John, Author at Forest Stillness

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Author: John

John R. Harvey, Ph.D. is part time consulting psychologist and a full time enjoyer of nature who lives in Northeast PA. John obtained his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He served as Director of Psychology at Allied Service in Scranton, PA and was an adjunct faculty member at the University of Scranton. As a psychologist he works with children, adolescents, and adults with developmental and acquired disorders of learning, attention, and memory. He has a long standing interest in relaxation training, stress management, and personal and spiritual development. In pursuit of these interests he authored Total Relaxation: Healing Practices for Body, Mind and Spirit; Deep Sleep: Complete Rest for Health, Longevity and Vitality; and edited and contributed to The Quiet Mind: Techniques for Transforming Stress. John grew up in rural Wisconsin where with the encouragement and example of his parents and family he developed a lifelong interest in the outdoors, in conservation, and in learning about the plants, birds, and animals around him. His blog, Forest Stillness, developed as continuation of a transformational year-long project when he went to the same spot in the woods every week, sitting quietly, watching, listening, learning, and growing. His experiences from the year are described in the upcoming book The Stillness of the Forest: A Year of Change at Prompton Lake to be published by Shanti Arts in 2018.

The Return

April 21, 2018 John

I awoke at 4:20 a.m. in the midst of a dream with a crystal clear, 360 degree view of my home sit spot at Prompton Lake, the spot where I spent an hour a week during my year-long nature watching project. A voice from the dream whispered insistently, “Get up now. Get out to your sit spot.” Half awake, half immersed in the dream, I tried to make sense of the view and the voice. A longing to visit…

An Introduction to Forest Stillness

April 16, 2018 John

Silent observation of nature is an old and familiar practice. In Walden, Thoreau wrote, “You only need to sit still long enough in some attractive spot in the woods that all its inhabitants may exhibit themselves to you by turn.” In the early 1900s the noted naturalist and wildlife writer, Earnest Thompson Seton, promoted the idea of selecting a quiet spot in the woods, sitting still, waiting, and allowing nature to reveal itself. This technique, followed by outdoor enthusiasts and…