ARCHETYPES OF NATURE
Alexander Kopytin
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Department of Psychology, St. Petersburg Academy of Postgraduate Pedagogical Studies (St.-Petersburg, Russian Federation)
Abstract
The article proposes and substantiates the phenomenon of natural archetypes as a new category of ecopsychology. Considered from the point of view of the eco-human approach [1], archetypes of nature are thought-forms and works of world culture, combining various natural phenomena and objects, on the one hand, and human properties, the world of mental phenomena, on the other hand. Using Koestler's ideas about holons and holarchies, and Wilber's four fundamental abilities of holons (self-preservation, self-adaptation, self-transcendence and self-utilization), the author shows how these abilities are realized in human relations with the natural world.
Keywords: archetype, archetypes of nature, holon, holarchy, ecopsychology, eco-human approach
Introduction
The concept of archetype (ancient Greek ἀρχέτυπον – prototype) was used in analytical psychology by C.G. Jung to denote the universal foundations of human mental experience, manifested in images and motives of dreams and fantasies, myths, works of literature and art, in the perception of external reality. The existence of a significant number of archetypes is phenomenologically confirmed, each of which covers a certain class of mental phenomena that do not have an obvious source in an individual and are inherent in all people.
It is far from accidental that, in an effort to determine the essence and boundaries of the psychic, archetypal psychology came close to the ideas of ecopsychology. It is significant that James Hillman’s latest publications indicate an increasingly clear connection of his thought to ecopsychology. In the preface to the book “Ecopsychology” [5] he writes:
“Psychology would track the fields of naturalists, botanists, oceanographers, geologists, urbanists, designers for the concealed intentions, the latent subjectivity of regions the old paradigm considered only objective, beyond consciousness and interiority… Psychology, so dedicated to awakening human consciousness, needs to wake itself up to one of the most ancient human truths: we cannot be studied or cured apart from the planet.” (p. xxii).
In the same preface, Hillman raises questions about the nature of human beings and human subjectivity: what is the human self, where does it begin and where does it end? Considering the historical development of psychological concepts, he demonstrates the transition that is taking place in psychological science from the idea that the psyche is a phenomenon associated exclusively with the human brain, to ideas that consider mental activity as being carried out between individuals and their environments, including the natural world.
“Since the discovery of the unconscious, every sophisticated theory of personality has to admit that whatever I claim to be «me» has at least a portion of its roots beyond my agency and my awareness. These unconscious roots may be planted in territories far away from anything I may call mine, belonging rather to what Jung called the «psychoid» partly material, partly psychic, a merging of psyche and matter… I’m reviewing these well-known basics of psychological theory to show that the human subject has all along been implicated in the wider world of nature… The deepest self cannot be confined to “in here” because we can’t be sure it is not also or even entirely “out there”!” [5, p. xviii-xix]
The eco-human approach [1] underlies the new perspective on archetypes proposed in this article, allowing us to identify and substantiate such a category as archetypes of nature. They can be considered as thought-forms and works of world culture, uniting various natural phenomena and objects, on the one hand, and human properties, the world of mental phenomena, on the other hand.
Certain prerequisites for such a position can be seen in the ideas of K.-C.G. Jung, who formulated the concept of “psychoid phenomena” or “psychoid factor”, realized through the archetypes of the collective unconscious. As Murray Stein explains, “psychoid” is a concept, “... referring to the boundaries of the psyche, one side of which interacts with the body and the physical world, and the other with the kingdom of the “spirit”” [8, p. 234]. Thus, in order to solve the problem of determining the relationship between the human subjectivity and the environment, the “psychoid” foundation of mind as partly material, partly psychic, a merging of psyche and matter is proposed.
Natural archetypes as holons
Archetypes of nature can be considered as holistic and relatively autonomous entities – holons. Forming a holarchic system of natural archetypes, they reflect the entire set of physical and biological phenomena of varying degrees of complexity that make up the natural world. The word holon (Greek ὅλον) is a combination of the Greek word holos (ὅλος), meaning “whole”, with the suffix - on, which denotes a particle or part. Holon means something that is both a whole and, at the same time, a part of a larger whole.
According to Arthur Koestler, who first used this concept in his book "Ghost in the Machine" [7], holons are independent units that have a certain degree of autonomy, although they can also be subordinated to holons of a higher order, ensuring the functioning of a larger whole. He used this term to describe natural organisms consisting of semi-autonomous parts that are connected in the form of a hierarchy, or holarchy, forming a single whole. Holons allow us to overcome the opposition of parts and wholes, and also to explain both self-affirming and integrative tendencies of organisms of varying degrees of complexity, from the phenomena of the microworld, the living cell, and ending with the Universe.
