For your bestseller “The Taste of Leaves and Earth,” you conducted numerous experiments in which you attempted to perceive the world as a non-human animal. For example, they lived as a fox, a badger, an otter (sic!) or a deer. A crazy idea.
That would be a perfectly normal idea in most societies, just not in ours. In times when we humans lived as hunters and gatherers, it made sense that we could empathize with other non-human animals and mimic them in a way. In order for humans to hunt, they needed a close relationship with animals. They had to understand how animals perceive and how they move through the world. In my experiments, I was really doing nothing more than reviving a skill without which we humans would never have survived to this day.
What gave you the impetus for your experiments?
Like all people, I try to get out of myself. I don’t want to get stuck in Charles Foster’s head all the time. I prefer to explore to what extent I can empathize with the world of other beings. It’s also great fun to live like an animal. Children understand this: they have a more instinctive and direct relationship with the natural world than adults. Do you crawl on the ground, climb trees and always want to hear stories about animals? This project was also an attempt to reconnect with the world I had as a child.
Do we lose connection with the world as we grow up?
Yes, I think so. I’m about six feet tall now – as a kid I was much closer to the ground and everything that lives on and in it. Growing up is a process of leaving behind all those creatures that are actually our closest relatives. As we grow away from the Earth, we begin to look down on it more and more – physically and figuratively. We come to believe that everything that lives among us has less value than us and can therefore be used by us. In my experiments, I also try to leave behind the many opinions and judgments I have accumulated on my journey into adult life.
How exactly does this work? How can you immerse yourself as a two meter tall human in the perspective of a much smaller animal?
First I read all about the animals I wanted to discover. Then I tried to figure out how to write something about the animal world that was accessible and entertaining, but not silly. I chose to focus on one sense for each animal I wanted to mimic. With the badger, for example, it was the sense of smell. So I didn’t wake up until I got home: I spread scents around the house, wandering the rooms blindfolded, trying to figure out what happens when scents bounce off walls or mix with each other. Then my son and I dug a big tunnel and moved in. Our eyes and noses were tie height, we were awake at night and used our sense of smell to get around
What can we gain by sharpening our senses?
First, it humbles us – we realize how limited our perspective of the world is. Non-human animals can show us that the world is much more complex and charismatic than we think. On the other hand, it makes life more exciting when we start to hear, smell or feel more.
Which experiment did you like the most?
Life like an otter! I love the places where otters live: rivers flowing through wild landscapes. It’s so easy and beautiful to float in the river at night, stare at the stars and hear the clatter of crayfish – and so different from my usual life. Living like a fox in the middle of London is much more difficult: it takes a lot of imagination not to move in the usual human ways. And it’s not exactly pleasant to eat a slice of pizza that someone bit into the night before.
The ultimate Otten slideshow:
Would you recommend your experiment to everyone?
Yes absolutely. My experiments were like going to the empathy gym: I trained my empathy. And that also helps me in my relationships with people: if I manage to empathize even a little bit with the world of a fox, then maybe I can empathize better with my children’s world. Ultimately, empathy is a process that should happen in any kind of relationship. It can make you a better friend, a father who is a little less distant, a more supportive earthling
What has changed in you personally?
I have developed a greater awareness of relationships and the very ordinary things of life. I try to pay real attention. Unfortunately, I think we rarely do. We don’t envision the tree, but instead think of everything we know about trees, or memories related to trees. And that’s a shame! Because I’m sure this tree is more interesting than Charles Foster’s thoughts on this tree. In that respect, we can learn a lot from non-human animals and their view of the world
Many would say: we are human, we can never feel what badgers feel. What were the limits of your experiment?
If you judge the project by whether I managed to get into the minds of the animals, it was an almost complete failure. But: it has convinced me that the attempt is worth it. That it pays to work more on my empathy muscles. I can learn not to see myself as the center of the universe
How far would you go: should we also empathize with plants, stones, books?
It will not hurt. This experiment is also about the search for connection. Interestingly, both ancient traditions and modern quantum physics see it the same way: everything is connected. But we don’t see that in our society. We only see parts, never the whole. We also see humans as machines rather than mystical entities intertwined with everything. Like all other animals, we are creatures very closely related to the world and completely dependent on these relationships. I am convinced that if we recognized this, we would be happier personally, socially and politically
They love to talk about connection and relationships. But we humans are constantly distinguishing ourselves from other animals. Why are we doing this?
We are proud creatures and like to have things to look down on – animals or other people. We like to think that we can use anything non-human as a commodity. By doing this, we give ourselves permission to destroy the non-human world – which ultimately destroys us as well. I agree that humans are extraordinary creatures. But we lose a lot by pretending there is no continuity between us and other animals. Darwin said 150 years ago that non-human animals are part of our family. They are hairy and feathery and scaly. And they are related to us – if I don’t recognize and respect this biological fact, I can’t live well in this world. Knowing about our relatives is great: It’s incredibly exciting to walk into a forest and know you’re going to a family reunion.
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
