How to Use This Site
This site is a doorway to that “unknown country” of which Emerson speaks, and which John Muir sought through his experience of Nature. Like all doors, this one does not open on its own. You must choose to go through. A sunlit landscape appears on the other side, but if you do not go though the door the sun will remain unknown. Our experience of the unknown country must be born through our own effort. There is no other way.
Each page of this site is a meditation on a phrase from Emerson’s text The Natural History of the Intellect [Full Text]. The pages can be read through quickly to give an overview of the work, but each asks for quiet contemplation to bring out its true significance. The images help with this. Each one repeats the meaning of the text in a visual form. The images speak a language beyond words. Their meaning may first appear as a vague feeling. Cherish this feeling with gratitude and it will grow. Do not rush to put it into words. If you need words, repeat Emerson's phrase. Let this phrase replace your thoughts about the image. The phrase and image will gradually merge and you will see them as one - one spirit given two expressions.
Success in this work may take time. Emerson’s text is rich with meaning and Nature has so much to teach that only a small portion can be assimilated in one sitting. The spirit is not stingy with it gifts. It delivers a torrent. Do not underestimate the task of accepting it. It takes courage and perseverance. There is a depth here that defies intellectual understanding. The unknown country does not lend itself to description, or intellectual thought. Art is a better guide. If you try to express these qualities prematurely, you will see your experience change into something quite different. Rather than opening, the door will slowly close. It is wiser to treasure the experiences, to hold them in your heart in quiet contemplation.