Lose Your Sense of Wilderness

“Should you drop me, stark naked, into many (not all) kinds of terrain, I would not mind much. I lost my wilderness when I lost my fear. . . Once you lose your 'sense of wilderness' you gain something much more precious - the sense of existing as a part of the natural world. This is not something that ends when you come out of the woods. It's a life lesson . . . It's about experiencing nature in a direct way, and it's also about experiencing yourself in a direct way after you've removed your masks and set aside your filters of preconception. . . What makes wilderness natural is the fact that you are immersed in the natural world. Once you put clothing on in a deep woods spot, you aren't part of the wilderness anymore, you are in direct touch with civilization. You are wearing a mask that protects you not just physically, but also mentally from the wilderness.” - Shane