Returning the Self to Nature: Undoing Our Collective Narcissism and Healing Our Planet

Price: $18.95
(as of Oct 03, 2026 14:07:57 UTC – Details)


Nautilus Book Award Winner
Using the lens of ecopsychology, Returning the Self to Nature shows that the pervasive and extreme forms of narcissism we find in many modern societies are fundamentally the result of alienation from the natural world. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Returning the Self to Nature is written for the person who no longer wishes to function in a world that revolves around selfish, disconnected identity models and yearns to step into healthy relationships with one’s self, one’s community, and our planet. 
  
Seeing the suffering of the planet and that of humans as inseparably linked—the ecological crisis as psychological crisis, and vice versa—opens the door to a mutuality of healing between people and nature. At the heart of both chronic and acute forms of narcissism is a socially constructed false self—an isolated, damaged ego in a delusional cycle of selfishness. 
Through unflinching analysis and meditation practices that encourage visualizing and embodying the wild naturalness of being human, the reader will gain skills to begin experiencing a courageous, pluralistic, and ecological self. This book is an invitation to wake up from the dream of the false self and join the movement toward social and planetary healing.
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shambhala
Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 1, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 192 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1611809746
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1611809749
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.47 x 0.51 x 8.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #250,433 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #261 in Human Geography (Books) #1,017 in Nature Conservation #8,294 in Mental Health (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (31) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Customers appreciate how the book brings light to individual and collective narcissism, with one customer noting how it genuinely deepens understanding of our relationship with nature.