The Nordic Religion of Nature

In this video, we explore the special relationship that many people today (especially in Northern Europe) have with NATURE as a source of spirituality and the sacred, sometimes even as a kind of alternative to the organized forms of religion rejected by secularism.
A very special thank you to professor David Thurfjell for being part of the video. Anyone who is able should definitely check out his scholarship, and the book "Granskogsfolk" that this video is largely based on.
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Music by:
Filip Holm
Most of my music can be found here:
Filip Holm: open.spotify.com/artist/2O7FL...
Zini: open.spotify.com/artist/0jy5K...
Sources/Recomended Reading:
Again, the primary source for this video is Thurfjell's research, especially as expressed in:
Thurfjell, David (2020). "Granskogsfolk: hur naturen blev svenskarnas religion". Nordstedts förlag.
Davie, Grace (2015). "Religion in Britain: A Persistent Paradox". Second Edition. Wiley-Blackwell.
Ekelöf, Gunnar (1941). "Färjesång". Stockholm: Bonnier.
Fröding, Gustaf (1993). "Gustaf Frödings Poesi". Wahlström & Widstrand.
Ohlsson, Henrik (2022). "Facing Nature: Cultivating Experience in the Nature Connection Movement". PhD Dissertation.
Otto, Rudolf (1923). "The Idea of the Holy". First English Edition. Martino Fine Books.
Wilson, Edward O. (1984). "Biophilia: the human bond with other species". Harvard University Press.
#nature #religion #scandinavia

[@holydiver3141]

My grandfather a fisherman far up north in Sweden was very spiritual and felt himself in contact with nature spirits and beings warning and helping him on the way. I would say he was more animistic than Christian... and thats only one generation away from me.

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Not an uncommon thing! Thanks for sharing!

[@mogret7451]

Stjärnan av morgonrodnad liksom kuvas ner i molnets bedd. Solstrålar strimma, kyrktornen glimma, luften blir så ljum.

[@janeslater8004]

Or intuition 6th sense instinct that animals also have that we jave lost in modern life due to so many factors chemicals pesticides on fruit and veg and crops junk food microplastics chemicals in furnishings all ahown to affect cns.all this is anti nature too. Dolphins will beach when their sonar is interfered with so they lose direction often due to military practice

[@GlutesEnjoyer]

Read animistic as antisemitic at first and was like THATS OUTTA LEFT FIELD BUT AIGHT

[@JP-zz7en]

Interestingly, many groups of people who live a semi-nomadic or itinerant lifestyle, or in a sedentary manner but in remote and relatively isolated rural areas, tend to develop certain types of beliefs based on empirical knowledge of nature. I can give you another example, in Spain, there is a group that practices transhumance, they are called "vaqueiros de alzada", and although they are nominally Roman Catholics, their beliefs are also more animistic in nature, and due to their lifestyle, They were seen as "bad Christians" by the sedentary peasants and the local clergy, many of them even attributed a pagan origin to them, calling them a cursed people, and consequently they were discriminated against and forced to live in isolation, in fact they were not They were allowed to carry religious symbols and they were also prohibited from entering the churches believing that they could desecrate them and they only heard mass outside the church and the sacraments were administered to them separately and not together with the other peasants.

[@Venefica82]

My mother's favorite thing in the world is when she is camping by a lake and get up early in the morning, making a cup of coffee and then just sit and look at the lake, there is a silence where all you hear are the waves gently lapping at the shore and the cry of birds and at that moment everything slow down and all is perfectly ok and well if just for a little while as all that exist are the sounds of morning and the lake. We live in Norway.

[@miatornstrand1020]

I am from Sweden and when i pick something in nature I always say thank you Mother Nature .

[@ngairebreen1368]

I am Australian (its really not as dangerous as people like to think) and while I am not of the First Nations, I have an inkling of the feeling of being on country. The connection is there, the land reaches out to embrace us, we just have to slow down, listen deeply, and immerse ourselves in it. I always feel so much better when I get out of man made environments and into nature.

[@805joto]

living in American suburbia, having moments with nature even if it’s artificial is a feeling o so magical. much respect for acknowledging the past souls that roamed Australia. Knowing history has been forgotten but nature never leaves us no matter our ancestry we’re lucky to be in her presence ❤️

[@TSteffi]

​@@805joto I feel so sad for everyone who has to endure this. I have grown up never more than 5 minutes away from a forest. When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time just out in the woods, listening to the animals in the distance. And it was especially beautiful when it got dark. When you feel vulnerable, you actually feel like a part of nature. I some sense, it is offering yourself to nature itself, and you may walk home or be eaten by a wolf. There are no wolves around here, but as a kid in a dark forest, that is the feeling you get. Guess the greatest real danger was stabbing an eye on a twig in the dark. But still...

[@EvelinaNinudottir]

As a Norwegian, I feel like nature has always been something 'sacred' to us - I cannot think of a time when deep forests, tall mountains and impressive waterfalls didn't invoke these strong, unique feelings in people. In all places I've been, people tend to treat nature as a source of healing, well-being and meaning. This is so common here I didn't even stop to consider that it might actually be a "thing" worth studying.