The concepts of holon and holarchic system correspond to modern ecological ideas and allow us to substantiate the role and place of humans in culture, on Earth and in the Universe. We can talk about the holarchy of natural archetypes as a hierarchical system (matrix) that is formed in the process of human interaction with the world of natural phenomena of varying complexity, starting with elementary forms of life and individual physical phenomena, and ending with the levels of the biosphere, and the universe. Such a holarchy is the result of their subjectification, and reveals the essential properties of humans, the "universe" of their mental and spiritual experience, which, together with the essential properties of nature, form an eco-human reality. In the process of perceiving various phenomena of the natural world, comprehending them in acts of sensory perception, emotional experience and knowledge, together with nature humans create an eco-human reality, form a holarchic system of archetypal natural images. In this case, different methods of understanding reality can be used. The holarchic system of natural archetypes is formed and can be presented in those forms of preserving and transmitting knowledge about natural phenomena in their unity with human beings that are characteristic of the arts, science (primarily a complex of human sciences), religion and myth.
Before introducing the term holon itself, Koestler formulated his concept in The act of creation [6], in which he addresses the relationship between the search for subjective and objective knowledge, noting that Einstein's description of space is no closer to reality than the sky in a Van Gogh’s painting. The cognitive activity of a scientist discovers its order in chaos in the same way that a composer or artist discovers meaning and harmony in what initially seems chaotic.
Four fundamental capabilities of holons and their connection with the ecology of nature, culture, and human consciousness
Ecological concepts can be used not only to describe the world of natural phenomena, but also culture and the mental reality of humans, since nature, culture, and the human psyche are holarchic systems and have common patterns and principles of their origin, functioning, and development. Using the concepts of holons and the holarchic system, Ken Wilber [10] drew attention to the common patterns of generation and evolution of different systems related to physical, biological, and mental (spiritual) reality.
Emphasizing the importance of the concepts of hierarchy, which occupy a central place in systems theory, he notes that the whole provides a principle of connecting elements that is not present in the individual parts, and this principle allows the parts to connect and have something in common. Hierarchy transforms disparate fragments in a network of mutual interactions into a higher-order community, such as when protein molecules combine to form a cell, in turn cells form a multicellular organism, and multiple organisms form a biocenosis, etc.
Wilber [10] claims that
"all known sequences of development and evolution proceed in part through hierarchies or orders of increasing holism... In cognitive development we also find that awareness expands from simple and discrete perceptual images that represent only one thing or event, to symbols and concepts that represent entire groups or classes of things and events, and further, to rules that organize and integrate multiple classes and groups into entire networks" (p. 32).
According to Wilber [10], holons exhibit four fundamental capacities: self-preservation, self-adaptation, self-transcendence, and self-utilization. Particular attention in examining each of these abilities will be paid to how they are realized in human relations with the natural world, thus establishing archetypes of nature.
Self-preservation
All holons demonstrate the ability to maintain their individuality, integrity, and autonomy. When placed in a given living environment, a holon has the capacity for self-preservation and self-reproduction (autopoiesis). It retains its recognizable pattern (or structure) even when its material components are replaced, and it assimilates the environment. Although holons exist through their relationships with one another or context, their viability is determined not only by their relationships with one another but also by their individual form or structure. In the physiosphere, the form of a holon is relatively simple; in the biosphere and noosphere, holons implement complex rules of exchange with the environment and rules of self-organization that are aimed at maintaining a stable and relatively autonomous pattern, which is the essence of the biosphere and noosphere.
In relation to a person and his mental organization, the ability to self-preservation is not only biological reproduction and preservation of the physical integrity of the organism, but also the ability to preserve one's Self, identity, based on the unique composition of genomes and personal experience. Considering self-preservation from the point of view of the eco-human approach, we can recognize that this ability is realized through the connections of a person with the living environment and the formation of such unique qualities of the individual that are based on the unique history of one’s relations with the place of birth, life and death in the totality of natural and socio-cultural characteristics of environments.
