An umwelt (plural: umwelten; from the German Umwelt meaning “environment” or “surroundings”) is the specific way organisms of a particular species experience the world, which is dependant on what their sensory organs and perceptual systems can detect and interpret.
WikiPedia
“In his book An Immense World, Ed Yong emphatically encourages such curiosity regarding a wide spectrum of species and their perceptions of the world: “Nothing can sense everything, and nothing needs to. That is why Umwelten exist at all. It is also why the act of contemplating the Umwelt of another creature is so deeply human and so utterly profound. Our senses filter in what we need. We must choose to learn about the rest.”
Third Ear: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening by Elizabeth Rosner
I think of my own years of living with Lulu, a spaniel mix, who convinced me that she possessed a substantial vocabulary both in the form of speaking and also in responding to my speech.
Within our shared Umwelt, we had very specific expressions for joyful greetings and sharp warnings, for announcements of love and fear. During our decade together, Lulu and I were continuously listening to each other, learning from each other. The house is now terribly quiet without her.”
Extracted from: Third Ear: Reflections on the Art and Science of Listening by Elizabeth Rosner
A world of exquisite beauty and expansive awareness awaits if only we open up our ears and listen with our ‘Third Ear’ for greater connection, understanding and love of all beings. Elizabeth Rosner is a wonderfully vivid and artful weaver of liminal worlds of quietude and sound.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Genre: Spirituality, self-love, self-awareness, psychology, history
Publisher: Counterpoint Press
Review in one word: Pianissimo
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