles and bases its practices around those cycles. I think adherents to nature based religions tend to be environmentalists, but not all environmentalists belong to nature based religions. I think a religion wouldn't qualify as a nature based religion, such as their holidays being based around natural processes." - Shilah
• "I think a nature based religion celebrates the earth and her natural cycles as their primary spiritual basis. for instance, there's no saying that christians can't be environmentalists and celebrate season changes, but that isn't the primary focus of their religion." - Shannon

Someone who studies nature, the environment and wildlife, is called a naturalist. Natural philosophy, the philosophical study of nature, is considered to be the precursor of natural sciences such as physics. Today, a naturalist is someone who seeks to understand the universe through sceintific evidence. Is it possible to maintain a firm grasp of reality, as revealed by modern science, at the same time as taking part in religious rituals and other spiritual practices? American neuroscientist Sam Harris reasons (in this interview) that there is "nothing irrational about seeking the states of mind that lie at the core of many religions. Compassion, awe, devotion and feelings of oneness are surely among the most valuable experiences a person can have." I like to think that my beliefs are reasonable and well grounded, based upon scientific evidence, but I am interested in religion and spirituality, because of the experiences they provide. 

I think of mythology as a kind of collective dream. We don't usually have any control over what we dream, and neither do we tend to realise that what we are experiencing is just a dream. Some suggest that dreams are a way for the brain to process all the information you have collected during the day, and sort out what needs to be saved for your long term memory. Dreams might also be a way for your brain to process the challenges you have faced, rehearsing challenging scenarios in order to come up with survival strategies. Mythologies seem to also be a collection of distant memories of an ancient past, arranged into narratives which provide answers to our problems. The problems are often simple questions about why the sun rises and sets, what happens to people when they die, and how to live a happy life. I don't think there's any reason to treat mythologies as though they are literally true. Sacred scriptures do not hold all the answers, they are just dream books, allegories, a collection of stories that we tell in order to convey a deeper meaning. 

The mythologies, or folktales, of our pre-Christian past were collected during the Romantic Movement of the 19th century, because it was believed that these stories illustrated a simple way of life, in close communion with the natural environment. The term "romantic" did not have the same meaning it has today, but rather implied praise for natural phenomena, such as the beauty of a sunset or a crystal clear sea. As a reaction against the urban sprawl of industrialised Europe, Romanticism expressed the sublimity of the wilderness. Romanticists believed that a close connection with nature was mentally and morally healthy. Romantic poets and painters reinterpreted ancient myths, customs and traditions, reviving the religions of indigenous cultures in what became known as the Neopagan Movement. This was not a turn against science, but a way to inspire a spiritual experience. The English scientist Sir Humphry Davy, a prominent Romantic thinker, said that understanding nature required “an attitude of admiration, love and worship, ...a personal response."