[@hueman69420]

never knew Norwegians speak hindi and follow indian youtubers

[@cheri238]

Thank you, Filip

[@LA-jq3ur]

I am an Australian brought up in the mountains by conservationists. This is my spirituality. This quote from Edward Abbey has resonated with me since I was an adolescent: But the love of wilderness is more than a hunger for what is always beyond reach; it is also an expression of loyalty to the earth, the earth which bore us and sustains us, the only home we shall ever know, the only paradise we ever need - if only we had the eyes to see.

[@Michael-Archonaeus]

As a Danish Christian I also feel a deep connection to God through nature, I feel like God is nature to a certain extend. These past few years I have begun to feel more connected to the ancient folklore of Denmark, I find myself needing to personify the elements, so I end up speaking to Odin and Frey as I walk through the forest and the snow in winter, and I appreciate Thor the he rolls across the sky on a dark and rainy day, and I think about the ogres and trolls, and I remind myself to beware of the elves. I don't actually believe in these as physical entities, but they help me point the finger at things that might otherwise be hard to put into words. I think we got lost on our way of constant advancement, and we forgot ourselves along the way. Our ancestors always personified personality traits, mental conditions, and emotional states as deities, as well as the elemental forces of nature, and I really feel like doing so helps me feel more integrated as a person, like I can understand myself better, when I project myself into nature this way.

[@donjuandemarco4356]

I feel like I've seen this. Perhaps it was Vikings season 3 episode 6..

[@Michael-Archonaeus]

@@donjuandemarco4356 I haven't seen Vikings, what did you see? I can't imagine you have seen me in it, since I am not an actor lol

[@donjuandemarco4356]

@@Michael-Archonaeus lol, i havent seen you in it. I dont know who you are. But the scenario is familiar, a Christian viking walking through the fields of Denmark, split between Odin and the Christian God. Ultimately he realizes thatbhe cannot serve two masters..

[@Michael-Archonaeus]

@@donjuandemarco4356 Oh ok, I don't feel split at all, I don't think my relationship to the Norse gods conflicts with my Christian faith. I don't have any other gods before the God of the Bible, and I don't worship the Norse gods in that sense. I have a sort of Mosaic understanding of God, as being/existence itself, and as the divine primate, but not necessarily the only god there is. I started out Lutheran as most Danes do, then I left the faith for a number of years, until I returned in a Pentecostal context, then after many years as a Pentecostal I left that denomination, and after that the Trinity fell apart for me, so I became a Unitarian, however this past year I have moved in a direction that I would describe as Biblical Henotheist Christian, which probably sounds bizarre to most people, but in my opinion this closer to the pre-Catholic Christianity of Denmark, before the forced conversion to Roman Catholicism by Harold Bluetooth.

[@donjuandemarco4356]

@@Michael-Archonaeus wow, that is a very interesting and informative story. I am happy you shared, and today I have learned something new. Outside of forced conversion to RC, my knowledge in Scandinavian religion and culture is lacking..

[@NoahNobody]

When I had my awakening, I saw things that people had interacted with as expressions of ego, and ego, or at least when we have too much of it, can stress you. I think walking in places that have not been stimulated by ego allows us to turn down our own ego, which in turn makes us "freer" or happier.

[@chendaforest]

Very interesting. I feel similar experiences though when in historic towns or buildings. Walking the streets that your ancestors walked for thousands of years, or sitting in a room where they sat can feel very spiritual. If these walls could speak...

[@yassinekhessib8632]

‘We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.’ Muraqabah( contemplation) is a major practice in the sufi tradition that allows oneself to witness god’s signs and feel the oneness of his realm. May god opens everyone’s heart to his realm. Thanks for the awesome work as usual Filip.

[@knowledgeseeker725]

I appreciate your insight and comment 🙏🏻 when you mentioned the Aya and oneness of everything I don't know why but I felt it. ❤

[@johnstark5275]

Nature is reality. People are becoming lost in layers of abstraction

[@karl2851]

I'm a cumbrian from the lake district and blencathra is very special to me, I enjoy walking up blencathra when the mist rolls in as you can't see a thing and it's like your walking in another realm. Two very large crows live there aswell and I always make a food offering to them as something tells me they are the watchers.

[@nowhereman6019]

I remember going on a walk once and seeing a bird. It suddenly hit me how many billions of years and billions of generations it took to create this incredibly complex organism. All those tiny mutations stacked on top of one another, all the different organisms that lived, struggled to survive and reproduce, all driven by a will to live, a will that exists within all life, driving it forward endlessly, shaping that form into this bird filled with organs and instincts, singing its song, flying in the air.

[@MrSkiPR]

Everything from the very beginning happened the way it needed to for you to have that moment. That gives me reason to believe that there is design in creation.

[@nowhereman6019]

@@MrSkiPR I respect that view, but my interpretation is the exact opposite. Nothing was intentionally leading to anything, it was all just a series of events occuring within the structure of the laws of reality, moulding it into an increasingly complex form. Our existence is no more important than literally anything else that has existed. We are simply another segment in this infinite casual chain of events. But the beauty of that chain is still something to behold, and we can find a feeling of oneness and wholeness in this view of reality.