The ability of holons to self-preservation, in fact, implements one of the most important ecological principles characterizing the ecosystem of our planet and local natural and cultural ecosystems, and the ecosystem of the human psyche. We can talk about the importance of species diversity, the value of each species that makes up the world of plants, fungi and animal organisms that make up ecosystems. We can also recognize the value of "species diversity" for cultural ecology, family life, human community, the noosphere. The loss of cultural and natural species diversity reduces the evolutionary potential of the system and its ability to self-preservation and development. The leveling of diversity, the erasure of individual differences, whether in culture, in nature, or in the internal psychological organization of a personality (which, for example, is associated with the presence of many psychological properties, social roles and qualities of the individual) undermines the ecological principles of holarchy. Archetypes of nature reflect the ability of the human holon (humans as a species, a certain group of people and a specific individual) to preserve its uniqueness and reveal it in relationships with other forms of life and with each other. This can be associated with more or less long-term, deep connections of human holons with natural holons, the formation of relationships between them, thanks to which the uniqueness of different forms of natural life is maintained and revealed in their unity with the uniqueness of each individual or group of people.
One example of this can be the phenomenon of a totem, which denotes a class of objects or natural phenomena to which a particular social group (clan, tribe), and sometimes an individual, render special worship, to which they consider themselves related, and by whose name they call themselves. There is no natural object that could not be a totem, however, the most common (and, apparently, ancient) totems are animals. Thus, worship of a totem as a natural archetype allows an individual, clan or tribe to preserve their psychological and cultural identity and use the totem as their “patron”, teacher and protector. All world religions are also characterized by a close connection between the described key events concerning the spiritual experience of the founders of the faiths, with certain places on Earth, which are subsequently recognized as sacred and play an important role in preserving religious, cultural and national identity.
The process of mental development and the formation of different social communities presupposes increasing differentiation and complication of the set of internal qualities of an individual or human community, while maintaining its qualitative differences from others. Such differentiation, especially in archaic cultures, occurs on the basis of identification with different natural phenomena and places, species of animals and plants.
The capacity for self-preservation is associated with self-knowledge and people's understanding of each other's uniqueness, which is clearly manifested in love as a meeting of two people ‘destined’ for each other. The ecological foundations of this feeling, associated with the identification of the beloved with a natural object, are revealed in the archetypal plots of some fairy tales, for example, the fairy tale "The Scarlet Flower". The plot of this fairy tale is one of the versions of the plot of "Beauty and the Beast". It was recorded by S. T. Aksakov "from the words of the housekeeper Pelageya" and is as follows.
A rich merchant, going to overseas countries, before leaving, asks his daughters what gifts to bring them. The eldest asks for a golden crown with gems. The middle daughter asks for a mirror, looking into which the girl does not age, but becomes more and more beautiful. The youngest daughter asks for a scarlet flower, more beautiful than any other flowers in the world.
Having made a large profit and bought gifts for his two older daughters, but not having found the flower that his youngest daughter had asked for, the merchant goes home, but on the way he and his servants are attacked by robbers. Having abandoned his caravans and servants, the merchant runs away from the robbers into a dense forest. In the forest he comes to a luxurious palace. When, having spent the night, but not having met anyone in the palace, he decides to walk in the garden around the palace, he sees a scarlet flower of unprecedented beauty. Realizing that in front of him is the very flower that his daughter had asked for, the merchant picks it. At this, an angry monster appears - the owner of the palace. For the fact that the merchant, who was received as an honored guest, picked his favorite flower, the joy of his whole life, the monster sentences the merchant to death. The merchant tells the monster his youngest daughter’s request, and then the monster agrees to let the merchant go with the flower, having given him a rich gift, on the condition that one of his daughters must voluntarily come to his palace. If within three days none of the daughters want to go to the palace, then the merchant must return himself, and then he will be executed by a cruel death.
Returning home, the merchant tells his daughters about what happened and invites them to go to the monster. The older daughters flatly refuse to go. The youngest daughter agrees, says goodbye to her father, puts on the ring and finds herself in the palace with the monster. But because the older daughters set the clock, she arrives at the palace later than the appointed time and finds the monster dead. The girl embraces the monster's head and screams that she loves him as her desired groom. As soon as she says these words, lightning begins to strike, thunder rumbles and the earth shakes. She faints, but when she wakes up, she finds herself on the throne with the prince, a handsome man. The prince tells her that he was turned into an ugly monster by an evil sorceress. He had to remain as a monster until a maiden, no matter of what rank, would fall in love with him in his monster form and wish to be his lawful wife. The uniqueness of the youngest daughter's chosen one, in whose person she finds her betrothed, in this fairy tale is associated with a scarlet flower, which has no equal in the whole world. It was this flower that she dreamed of, expressing her deepest desire to her father before his departure to overseas countries. She was ready to go to the end to save her chosen one.
