The Spell of the Sensuous

First and foremost we are sensual critters. At birth, our brains still have significant development to accomplish and focuses initially on the Sensory Control area since it’s vital for growth that we fully realize the messages and signals that the physical world is constantly sending. Here’s a poetic and philosophical exploration of how we emerged from and continue to be part of the physical sensual world. It makes sense it’s last. I’ve been reading it for two years without finishing; after a couple of pages of Abram’s beautiful wisdom about how, for instance, the first spoken languages were composed of… show more.

Abram is a cultural ecologist and sleight-of-hand magician who always surprises. In this book, he describes a way of reading (and interacting) with the landscape that draws on indigenous traditions, the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty, and a deeply embodied perception of the natural world. Our human language, he affirms, is itself rooted in the sounds of falling water, birdsong, and wind rushing through the branches of larch trees.