The Teachings of Mistle Thrush and Kingfisher
Australian Journal of Environmental Education August 11, 2025 DOI: 10.1017/aee.2023.4 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe authors, an artist and a writer, argue that learning to experience the world as filled with sentient beings—trees, crows, rivers—rather than inert objects can help address the ecological crisis. Drawing on living cosmos panpsychism and examples from their own practice, they explore how to move beyond intellectual understanding to embodied, felt participation in a communicative, interactive world. They reflect on how their artistic and writing practices can foster this shift in perception.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Living cosmos panpsychism Nature writing Climate change Arts Non dualism |
| Key finding | Argues that artistic and reflective practices can cultivate an embodied, participatory experience of a sentient world, offering a response to the ecological crisis. |
Abstract
What would it be like to learn to live in and experience a world of sentient beings rather than inert objects? How can we learn to awarely participate in a world of communication and interaction, in which trees, crows and rivers may grace us with a response to our attention and our call? How do we learn not just to know this intellectually but ‘proved upon our pulses’, as John Keats put it. As artist and writer, we reflect on the contribution our practices can have to the ecological crisis of our times, drawing on living cosmos panpsychism and examples from our practice.