Self-adaptation
A holon functions not only as a self-preserving whole, but also as a part of a larger whole, and as a part it must adapt to other holons and the general rules operating in the community, and fit into the existing environment. We can talk about two opposing tendencies that manifest themselves in the behavior and interaction of holons with each other. One tendency is self-affirmation, self-preservation, self-realization. It is associated with the ability of a holon to assimilate (process) elements of the environment, maintaining its integrity and relative autonomy. The other tendency is associated with the formation of a community, unification with others, which is inevitably associated with certain self-limitations. Archetypes of nature show the ability of a human holon (a human as a species, a human community and a specific individual) to adapt to the living environment, maintaining a balance between the tendency to self-affirmation (defending one's interests) and adaptation to other holons as other forms of life or people, taking into account their interests and even helping them, forming a certain system together with them.
The ability of holons to self-adaptation implements the ecological principles of holarchic systems. This can be shown by the example of those ecological principles that characterize the ecosystem of our planet and local ecosystems. Life is associated with the creation of ecosystems, that is, communities of different creatures that are in symbiotic relationships with each other and endowed with the ability to limit their life activity and the life activity of each other in a certain way for the common good, reproducing and developing the conditions of the living environment in the interests of their reproduction and prosperity. The components of an ecosystem are relatively autonomous life forms, each of which contributes creatively to the whole and modifies it in accordance with its own uniqueness. Ecosystems can be healthy or unhealthy, functional or dysfunctional. The health of ecosystems is characterized by mutual cooperation and collaboration of holons as elements of the community, as well as of each community with other communities, which contributes to their successful functioning.
This ability, transmitted through natural archetypes, affirms ecological principles associated with the need for persons to limit their ambitions, coordinating their needs with the needs and capabilities of other life forms and the ecosystem. Archetypes of nature act as one of the factors in the development of ecological consciousness, indicating the need to move from the anthropocentric type of ecological consciousness, in which humans perceive themselves as endowed with the right to “own the world” and use nature exclusively in their own interests, to the nature-centric or ecocentric types of ecological consciousness, in which humanity coordinates its interests and actions with interests of the natural world, the web of life.
This ecological principle, associated with the ability of a human holon to enter into equal relations and cooperation with other people and living beings, recognizing their interests and limiting their ambitions, is manifested, in particular, in the plot of the Russian fairy tale "Morozko". One of the heroes, "Ivan the Bear's Head" was handsome, strong and skillful, but at the same time very proud and narcissistic. When he left his home "to see the world and show himself," he met Old Man Borovichok on his way, who gave Ivan a magic bow and arrows. But Ivan not only did not thank Old Man Borovichok, but even spoke rudely to him, and he, offended, cast a terrible spell on Ivan, which was supposed to start working after some time.
Proud of himself and demonstrating his skills, Ivan killed a duck. Soon after, Ivan met Nastya by the river and fell in love with her. Trying to impress the girl, self-confident and unwavering, he took aim at the she-bear. Nastya tried to stop Ivan, but he did not listen to her and at that moment began to turn into a man-bear.
Thinking that the girl had cast an evil spell on him, Ivan cursed her and disappeared into the forest, where he again met Old Man Borovichok, who explained that Ivan had received his bear form as a punishment for his rudeness and bad manners. It is possible to get rid of the spell only by doing good - respecting the interests of people and other living beings, selflessly and from a pure heart. An important archetypal motif of this tale is a person's overcoming of egoism and pride, salvation and deliverance from a spell based on the formation of equal relations with people and other forms of life, attention to their interests. Another archetypal motif of this tale is that Nastya, imbued with sympathy and love for Ivan, as he does good deeds in relation to people and nature, helps him overcome the spell.
Self-transcendence (self-transformation)
When an oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms combine under suitable circumstances, a new holon is created - the holon of a water molecule. This is not just a combination of three atoms, but a transformation that leads to the emergence of something new, something that did not exist before. This relates to the concept of creativity, which occurs at different levels of the organization of nature. Self-transcendence represents a kind of "going beyond", the creation, the generation of something new, which is not a simple sum of its constituent elements.
At the biological level, self-transcendence relates to the continuation of life (reproduction) of different organisms, including humans, which occurs as a result of the fusion of two cells with the genetic sets of two parents. Self-transcendence is also associated with evolution, the emergence of new or qualitative changes in previously existing species, the acquisition of new properties by them. Self-transcendence of a higher level may be associated with qualitative changes in ecosystems and the biosphere, a kind of evolutionary “leap” involving everyone included in the web of life.
