Psychology on deep ecology

Profile: Bayo Akomolafe

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Bayo Akomolafe is a Nigerian psychologist, author, and philosopher who offers decolonial perspectives on mental health, spirituality, and environmental activism. Trained in Western psychology but rooted in Yoruba cosmology, he proposes “post-activist” approaches that examine assumptions about agency and social change.

Akomolafe’s philosophy emphasizes “slowing down” and “composting” - allowing old systems and identities to decompose so that new possibilities can emerge. Through The Emergence Network, he facilitates conversations about decolonizing research, education, and activism. His work examines how indigenous African philosophies can contribute to environmental movements while maintaining cultural sovereignty.

Profile: Francis Weller

Sun, 28 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Francis Weller is a psychotherapist, author, and ritual elder who examines connections between grief, ecological crisis, and community healing. Trained in depth psychology and influenced by indigenous wisdom traditions, he bridges Western therapeutic approaches with ritual practices of community healing.

Weller’s work on “ecological grief” proposes that sorrow for environmental destruction represents natural response rather than pathology. He suggests that capacity to feel this grief relates to ability to act on behalf of ecological systems. Through development of grief rituals, men’s initiation work, and community healing practices, he has created supportive containers where people can process both personal and collective trauma.

Article: The Deep Ecology Movement: Origins, Development, and FutureProspects (Toward a Transpersonal Ecosophy)

Sun, 01 May 2022 00:00:00 +0000

“The deep ecology movement, which began with Arne Naess’ introduction of the term in 1972, is compared with other movements for social responsibility that developed in the 20th century. The paper discusses Naess’ cross-cultural approach to characterizing grass-roots movements via platform principles that can be supported from a diversity of cultures, worldviews, and personal philosophies, and explains his use of “ecosophy.” The deep ecology movement’s relationship with ecopsychology, ecocriticism, and humanistic and transpersonal psychology is described as part of an emerging synthesis referred to as transpersonal ecosophy. The inquiry concludes with a technical discussion of Naess’ Apron Diagram and reflections on the future of the movement in light of widespread concerns about global warming and destruction of cultural and biological diversity.” Article: the-deep-ecology-movement-origins-development-and-future-prospects

Essay: Ecopsychology: The Birth of A New Proffesion

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000

By Theodore Roszak

excerpt from “The Voice of the Earth by Theodore Roszak - Simon Schuster 1992

In the post-Earth Summit era it is becoming clear that the environmental movement will have to find a new way forward if it is to achieve its ambitious agenda for change. The Earth Summit succeeded in clearly establishing one fact; We are all-literally all-in one planetary boat. The living standard of the rich has been maintained largely off natural resources, labor, and the unwilling compliance of the poor. Now the poor demand their share, and we see that there is no benefit the rich nations enjoy that the poor nations cannot deny them or destroy by the reckless “development” of their resources.

Essay: Ecopsychology – by John Seed

Sun, 02 Oct 1994 00:00:00 +0000

PAPER DELIVERED BY JOHN SEED TO THE ECOPSYCHOLOGY SYMPOSIUM AT THE AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY’S 28TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE, GOLD COAST, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, 2/10/94

I take “ecopsychology” to mean psychology in service to the Earth. ECO, PSYCHE, LOGOS: Knowing that the Earth is home to our soul. In spite of the modern delusion of alienation, of separation from the living Earth, we are NOT aliens, we belong here. The human psych too is Earth-born, the result of 4000 million years of continuous evolution and the complex, exquisite biology from which psyche emerged inevitably remains the matrix, the grounding of any sane psychology.