[@user-hy9nh4yk3p]

This is mirrored in the process in humans - who experience action. But thought - precedes action and possibly, there is also - subtle inspiration/vibration - before this. Go forth and yet reflect backward - to the very Source, that is - the very centre - of all of us. The mystery schools - seek the link with the Real Being - behind all creation. This is even if unexplained - not random. It is sheer wonder - to learn to think and feel deeply - about oneself and the great mysteries. @@MrSkiPR

[@mmccrownus2406]

no amount of time could possibly result in birds if reliant upon random selection and chance. It's impossible. Every mutation to a higher form requires breaking a functional matrix. Transcendence cannot occur this way.

[@user-hy9nh4yk3p]

Thank you for your informed comment. Even if I had written it - word-for-word -would not have understood it. Maybe the meaning has indeed mutated or the real meaning - is of such a fine nature - that it is found - not here, but in a transcendent revelation. I am not a scientist but do apply the science/art of spirituality - to understanding. I was having a humorous moment. You are free to consider - your interpretation as definitive (from your perspective) Fare thee well. May we all fly as free - as our avian friends.@@mmccrownus2406

[@ingriddurden3929]

used to be christian, but always felt the ominous closer in the woods. that is why I bought a cabin in the woods and hope to live here till my Qi ends

[@generalmazur]

As someone living in rural, agricultural Canada, I found myself quite intrigued by both your comments about farmers 'living in nature' and Professor Thurfjell's comments about a connexion with nature being an integral part of the Swedish national identity. The farmers in my area often like to speak of themselves as 'stewards of nature,' yet will maintain acres upon acres of monoculture, cleared of any rocks, trees, or other vegetation that interrupt their mechanized farming methods, and routinely poisoning or shooting any wildlife thought to be a 'pest.' And among other rural people, you will very often find people speaking of enjoying spending time in nature, and even relating this as a proud aspect of their Canadian identity. Yet far from forest bathing (or anything so analogous), it's shocking to me how many people view 'spending time in nature' to be synonymous with riding roughshod with ATVs or dirt bikes over the very ecosystems they purport to be 'enjoying.' Suffice it to say, I can see why the spiritual or religious connexion with nature seems far more absent in these parts than in yours.

[@J-IFWBR]

well people from the countryside, might just have a very different relationship then people from the city. Like having a somewhat antisocial relationship, where you put the other on a pedastle and see only perfection in them, compared to a long and fruitfull marriage, in which you know the ins and outs, of each other, have accepted that you both are just wickedly mortal, and have lots of funny strenghts and weaknesses. Where you can talk openly and argue and fight, and also find back to each other. So what im trying to say here, maybe lots of times, people from the countryside, somewhat lack the understanding of how precious the wildlive or littleplants etc are because its so abundant to them. And sometimes people from the city, who are thorrowly stunned even by a small flower, dont get that working in and with nature, is also hardship, and that most landscapes they consider untouched wilderness are actually cultural landscapes who require blood sweat and sometimes tears, to be kept as they are. The truth i think is somewhere inbetween.

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Very interesting! Yeah, this is mainly an urban middle-class phenomenon. It's often a romantic contrast to one's regular life. And people who actually live "in nature" will often have a different relationship to it. Not necessarily negative, but different.

[@nomcognom2414]

Sounds like John Deere identity. It could be Idaho, just supplemented with a light touch of Breakfast tea and fox hunting déjà vus. Something more authentic and close to nature would be found among native peoples of Canada, still often pretty much disregarded. How can their culture survive in a country or even world that, basically, made it nearly impossible to live the traditional way, which their culture is so tied to? But theirs is a culture far more in tune with nature than ours. In western culture, only enlightened people come close, whether enlightened intellectually or by nature itself, when among the lucky few westerners that still live in close contact with nature.

[@chendaforest]

Idealisation of nature began (or at least became much more common) with industrialisation and rapid urbanisation. Prior to this wilderness was seen as dangerous and barbarous, in contrast to urban civilisation (civic=civil) Early industrial expansion turned cities into polluted places riddled with poverty, hence the countryside became a place of refuge, seemingly a place of unchanging certainty. William Morris and the arts and crafts movement are one example of this. We shouldn't forget the countryside is made much more pleasant when you also get to enjoy the urban-generated wealth and infrastructure (like indoor plumbing!)

[@rdklkje13]

⁠@@chendaforest​​⁠ I think what you’re describing is true for the upper classes in particular, seeing as the urban poor did not have that many opportunities to escape to the countryside. Also, in Scandinavia, at least, the wilderness was rendered dangerous as part of the Christianization efforts to root out the pre-existing nature-based religions. Cf. “heathen” = person existing beyond the fences of the perceived safety of farmed land. Yet many pre-Christian traditions survived through the centuries in some form, especially among the lower classes. More so in the countryside but also in cities to some extent. It was not uncommon in Sweden, for example, for people to go to church and also secretly worship Freya even as late as about a hundred years ago. And in Denmark we now celebrate Yule on 24 December with more Christmas elves = Húsvættir that need to be fed than angels whose singing we need to hearken. So although many of us today have romanticized (19th century) ideas about and would indeed have a much harder time appreciating wilderness without the ability to return to urban comforts, my feeling is that stuff like forest kindergartens and yule decorations made with materials you gathered yourself in your local wood aren’t simply a modern response to urbanization. They’re also continuations in new shapes of these deep, deep roots that Christianity never quite managed to pull up fully. [My feeling cos I can’t find any studies to back up this perspective rn.]