At the psychological and cultural level, self-transcendence is associated with qualitative changes that occur when individuals or communities move to a new “turn” of their development, which usually presupposes a new way of their organization and functioning. Evolution as a whole can be considered as a result of self-transcendence of holons. This presupposes a vertical dimension, an exit to a qualitatively new level, a new stage of the evolutionary process. As Wilber notes, “Self-transcendence leaves no corner of the Universe untouched. Otherwise, evolution would have no starting point, which means nothing less than that the Universe has an internal capacity to go beyond what it was before” [10, p. 47].
The ability of holons to self-transcendence by uniting into a community and creating a new quality implements the ecological principles of holarchic systems, including the ecosystem of our planet and local ecosystems. According to the eco-human approach, these principles are associated with the idea of life as a way of coexistence and co-creation of human and biotic communities, when humanity and the culture they create and the noosphere, together with nature, participate in the processes of self-development of the Earth and the universe.
The idea of coexistence and co-creation of humankind and nature, associated with the idea of self-transcendence, is reflected in the concept of ecopoiesis ("creation of homes") as a universal mechanism for the joint evolution and co-creation of humans and nature. Self-transcendence through ecopoiesis is associated with creativity, realizing the plan of the Earth and the Universe.
Self-transcendence in humans is associated not only with the transition to a new level of development of technologies and knowledge about the world, but also knowledge about themselves and their place and role in the life of the ecosphere. This, in particular, presupposes the formation of a higher type of ecological consciousness, when a person “goes beyond” his or her species or individual interests and rises to the level of an ecosystemic, planetary perception of the world, overcomes the anthropocentric worldview and forms ecocentric and nature-centric types of ecological consciousness. Such types of ecological consciousness are characterized by universal ecological ethics associated with the perception of different forms of life as having value and meaning, and human concern for their well-being and prosperity.
The transition to a higher level of ecological consciousness is also associated with the formation of an eco-identity based on identification and emotional connection with the natural world, along with connections with people. This is a self-perception that presupposes responsibility and care for life on the planet, an ethical and aesthetic perception of the natural world and practical actions aimed at preserving it. Such self-transcendence is of decisive importance today for the fate of humanity and life on earth. It was also understood and conveyed in its own way in the archetypal stories of the past. The legend of the Holy Grail can be considered as one of the versions of the archetypal plot associated with the experience of self-transcendence as a transition to a higher level of development of consciousness and ecological awareness.
This legend has many literary, poetic and even musical versions of its presentation and a wide variety of interpretations reflecting different views and values characteristic of different historical and cultural contexts. It shows certain ecological foundations and values associated with the attitude of human beings to their living environment, the connection between the health and well-being of humans and nature. The legend tells how the knight Percival, in search of the Holy Grail, stops for the night with the king (the Fisher King) of the lake country, who is fishing near his castle. The king is seriously wounded and suffers. Versions of the story about the Fisher King in different sources differ significantly, but he is always wounded in the leg or groin, because of which he suffers greatly and is unable to move independently. His kingdom and the land he owns suffer along with him. It becomes the Desolate Land.
The only remaining source of peace, partial and temporary relief from suffering, available to him is fishing near his castle. Knights from many lands come to try to heal the Fisher King, but only the chosen one can do it. This chosen one turns out to be Percival, who undergoes a certain procedure of admission to the mystery of the Holy Grail and becomes an agent, activating its healing powers. Percival witnesses how the healers bring the king water in a large beautiful cup, and the king is miraculously healed. Together with him, the land is healed, and it blooms again.
Later, according to some versions of the legend, Percival takes the throne of the Fisher King and becomes the new keeper of the Grail. However, after seven years, he leaves the castle for the forest and becomes a hermit. Why he leaves the world of people, what he leaves behind, what happens to the Grail next, what it serves, remains undisclosed in the plot. We can hypothesize that the legend hides a deep ecological truth. It is connected with the fact that human well-being and health are inextricably linked with the state of the natural world. Physical, psychological and moral ill-health of a person becomes a curse for the natural world, and, in turn, one’s healing based on the adoption of a new philosophy of life turns out to be salutary for nature. Percival becomes a conductor and witness of the act of communion with the Source of life, healing the Fisher King and nature.
