Shapeless Listening to the More-Than-Human World: Coherence, Complexity, Mattering, Indifference

Abstract

Through direct encounters with the more-than-human world (MTHW) I encounter otherness. Practices of oil painting, slowing down, shapeless listening, and gazing afford distinct ways of seeing that resist comprehension, naming, or control. This research affirms that much of the planet remains mysterious and likely indifferent to me. Respecting enduring mystery runs counter to empirical research doctrine, which through seeking to understand, quantify, and name, often entails destroying the source of wonder. Eschewing enclosure and control, I accept unknowability. Themes of coherence, complexity, mattering, and indifference emerge. This inquiry offers loose prescriptions for encountering otherness and invites researchers to practice humility.