[@enosrhodd3069]

I love this video. I am a Ponca "Indian" or "Native American." from Ponca City, Oklahoma and I can say with full confidence that my people have a special relationship with nature. I highly recommend it

[@gwendolyndot]

I loved this video! Your music, the nature shots, the poem, and the subject matter made this feel special, emotional/profound, sort of like attending “church.” but my kind of church. thank you 💗

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Thank you!

[@c.a.t.732]

To me this episode was a nice counter-point to the recent Norse paganism video on this channel. My mother's father was from Sweden and my ancestry is largely Scandinavian, but while I find Norse mythology interesting, I feel no more compelled to worship Odin than I do Yahweh. But living as I do in rural Northern California, I've always been drawn to nature, and very much appreciated the perspective offered here. And as a musician, I really appreciated the music as well!

[@ximono]

As a modern day Norwegian, I relate much more to what was said in this video than to Norse paganism. We do have a strong connection to nature in northern Scandinavia. Even a lot of city folk seem to have a need to escape the city, which is always surrounded by nature. That said, most people don't really venture into the wilderness of nature, but stick to the marked paths. And incredibly enough, as vast as Norway is, only a tiny percentage is truly wild, as in unaffected by human activities.

[@AnxiousCowboy]

White devil

[@faristasairuv5143]

I’m from Bangladesh and we used to have so many majestic subtropical forests there. My great uncle spent most of his childhood hunting and gathering and being in the forest. There are many venomous snakes there, and tigers. But my great uncle never got hurt, because he paid attention to where he was going. And he had a great reverence and amazement for nature as well, and learned many things from it.

[@nerd9347.]

As a native Delaware Native American, in a single sentence: There are no countries. All of this world is One.

[@dennisrydgren]

As a Swede, I only know two people who are religious - as in church going. Everyone else is mostly alien to or critical of organized religion. Some has beliefs in a higher power, no one by any sort has any real principle attached to it - besides be nice and help people if you can.

[@saimbhat6243]

Religion, since its origin in animism, has been a civilising agent for every single society on earth. It is easy to say, hey look this religion permits this or that religion asked its followers to do that, but it is almost unimaginable to conceive a society where people have no loyalty to higher principles, no obedience to something infinitely magnificent than the individual . A yearning for transcendence, an unquestionable moral system, a shared sense of what is beautiful and what is meaningful and what is important. We are all religious, even the atheist, for bare facts about physical world dont form narratives , nor meaning nor beauty nor purpose. It is us who imparts these things on the existence to make existence liveable. Modern religions of liberalism, ethnic nationalism, scientism, atheism, vegan activism etc. can supply an individual with same things that traditional religions do, but it won't be shared by communuty nor transcendental, at best it would be a personal coping mechanism for each individual and I doubt if it would be even a good one at that.

[@chendaforest]

It's the same in Britain, hardly anyone goes to church regularly anymore. There is a risk though that we fill the religious void with unhealthy ideologies.

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Yep! It's a fascinating development!

[@afraglynn]

Swedish is the most beautiful sounding language in the world ❤ i can relate to "Nature is my tample " notion :)

[@bobbystclaire]

Det har du rätt i!😊

[@kylealanhobbs]

very relaxing video! I can't help but think of the American Transcendentalist's like Henry David Thoreau. He probably would have fit right in with Swedish culture.

[@Livingtabitha]

Speaking of nature, spirituality, I can’t remember if you’ve done anything on Druidry but that is an area that I am absolutely fascinated by and would love to see a video on. Not on the topic of nature spirituality I have also been curious about Thomas Christians.

[@Cross-Carrier]

You would enjoy looking into the Pictish religion from here in Scotland pre Christianity is you like the Druidic stuff. Lots of monolithic standing stones and legends around my neck of the woods 👍🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@cheri238]

❤

[@Livingtabitha]

@@Cross-Carrier I’m actually interested in combing old Christianity with Druidry. I’ll have to look into what you speak of more.

[@Cross-Carrier]

@@Livingtabitha We did do that in Scotland to a large extent. A lot of the old Celtic symbolism crossed over to Celtic Christianity. It's very interesting.

[@Livingtabitha]

@@Cross-Carrier it’s all very interesting. Thank you for sharing. I’m already doing some reading on it all

[@Mjfrkevtju]

Love how proper your videos are. No trying to sell ideas, just exploration

[@lazo2819]

Nature has always been the true temple of humanity 🌿

[@Jon-dh3ki]

But what is our place in this Temple? This is what religions try to answer.

[@numinasarcadia1717]

I actually read Granskogsfolk in my exam on religious sociology at Gothenburgs university. Very good book. He did a good summer talk too on P1 if you wanna check that out. PS Love the channel ❤️

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Yeah, I loved it! David was my old professor right when I started studying religion academically, and I've known him for almost ten years. One of the best speakers I've ever seen.