This interpretation of the legend of the Holy Grail can be supported by the Celtic, pre-Christian foundations of the legend, which were characterized by the worship of the forces of nature and its perception as sacred. This interpretation can also be supported by an archetypal plot of a more universal nature, associated with the idea of the source of life, for example, the horn of plenty as a miraculous vessel with the ability to give out any food and drink. In Greek mythology, it was the horn of the goat that nursed the infant Zeus. Another option is the horn of Achelous, the god of the river of the same name, the son of Oceanus and Tethys. The horn of a goat or a bull (in the case of Achelous) entered classical sculpture and painting as a symbol of abundance, primarily of the gifts of nature: fruits, grain, flowers. Welsh and Irish mythology abound in magical cauldrons capable of giving an endless amount of food, healing and even bringing back to life the dead or deceased.
All these symbols are in one way or another connected with people's ideas about a certain Source. In some cases, as is typical, for example, for medieval or later versions of the legend, the blood of Christ acts as such a source. In other cases, it is the world of nature. Access to the Source and connection with it become possible due to the formation of the corresponding qualities of ecological consciousness, the "dedication" ("initiation") of a person into a certain set of eco-human ideas, feelings, values and moral norms associated with the world of nature in its unity with human beings.
Self-utilization
Holons created through vertical self-transcendence can not only develop, but also be destroyed. It is not surprising that when holons are "utilized" or "die", they tend to do so in accordance with the same vertical sequence in which they arose, only in the opposite direction. This occurs on the basis of systemic "memory", which manifests itself both at the level of the simplest organisms and at the level of psychological, cultural and noospheric holons. Self-utilization of holons occurs both as a result of their “natural death”, upon completion of the integral cycle of their development, and various “pathologies” – systemic disorders that cause the premature destruction of the holon. Although self-utilization leads to the disintegration of holons into their constituent elements and a transition to a lower level of existence, the consequence of this is that the “decay products” of the holon are appropriated by other “viable” holons and become part of them.
Considering the process of self-utilization of holons from an eco-human perspective, it can be recognized that, when disintegrating, holons retain a certain type of subjectivity, and when included in a new holon, they acquire a new type of subjectivity determined by the properties of this holon. A person, both by oneself and by interacting with the processes of disintegration and dying of various biological and physical forms, can form natural archetypes together with them, first of all, the so-called Death-Rebirth archetype. Certain structural elements of the human psyche or body, age-related changes, mental or somatic diseases can actualize this type of natural archetype, which finds vivid expression in the picture of human experiences and relationships with oneself and the outside world. Self-utilization of holons is revealed in many archetypal stories that touch upon the dynamics of death and rebirth as a capacious metaphor for various processes.
The ability of holons to self-utilize and subsequently reintegrate based on the inclusion of "their decay products" into new holons can be shown using the example of the fairy tale "The Skeleton Woman" set out in the book by C. Pinkola Estes "Women Who Run with the Wolves" [2]. It describes how a young woman did something that made her father angry and, dragging her to the seashore, he threw her off a cliff. Fish gnawed her flesh and ate out her eyes. A skeleton remained, which was rolled along the bottom by underwater currents. When the fisherman went fishing, the hook of his fishing rod caught on the rib of the Skeleton Woman.
The fisherman, thinking that he had caught a large fish, tried to hook it with a line. When he raised his catch to the surface of the water, he saw the Skeleton Woman. Horrified by the encounter, the fisherman tried to run away from her, but since he was still clutching the fishing rod in his hand, she, having caught on the hook, moved after him, all the way to his home - a snow hut, an igloo. Having climbed into it, the fisherman lay for some time in the darkness, believing that he had managed to escape from the Skeleton Woman, however, when he lit the lamp, he saw that she was lying nearby in the form of a pile of bones.
Later he could not say what it was: perhaps the light softened her features or the fact that he was alone. As soon as a spark of kindness had lit up his heart, he slowly stretched out his soot-blackened hands and, saying something tenderly, like a mother comforting a child, began to untangle the fishing line. He worked all night and finally wrapped her in furs to warm her. Now all the bones of the Skeleton Woman were in their proper places, as they should be in a person. The fisherman was tired and, crawling under the fur blankets, soon fell asleep. In his sleep, perhaps because this dream was inspired by sadness or melancholy, a tear rolled out of his eye. “The Skeleton Woman saw a tear glisten in the light of the lamp, and she was terribly thirsty. She crawled up to the sleeping man and pressed her mouth to the tear. That single tear was like a river, and she drank and drank until she quenched her long-standing thirst. Then she lay down next to the fisherman, penetrated him, took out his heart and began to beat it like a drum. To the rhythm of this drum she sang: "Flesh-flesh-flesh! Flesh-flesh-flesh!" The longer she sang, the more flesh grew on her bones. Thus she sang for herself hair and keen eyes, and beautiful full hands. She sang for herself a hollow between her legs, she sang for her breasts and everything else a woman needs.
