Abstract

Purpose and Scope of Study. The purpose of the study was to begin an integration of the science of Environmental Psychology and the Eastern tradition of Zen Buddhism, and to construct a dialogue between them relating to the meaningful connection between humankind and environment. The need for such a dialogue was presented as stated by various modern thinkers and scholars in the field of environmental study. The state of the art of Environmental Psychology and of the discipline of Zen Buddhism were described. Zen was further elaborated on through its arts in order to present a deeper insight into its particular awareness as evidenced through Japanese artforms. ;Integration. The study suggests that the integration of Zen with environmental study offers a rounding out of the complete spectrum of knowing necessary to fully understand the individual/environment relationship. Employed as complements to one another, empirical research and spiritual insight of the person/place connection form a composite of rational and arational modes of knowing that encompasses person both as spectator and participant communing with the world, and allows a synthesizing dialogue between science and intuition. The study proposed a guiding theoretical foundation for such an integration, along with implications for practitioners, the environments they create, and people who live in those spaces. The author's personal recounting of her own environmental awareness was offered as a practical application of the proposed integration, along with an invitation to the reader to do the same