[@numinasarcadia1717]

@@LetsTalkReligion Seeing your work inspires me immensely, I have to say. It feels good to see something which I’m passionate about being done by others. Really, I cannot thank you enough, Filip.

[@JacobHerrman-nb7fy]

Thank you ancestral brother

[@mravalik]

Being from Michigan, I do go for nature walks quite a bit, only to escape the cluster of people within the big cities. Being atheist, with Celtic, Scandinavian, and Baltic roots, I can understand the connectedness of nature, because when out in the woods or roaming far from people without talking, listening to all the sounds and the occasional breeze that rustles the tree leaves, it is in a sense therapeutic.

[@mattisvov]

Man, did this video hit home for me. Never thought about it as linked to my Swedish cultural identity though. During the last year I have experienced quite the spiritual awakening. I started idly following religious studies channels like this one, got curious, bought a translation of the Dao De Jing... and then things just rolled on from there. And man, did nature play a part in that. I live close to a patch of forest with a jogging trail, beside an abandoned airfield. And I take daily walks there, in the borderland between nature and civilization, and have what can only be described as mystical experiences. Feeling the borders between my ego, my immediate surroundings, and the sublime/monad/eternal Dao/capital G God become permeable, sometimes dissolving. Incidentally, this is also been linked to significant psychological healing. I suffer from deep-rooted psychological trauma, and the aforementioned experiences has a healing effect on me that is simply remarkable. It's like my trauma feels like a pollution inside me. And the Dao is a river what flows through me, dissolves the pollution and carries it away. Maybe this could be held up as a beautiful example of how religions are not fixed, immutable things. But ever-transforming at they mix with different cultural contexts. It just makes too much sense. Of course, this is what Daoism looks like to a Swede!

[@glennszychulski4835]

my grandfather was from sweden and i learned all of these things from him as a child. my family has always spent alot of time camping and being in the woods. this is a great video and very accurate !!!! thank you for sharing this

[@yosoyyohoy]

Beautifull! I have my temple up in the forest where I practice Tai-Chi and Zhang Zhuang:)

[@marktoth4379]

You really outdid yourself with this one, Philip. Absolutely fantastic video. Visuals, editing, content, and all! Beautiful, bro!

[@fraserwilliamson9507]

Perhaps also, as with the newly emerging appreciation of Celtic spirituality, this is something old that has been lost as we have imagined ourselves as seperate from nature. Your use of the word sacred really resonated with me... we begin to reimagine everything as sacred. Teilhard de Chardin 'heard' a voice coming from within matter... "do not be afraid... it is I".

[@tednation]

Perhaps we privilege nature in our modern world as a counterbalance to urban life. Let's consider our ancestors considered the harshness of nature too: the cold, the heat, darkness, the storms, difficult terrain, lack of shelter & safety, animals seeking prey, etc. For them, civilization has its advantages too.

[@gabrielarmsted8020]

I am African-American with Swedish roots, and I am exploring Norse spirituality. This actually compliments my Yoruban roots because of its connection to nature.

[@DeanMorrissey-fu1yf]

I am the son of Krishna he lives in vaikuntha the heavenly abode .. my body is just a avatar that my soul lives in ... My soul is called atma in my heart and is connected to he para atma of god ... Nationality and connections to this materialistic realm of illusion causes the soul to reincarnate back into the samsara wheel of rebearth...please read the bhagavatam for the truth and find out about the personality of Krishna and free your soul from this realm of materialism .❤

[@_smirk_]

lol

[@HR_GN]

This episode was very well produced. Good job LTR.

[@OneMansOdyssey]

I can't help but think this phenomenon's prevalence in Nordic countries is partly due to the Protestant histories of the nations. It's a fact that Protestant areas tend to undergo secularization more quickly than others, and that has to be coupled with a certain desacralization of spaces. Most Protestant traditions emphasize a personal relationship with God over an institutionalized and ritualized one, and of course there is a deemphasis on iconography. In the absence of the cathedral, the monastery, and the shrine, there no longer exists a sacred place in culture. When combined with overwhelming modernization, natural places become the only places to experience true silence, reflection, introspection, and awe.

[@hunzukuz]

Truely loved this piece of chapter. I am lucky to be a follower of your channel. Keep up the best work and sharing enlightenment ❤

[@JonChacko]

This video is really wonderful in aesthetics and information. Also, you are a great interviewer! I appreciated you allowing the conversation to happen without a lot of interjections or attempts to insert yourself. Good stuff.

[@Mystery_G]

Having viewed many of your videos, I found this one to be the best at exemplifying the complexities of religion, as well as, how vast the field of RS pushes our understanding of this concept of religio. Additionally, huge props on incorporating Otto into this piece as I am often both surprised and saddened to not find his work discussed more frequently on the subject of religion and especially his concept of the numinous when considering my introduction to him, thru my own RS journey, made a profound impact on my understanding of both how complex and how little of an interest society still takes in deeply considering and reflecting upon these "varieties of religious experience." Finally, of all your videos, I found this one to be, if not thee, certainly one of your best productions with the inclusion of your music, the beautiful "natural" landscape, the secular Swedish poetry as reflection on the topic, and your own inclusion and interview in nature, all brilliantly utilized as exemplification and illumination on the subject.

