Just One Question | Craig Foster: Why am I Afraid of N...
We’ve all felt it: the excitement of heading out into nature, followed almost immediately by “wow, that’s a lot of bugs” energy. Turns out, that’s not just you being an urban dweller — it’s a genuine evolutionary paradox, and this week’s guest has spent his whole career living inside it.
Craig Foster is the filmmaker and naturalist behind My Octopus Teacher, and in this episode he tackles a question Tami poses about her own experience: why can she melt into a deep, connected feeling about nature from the safety of meditation, but feel completely terrified and separate the moment she’s actually standing in a wilderness with wolves, cougars, or sharks nearby?
Craig’s answer reframes the whole thing. He explains that we’re each carrying millions of years of “wild” memory, hardwired into who we are, while our conscious, modern selves have only had a few generations to adjust to industrial life. The fix isn’t a heroic leap into the deep wild — it’s small, steady reconnection.
A few takeaways from Craig’s answer:
- We’re designed for wildness — our discomfort with it is a mismatch, not a flaw
- Reconnection starts small: get to know the trees, insects, and animals right around your house
- Comfort with the wild builds faster than you’d expect — sometimes in a matter of months
- Even one backyard animal can teach you something profound about yourself and the natural world
If this got you thinking about your own relationship with the wild, you’ll want to hear the whole conversation — Craig and Tami go even deeper into what it means to live an amphibious life, split between our tame and wild selves.
Taken from the full Insights at the Edge conversation with Craig Foster. Find the complete interview in this feed or at soundstrue.com.
This episode is sponsored by Omega Institute, a global gathering hub for lifelong learning and spiritual exploration. Omega offers weekend workshops, special events, rest and rejuvenation retreats, professional training, online learning, and more. Discover what calls to you at eomega.org/true.