When she had everything in place, she took off the sleeping man's clothes with a song, climbed into his bed and pressed herself tightly against him. She returned his heart, a resonant drum, and that is how they woke up - intertwined by their bodies, connected by a new bond, kind and strong.
This tale reveals the dynamics of the natural archetype of Death-Rebirth, associated with the self-utilization of holons and their subsequent entry into a new holon. In a state of semi-decay, the female body as the embodiment of a natural holon begins to exhibit certain subjective qualities - it experiences thirst and the will to live, love and passion, launching the process of self-healing. This process becomes possible due to the participation of a man, his experience of sympathy for the Skeleton Woman, sadness and melancholy, as well as love for her. All this is experienced by the woman and the man together, as a result of which she fully returns to life, forming a single holon with the man.
At present, self-utilization affects human and natural holons and is associated with an ecological crisis (global warming, mass extinction of species, etc.), occurring in a certain connection with "human exhaustion", a crisis of ideas about human beings, a loss of faith in humanity as possessing the ability and will to implement a constructive plan for its development.
Example of holons and holarchic systems of natural archetypes in contemporary fine arts
An example of a holarchic system of natural archetypes in contemporary environmental art is the exhibition project "Sensorium" [3]. This is both a work of art and science, the purpose of which is to solve the problems of survival faced by the world's oceans and humanity. The project was initiated by Newton Harrison, and was later continued by the Center for the Study of Force Majeure at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Using his rich experience as a scientist and artist, Newton Harrison has worked with systemic environmental problems such as the destruction of the topsoil, global warming, atmospheric imbalance, and the degradation of forests and oceans.
The Sensorium project uses a special form of figurative and poetic presentation of the problems of survival of the world ocean in its unity with humanity, which allows us to describe the integral system of life on the planet. Harrison believes that it was precisely such forms of poetic and visionary perception of reality as a living entity that our ancestors apparently used, implementing them as a mechanism of adaptation and survival, which has now almost completely disappeared from Western culture. The associated mechanisms of perception and figurative processing of information, were necessary for the ecosystem adaptation of ancient man. As Harrison believes, "the potential for this kind of perception and survival response from the human sensorium has been so reduced by modern life that large system scanning and improvisational response has ceased being an environmental survival strategy in contributing to safety in everyday life" [3].
Sensorium provides the reviving of the skills of perception of integral holarchic systems and offers an artistic intervention that shows how people could solve systemic problems in the conditions of the modern world, forcing the process of decision-making and action. The project combines the properties of a telescope, which allows one to see what is very far away, with the properties of a microscope, which allows one to see close up. An instrument of this kind is both a scientific research tool and an artistic method, helping to activate those mechanisms for processing and transmitting visual and textual information that are based on the holarchic system of natural archetypes.
Fig. 1 General plan of the Senosorium as a holistic immersive environment, a factor in environmental education, decision-making and changing environmental consciousness.
Currently, most scientific research related to the study of environmental problems of the world's oceans is focused on solving problems separately. This concerns, in particular, the disappearance of coral reefs, the appearance of dead zones in the world's oceans, thermal pollution, the presence of large volumes of plastic waste, the oxidation of the world's ocean water and the rise of its level.
In contrast to this approach to describing and solving problems, the Senosorium project offers an immersive technology that combines art and science and allows you to change the position of consciousness to describe and solve problems of the world's oceans based on a new type of information presentation.
The implementation of the project began with the creation of a fully interactive three-dimensional interface oriented towards a person, included in his environment, in which floors, walls and even the ceiling act as "living" surfaces connected to data on the state of the world's oceans in real time. Visual and textual information is transmitted to these surfaces, which act as tools for modeling reality. Based on elements of 2D, 3D, VR and complex sound tools and combining them into a single environment, the developers strive to create an opportunity for users to gain a new experience of holistic, polysensory holarchic perception of the world ocean environment, based on the unification of visual, sound and tactile sensations in real time. At the same time, they focus not on technology, but on the experience that visitors to the exhibition can get. An important factor in obtaining this experience is the interactive programmable floor, which is a raised platform.
Visitors to the exposition are "travelers" who encounter constantly changing locations of the main stress factors of the ocean. For example, if a person walks along the ocean near Chile, one of the main stress factors will be fish farming, especially shrimp, which has a negative impact on ocean ecosystems. In this case, the solution would be to take the polluted water and pump it onto land in a wetland. This could purify the water effectively enough that when it returns to the ocean saturated with oxygen, it functions as a power source rather than creating hypoxia.