[@danpavelko8414]

This video got me to go on a nature walk for the first time in a long time. Thank you!

[@kavithakrishnanshow]

In Sweden people love to live near the forest in cabins. I visited many such sites they have their own life energy. Specially in summer time so much of walking in the forest mountains and bathing in water stream. I been planning to move to north to be in the magnificent snow all year around.

[@mohammadjihad569]

Sublime video! i usually watch your videos in the background while playing a videogame or editing video. but this on was too beautiful not to sit down and watch. love this style and great film making with all the b-rolls. it really gets across the passion you have for the subject. also these videos that question definitions and get at what we truly feel is always the most interesting. pls make more. great work all round!

[@fahdhussein6760]

Amazing conversation. Thank you for the chat Professor Thurfjell.

[@user-tf5hz1en9x]

Thank you ! What an impressive landscape ! I enjoyed watching the beautiful scenery.

[@DeCleyre161]

We have waited so long for your commentary on Germanic paganism, thank you so much Filip 💛

[@ud7845]

This has nothing to do with Germany...

[@Secteer]

@@ud7845 GermanIC, not GermAN

[@loganleutwyler]

​@@ud7845 Swedes are a Germanic ethnic group. Germanic doesn't necessarily mean German.

[@LoudWaffle]

Beautiful episode. Love your work.

[@stephanieparker1250]

I like your guest on this video! Very interesting outlook on the topic from him and from your whole video. Love it!

[@MichaelK.-xl2qk]

I totally empathize with this experience, and my personal mystical experiences of having ecstatic visions of the living land and particularly the streams and rivers have had a profound impact on my spiritual life. Yes, the feelings of awe and of the sublime are the fundamental facts we can experience pointing to the existence of the holy and the divine. Yet, in the face of the paradox presented by our own death and decline and also the destruction of nature which corresponds to it, and indeed with the problem of the existence of evil itself, there is more that we need to understand and connect to in order to overcome the grips of despair and isolation. Only comprehending the mystery of the God of nature can bring this healing and peace to the soul. Those who truly have eyes to see nature as a reflection of the divine life, the working of God's energies, will eventually recognize God in the Crucified and Risen Son. If not, then they remain blind to both nature and God and see only the shadows cast and not the life itself.

[@ShadowDisorder]

This was an amazing video!! Long time viewer first time comment! Your work has helped me understand the the true world of religions which exist, and a deeper and more nuanced perspective on them. You've helped me so much in my education! 🎉

[@LetsTalkReligion]

That makes me very happy to hear! Thank you!

[@mikeharrison1868]

I once lived in a Christian farming community on an island off the coast of New Zealand. We had a very extractive view of the bush around us. But each year we had a Christian convention, and our guests had a very romantic view of the bush around us.

[@MP-il8ys]

This was such a beautiful video, so glad to know so many people feel the same as I do.

[@sybillelindner8544]

Such a beautiful documentary. Thank you. I grew up in Namibia, along the coast surrounded by unforgiving desert landscapes, sandstorms and ocean currents. I still feel the sacred in Nature, but it wasnt until I traveled and experienced Austrian forests and tropical beaches that I truly started feeling safe and at home in Nature. Its also so interesting how the cultural background and stories we hear about Nature informs what we feel because we expect to feel it. Super interesting, thank you❤

[@Drollerie]

You’ve outdone yourself once again. I enjoyed the style in this one!

[@aimeemorgado8715]

A very welcome and beautiful exploration of the borderlands of the sacred and profane. Thank you

[@skepparkrans9060]

This was a profound and beautiful wisdom. Thank you so much for sharing ❤💗🧚‍♀️

[@baddna9447]

One of the nicest pieces I've seen on the tube for some time, very well done!

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Thank you very much for saying that!

[@MrSkiPR]

Beautiful episode. Thank you.

[@xenocrates2559]

Inspiring! Thanks for posting this.

[@ChrisTheLoneWanderer]

I have to say, the cinematography is very top notch! The Swedish countryside is amazing! Going to nature is definitely something people should do all over the world. Just the complexity of a local ecosystem can get us to reflect on our equally complex inner worlds.

[@hakel4372]

Exactly the video i needed this morning So beautiful

[@ThisIsMosel]

Stevie Wonder " The Secret Life of Plants" ... perfect soundtrack for the video.

[@teachedteach]

When I lived in different parts of Germany and Austria for a few years, I could see this love of Nature and wish for wandering in forests, hills and mountains in much the same way you are describing about Sweden. "Wanderlust" perhaps??

[@jeffreyreedy8575]

Great video! Love the Photography ❤🌹

[@rosierosierosieee8210]

Thankyou for another great video!

