Reconnection: Meeting the Climate Crisis Inside Out

Summary, in English

Climate change is a physical reality, demanding political and practical solutions. But its inner dimension, overlooked entirely by mainstream approaches, is a human crisis of relationship. This report outlines the relevance of mindfulness and compassion practices in addressing the endemic disconnection from self, others and nature at the root of the climate crisis.

We explore the cognitive and emotional foundations of conscious connection and discuss the potential for mindfulness and compassion practices to be developed into powerful enablers of reconnection, fostering both greater resilience and more appropriate responses to global sustainability crises.

Written by Jamie Bristow, Rosie Bell and Professor Christine Wamsler (LUCSUS), the report follows a research collaboration between the Mindfulness Initiative and the Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies, including 25 in-depth interviews with national and transnational politicians and policymakers, and a large-scale consultation with leading experts working on ‘inner’ aspects of the climate crisis. We draw upon the emerging evidence base linking internal transformation to sustainability, and broader academic literature on the prosocial impact of mindfulness and compassion training.

• Author: Jamie Bristow; Rosie Bell; Christine Wamsler
• Department/s: LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)
• Publishing year: 2022-03-01
• Language: English
• Links: https://www.themindfulnessinitiative.org/reconnection
• Document type: Report
• Publisher: Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS)
• Topic: Climate Science
• Status: Published
• Project: Activating transformation: Meeting the climate crisis inside-out; The Contemplative Sustainable Futures Program