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Paper short abstract

This paper maps out a conceptual space from which to articulate the notion of eco-possession in terms of the dynamics between vulnerability, belonging, and mutual care.

Paper long abstract

This paper maps out a conceptual space from which to articulate the notion of eco-possession in terms of the dynamics between vulnerability, belonging, and mutual care. Exploring the idea that one may both “be possessed by” something and “be in possession” of that same thing, we illustrate how possession, rather than being based on the unilateral influence of one agent over another, exists as a sharing of resources across a composite being. The power that emerges from this reciprocity relies on mutual vulnerability: the possessing agent subjects itself to becoming a possession of—something that “belongs to”—the person it is possessing, while the person being possessed must make space within themselves for the external agent “to belong.”

This dynamic is evident, for instance, in traditional sub-Saharan spiritual practices, where being possessed by a spirit also entails coming into possession of that spirit—often in the form of knowledge. From the negotiation of belonging and the resulting formation of a shared body emerges the desire for sustained, mutual care. Accordingly, in terms of eco-possession, as a human body transgresses the boundaries of a specific natural environment, the person and the environment become available to each other, and the possibility of possession emerges. Crucially, as outlined above, the power inherent in leveraging shared resources through possession is constrained by the extent to which the participating agents are mutually vulnerable to, and thus make space for, each other in their shared expressions. In this sense, eco-possession is defined by human-nature composites speaking together.