[@adriamasero996]

I'm absolutely amazed by your extraordinary channel! I've been following your channel for a while and I really enjoy it. It is amazing the way you explain in detail in a summarized way and with an open mind topics as rich and complicated as mysticism and religion overall. I feel I have to strongly recommend you to read some of the writings of Raimon Pannikar and/or at least search him on the internet, because after watching your videos I've realised that you would divulge his contributions in a clear and nice way. To sum up, Raimon Panikkar (1918 - 2010) was a Catalan (Spanish) and Indian theologian, philosopher and scientist. He is mainly known for his innovations in, as he called it, intrareligious dialogue but his thoughts on religion and philosophy, both western and eastern, are much more profund, lucid and varied than that. If you already know about Raimon Panikkar and you upload some videos that help to share with the world his life's work, me and surely a lot of people would be very grateful and happy. Thank you for your beautiful work, Filip! 👍👍👍

[@charlesmugleston6144]

"The kiss of the sun for pardon The song of the birds for mirth You are nearer God's Heart in a Garden Than anywhere else on earth"

[@animeshkumar1684]

I live in Innsbruck, Austria and go to the mountains quite often. I can relate to this 100 percent!

[@mikeharrison1868]

I like the idea of liminality - the space between the everyday and the numinous.

[@Aethuviel]

I've seen a nice quote image, saying "I'm pagan because I get a feeling in the woods that I've never gotten in a church"

[@miguelcamacho4595]

Great video, as always

[@ErikCoon14]

Fantastic video. Really am loving the Norse and Swedish exploration. As someone of German and Swedish heritage, this brings to mind how my great-grandparents behaved and acted. Very committed to the Lutheran church but also very committed to being farmers, to working the land, and feeling close to god and nature and their responsibility as humans to hunt, hike, fish, farm and be “in the land” as they would say.

[@MinnesotanMysticism]

I’m a Minnesotan, I study religion all the time, since I was young having lived in Singapore for a time, visited many places in Asia, and then Colorado then Minnesota again; my ideas of God and religion grew “weird” over time, just seeing so much at a young age. But being in Minnesota nature has shown me what is discussed here. While I could talk about the many things I see as true in the various religions and cultures of the world, this is where I go every day I can. Twas the biggest component of actually finding and honoring and understanding God in my life. This is a real treat coming from this channel. Thank you!!! Nature is alive and full of unfathomable poetry and revelation for those who have ears to hear it and eyes to see it. It made me know, not think or believe, but know there’s a God.

[@Tom-sd9jb]

Great video as usual. Thanks for all the work you out into these. with this talk of Sweden, I would love to hear your thoughts on Swedenborg.

[@LetsTalkReligion]

I'm definitely planning a video on Swedenborg!

[@Tom-sd9jb]

Brilliant, I can't wait for this!

[@ranumaitra412]

Ohhh....such a miraculous find this video of yours is.... I am a big fan of your videos specially the ones on Sufism....got me to know and rather connect on a deeper level... develop an understanding of what religions truly are..... I am born in a conservative Hindu family, and I am a strong believer of Krishna....but I have been questioning the rituals and practices we have been doing since those brought more polarity in the society. I have not been at PEACE even when I visit the so proclaimed biggest temples....I had a sense. Of loss of connection with my inner self hence there wasn't any peace of mind.... Coming back to your video, this is the perfect answer to my feelings when I am in nature....I don't have the privilege of a wilderness in the city but whenever I am in the park and in the mountains, near the sea ....I feel connected.....I feel they are speaking to me, comforting me.... When my father passed away few years back, I found the utmost comfort walking among these trees, feeling their leaves..... It's therapeutic, it's the divine connection... Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to learn different forms of religion ( if I may say so).

[@josef2012]

🙏💗 Hare Krishna 💗🙏

[@user-hy9nh4yk3p]

It seems that most of the comments are very happy - with the videos and theories - as most commentators share this link with Nature and a sensitive inner nature. The film placed the theme - centrally into our vision and our hearts opened - naturally. One is awakened - in nature - to the purer realities and notions - even within our humanness. As all - in the ecosystem are linked - so we feel this oneness. Well done - this has been a revelation of vital verities - that need much more committed interest and dare I say, love.

[@dumagatsabukidnon]

A lot of the points discussed here interestingly goes in consonance with the insights an indigenous elder I frequq seek advice from. According to him, he has no way of knowing for sure as he has not seen "spirits" but he feels that what those that came before him must be true, otherwise he would not know what he knows. Nature is a church, as well as a pharmacy and a school, among other things, according to him and many other indigenous elders. The moment that we cease to recognize this, as is becoming apparent over time and as discussed at one point in the video, our ability to relate/feel/understand/appreciate our self, others, and the environment will be severed. Nevertheless, this is a very heartwarming video. Came across it at the best time right now... 🙏

[@musamusashi]

Good to see you hit close to your home for once, after exploring traditions from all over the world... interesting as always.

