Cultural - Geographical and Environmental Diversity

Question: Discuss about the Cultural, Geographical and Environmental Diversity. Answer: Introduction: It is a well-known fact that Australia is a land of cultural, geographical and environmental diversity, and it has got as many as 900 distinct aboriginal groups scattered all over the nation. As a country I believe Australia has characterized by so many cultural groups and ethnic tribes, and hence Australia has witnessed the diversity of various popular myths and philosophical thoughts elaborated over the past years by the indigenous group of people. The concept of dreaming is one such myth in the Indigenous community that is an integral part of the identity as well as spiritual belief of the Aboriginals (Bird et al. 2013). Although from the European perspective I think the act of dreaming is chiefly a psychological phenomenon explained in terms of Freudian school of psychology, the Australian perspective focuses on dream as a manifestation of a complex and inexplicable truth of life. Dreaming in the Aboriginal community is a phenomenon, less psychological and more real, that in itself explains the state of the world and reveals the deeper, inner meaning of life. Dreaming has no time, rather it reveals things as they are in the world, and is termed as a psychic state that helps the Aboriginals establish contact with the world, the spiritual truth of life, or simply their ancestors. The Aboriginals believe that the process of dreaming is an eternal, timeless phase and that right from his birth till his demise any Aboriginal individual exists in the Dreaming (Bird et al. 2013). I believe that Dreaming in itself is deemed to be the source of all Aboriginals, and as such it establishes the cultural rules, s ocial norms and worldview of indigenous people of Australia (Harrison and McConchie 2013). As a result of the cultural diversity of the aboriginal group of people in Australia, the phenomenon of Dreaming is referred to by various names, such as Manguny, Wongar, and many more, but in each of the dialect, it is used to imply the spiritual process that rules the world, the life-force which is responsible for maintaining the harmony of the universe. However, the most important feature of Dreaming process, I believe is that dreaming as an act is believed to be practiced by each living Aboriginal of Africa, and does not recognize the social hierarchy and order that determines the religious practice of any community. Dreaming is timeless eternity; it is a creative process every man participates in, till his death, irrespective of his class or social status. I think Dreaming to the Aboriginals is past, present as well as future; it is the spiritual reality that the individuals exist in. Dre aming at once is the heroic time of the past when the relation between man and nature was first established, and yet it is also the order and law that rules the present and determines the existence of things and beings as they are. In this way, Dreaming is a holy era which witnessed their Totemic spirit forming a part of creation, and it is at the same time the central point of their spiritual beliefs and perceptions of the world (Tonkinson 2013). According to me, Dreaming as a phenomenon explains the broad line of demarcation that exists between the Eurocentric worldview and that of the Aboriginal worldview. First of all, the act of dreaming is not a psychological phenomenon, but is rather the revelation of truth that extends much beyond the scope of science. It does not recognize any social order, and rather establishes a condition that each individual stays in, and hence can practice as well (Anderson 2013). Social hierarchy I believe, plays an important role in any community, and yet it does not hold the truth for the Aboriginals. Again, while almost every community and ethnic group in the world recognizes the existence of at least one God or Holy Spirit, that explains the source of Creation, the Aboriginals do not believe in anything outside the phenomenon of Dreaming, the only act that helps them intuitively understand the source of all things, living and dead. Hence, I think that Dreaming according to the Aboriginals, i s a phenomenon that explains existence and governs the Universe. The land is not merely a place to live in, and earn money as is the case with us; the Aboriginals view land as the center of creative acts of Dreaming that ultimately leads to the present and future (Eidelson 2014). To conclude, I must say that the act of Dreaming is an important concept pervading the spiritual belief and religious thoughts of the Aboriginals of Australia. The concept of Dreaming emphasizes the idea of intersubjectivity that dominates the mystical view of the Aboriginals. The Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia believe that not only the people are capable of communicating with the spiritual world, but the spiritual environment also seeks to establish communication with the people. Dreaming thus emerges to be relation of harmony and oneness, existing between the inhabitants of the world, and the cosmos. Reference List: Anderson, P., 2013. Dreaming up the future of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Public Health Racism as a Public Health Issue [Internet]. Sydney.New South Wales: The University of New South Wales Lowitja Institute. Bird, R.B., Tayor, N., Codding, B.F. and Bird, D.W., 2013. Niche construction and Dreaming logic: aboriginal patch. Bird, R.B., Tayor, N., Codding, B.F. and Bird, D.W., 2013. Niche construction and Dreaming logic: aboriginal patch mosaic burning and varanid lizards (Varanus gouldii) in Australia.Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences,280(1772), p.20132297. Eidelson, M., 2014.Melbourne Dreaming: A guide to important places of the past and present(Vol. 129). Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. Harrison, M.D. and McConchie, P., 2013.My people's dreaming: An Aboriginal elder speaks on life, land, spirit and forgiveness. HarperCollins Australia. Tonkinson, R., 2013. Dream-Spirits and Innovation in Aboriginal Australias Western Desert.International Journal of Transpersonal Studies,32(1).