Exploring the Therapeutic Value of the World

Over the centuries, philosophers, artists, writers and musicians have conveyed the therapeutic value and beauty of the world around us. In his beautiful On the Grasshopper and Cricket, John Keats claims, The poetry of earth is never dead. The harsh beauty of our desert landscape is captured by Douglas Stewart. In The Fierce Land, he says, Here the world ends in a shield of purple stone / Naked in its long war against the sun. Wordsworth, though a lover of nature, also appreciated the early morning awakening of a large city. But our modern world is haunted by conflicts and uncertainties. It can be difficult to grasp and appreciate positive experiences and their therapeutic possibilities. All meetings and encounters become memories. And, unless we nurture those beautiful, meaningful encounters, they will erode like footprints in sand.