Solitude, Spirituality & Ecological Identity

Research has shown that wilderness interaction allows people to look at nature in a new and more detailed way (Scherl, 1989). Religious practices and religious experiences can also change the way members define and identify themselves.

As a combination of the two, famous Judeo-Christian practices such as meditations and nature retreats can help guide followers toward these transcendent spiritual experiences. Furthermore, they can help develop an ecological self-identity that encompasses one’s position as part of a living ecosystem such as the case of St Francis and his followers

References:

Scherl, L. M. (1989). Self in wilderness: Understanding the psychological benefits of individual‐wilderness interaction through self‐control. Leisure Sciences, 11(2), 123-135.