Some of the ideas presented in the Sensorium immersive environment will help to actualize the need for a global ocean governance system that could enforce the rule of law, environmental requirements, punish polluters, and require that polymer products be completely eliminated and replaced with biodegradable products. The economic and environmental impact of a revived ocean would be significant and would outweigh the costs in the long run. Moreover, the entire system of the Sensorium immersive environment is organized in such a way as to help viewers understand what can be done about these problems, how much it might cost, and what the cost would be if the proposed measures are not implemented. At a certain moment, a tsunami or other disaster can be projected onto the walls. These projections can be repeated on different walls and at different times, but only at the request of visitors. The entire environment of the Sensorium can be considered as a kind of large oval cathedral. This environment responds to the questions asked by visitors with sounds, texts and images.
The Sensorium can be used for comparative presentation of information. For example, those who wish can use it to assess the probability of the "death" of the world's oceans, based on the forecast of the development of the situation in the near and more distant future.
Sensorium can function as a generalized pre-emptive planning environment, where oceanographic problems, mostly of human creation, can be seen and acted upon because their interconnectivity is understood all at once and all together. Of particular interest is how oceanic stressors interact with one another, and where solutions can be sought out that are not models or bits and pieces of larger problems, but real-world, large systems solutions.
If used correctly, the Ocean Sensorium can become the “voice” of the world ocean, helping to make visible what is happening in the world ocean, anywhere and at any time, provided that the programming is relevant. In this project, viewers hear the “voice of the ocean” telling people the truth about their problems and needs, from the big to the tiny.
The combination of the languages of science and art generates deep empathy for the ocean, allows viewers to identify with the web of life and the world ocean as its most important and system-forming elements, as a universal Ecological Self [9]. Thus, a cathedral-like immersive environment with numerous artistic, figurative presentations and objective data on the state of the ocean adds emotional power to the impact on the audience. The project provides an opportunity through the holarchic system of natural archetypes, including its highest level associated with the archetype of the Ecological Self [9] of the world ocean, to carry out a deep psychological intervention aimed at humanity, including representatives of scientific circles, cultural and industrial communities. Helping them experience the fate of the world ocean and their own fate and make decisions on how to connect disparate parts into a single picture of problems and ways to solve them.
Conclusion
The ecological crisis and the crisis of the humanities are unfolding in close connection with each other, which is a consequence of industrial civilization and anthropocentrism. The way out of this situation is to affirm the ecological foundations of civilization, ecohumanism. On this basis, humanity and the natural world can resist the ecological crisis, preserve life on our planet. One of the conditions for this is the affirmation of the archetypes of nature as the most important component, the foundation of ecological culture.
The four abilities of holons considered form a holistic system of vertical and horizontal dynamics associated with constant tension between multidirectional tendencies. This is manifested in contradictions between rights and duties, individuality and belonging to a community, self-direction and direction from the outside, autonomy and heteronomy. Experiencing these contradictions, any holon strives to find balance, moving both "horizontally" and establishing connections with its own kind, and "vertically", making a transition to a new quality, surpassing its former self.
Contradictions can be accompanied by the achievement of dynamic equilibrium. At the same time, there is a risk of imbalance, when, for example, increased individualism leads to alienation from others, or, on the contrary, commitment to community leads to the loss of one's individuality and the infringement of personal interests. Horizontal contacts and actions affect the poles of self-realization and adaptation, and vertical dynamics affect the poles of self-transcendence and self-utilization, evolution and degradation. All these contradictions and the ways of their resolution are based on ecological regularities related to the fact that nature is in unity with human beings. They are parts of cosystems, that is, communities of different creatures that are in symbiotic relationships with each other and are endowed with the ability to regulate their activity both for themselves and for the common good, reproducing and developing themselves and the conditions of the living environment in their own interests and the interests of the entire ecosystem. Ecosystems can be healthy or unhealthy, functional and dysfunctional. Ecosystem health is characterized by mutual cooperation and collaboration of community elements, the richness and diversity of their constituent elements, their ability to cooperate and maintain their individuality. Ecosystem health is thus associated with constant changes in the interests of increasing the diversity of development options. Healthy systems have the ability to develop and evolve, more successfully realize their creative potential, and also have greater opportunities for constructively overcoming situations related to self-utilization.
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Reference for citations
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