[@gracethi5663]

Wow, we are meant to be flawed, being flawed is the natural way of things. Love it

[@k80_]

“Ordinarily, I go to the woods alone, with not a single friend, for they are all smilers and talkers and therefore unsuitable. I don't really want to be witnessed talking to the catbirds or hugging the old black oak tree. I have my way of praying, as you no doubt have yours. Besides, when I am alone I can become invisible. I can sit on the top of a dune as motionless as an uprise of weeds, until the foxes run by unconcerned. I can hear the almost unhearable sound of the roses singing. If you have ever gone to the woods with me, I must love you very much.” -mary oliver

[@murtazaarif6507]

What a beautiful topic. It confirms my needs for the acceptance of nature as an important part of my existence as somebody who believes in God. I was born in Belgium and grew up in the low land region of the of West Flanders landscape. I still hold fond memories of riding my bicycle in the forest as a child. People certainly seem to reflect on their life through nature. I agree this sense of romanticism of the story telling aspect has deeper roots in nature such as fairies, fairytales and the knight and his princess. This is also why I love aesthetically pleasing vintage items that have visual patterns from nature. I am one of those people for whom they also produce a feeling of longing for the past such as through quality street tins, biscuit tins, postcards, easter eggs, tea cups and architecture. I think this happens because nature relaxes us by keeping our thoughts in the present timeline rather than the past or the future and opens us up on a deeper level to ponder over our life as you also explain very well. I think it is a natural process because our brains are wired to think in the story telling context of past, present and future. It also shifts our brain wave frequencies between Alpha and Theta between afternoon and evening periods when our conscious and unconscious states are both open. So I think this is the prefect time of day for a walk in nature. On another interesting aspect to nature we have two types of genes. One of these are called phenotypes that modify according to our environment. So it is not so much about our parents and their genotypes but the phenotypes that change us according to the natural surroundings we grow up in. I think the scriptures mention something similar about being raised on the day of judgment together with the nation of which we have tasted the salt.

[@tomgeorgearts]

Wonderful explanation from the guest about how being in the landscape affects our perspective. Of course, the experience of walking in nature is 'experiential'; nothing is explained to you in words, it is shown to you. And that's why it is not an intellectual experience, but a spiritual one.

[@lochlanncairns621]

One of your best vids 🎉

[@agucci]

In Sundsvall we have a rich tradition of realizing our part in Nature.

[@charlesmugleston6144]

Thank you all - beautiful. Am sure the late + Evert Sundien of Stockholm would have enjoyed your presentation very much. In the Unity of Spirit - of Oneness X

[@livinginparallel]

Wow, what a perfect and beautiful episode! Thank you🙏🥰 I live in the States and have moved 2000 miles from my birth state to the Pacific Northwest bc nature truly soothes my soul. I'm a Muslim revert, and yes, you're more likely to find me praying alone in the morning dew than with my people in the Masjid🏞️

[@ianhesford]

I did not grow up in Sweden. I was raised in an American suburb. There was no particular culture around nature around me. Yet I instinctively knew as a very young child that the woods was were I was drawn and could find solace. I was drawn to it with no affirmation or encouragement from any authority whatsoever. Almost the opposite. So although I respect the views of the author featured I would refute the idea that cultural factors would explain the affinity for natural settings. It runs far deeper than anything so shallow as mere culture orchestrated cultural expectancy. I would argue that depending on the culture the drive towards nature is so fundamental that it can run counter to and in spite of a given cultural expectation.

[@eyeofsauron2812]

Praying in the morning in the forest in your native toungue, hits different

[@sabirmulla8109]

Another Good content. Nature is master.

[@gabrielleangelica1977]

Nice to get back to your roots... 🔥 Hot topic! I call it being "religion free".

[@nomcognom2414]

Nothing compares to being alive and aware of oneself and others. It is the most precious thing. Nothing surpasses having eachother. And it is nature that brings us alive. Living nature. That is all we have, really. We should better notice. And enjoy. The other makes us one.

[@Cross-Carrier]

Is 7pm in Sweden the same as 7pm in Scotland? Is there an hour of difference ? Always look forward to a Filip video. Hope its long 👍🏼

[@joluoto]

Pretty sure there is one hour difference between Sweden and Scotland.

[@LetsTalkReligion]

Yep, one hour difference I think!

[@TheGreatDefective]

Top level video

[@tysonasaurus6392]

There's a really cute Swedish game called Unravel that I think depicts this nature oriented spirituality really well, would definitely recommend

[@tonttu7979]

Very interesting topic. Im a finn who was never baptised. Family didnt belong in the christian church, so instead my metaphysical worldview growing up was a weird synthesis of both very science based materialism and the local folk lore. I find peace in the forest, where ive always spent a lot of time just wandering around or sitting on a pine branch for hours. If i ever have children of my own im definitely gonna tell them all the folk tales i heard about metsänpeitto and all the many types of spirits and deities we have

[@adamchapman6530]

That's interesting. Thank you. This phenomenon exists in other cultures that are not totally disconnected from Swedish. The Baal Shem Tov is also famous for having spent a long time meditating in the Russian forest.

[@christosanesti518]

Brother, your videos on Germanic spirituality, are very helpful. Thanks.

[@Tom-sd9jb]

Whats the life of a man any more than a leaf? Each man has his season, so why must he grieve? Although in this life we appear fine and gay In time we must wither And soon fade away

[@Paakku97]

Oh how beautiful are the oldest of leaves on the tree!

[@mollyo3558]

Please cover the Saami spirituality!