Finding and Using Local Medicinal Plants.
Dr. Erica Wohldmann holds a joint Ph.D. in Psychology and Cognitive Science from the CU, Boulder, and is a Professor at CSU, Northridge where she teaches classes about ecopsychology, food choices, sustainability, and cognition and neuroscience.
Her research has been generously funded by the National Institutes of Health, has been published in some of the leading peer-reviewed scientific journals, and was featured in Psychology Today and by the National Wildlife Federation.
In 2012, Erica traveled through 16 states in the Western U.S., living in national forests for 6 months, and wild-foraging all of her food and medicine.
She has worked with indigenous peoples in North and South America to learn about traditional plant uses, and leads food and medicine walks in the Los Angeles area.
Erica just completed her first book describing her time spent living in the forest and the importance of reconnecting with nature through plants.
Visit her on Facebook and Instagram.
Presentation Abstract:
Ancient Wisdom for the Modern World: Finding and Using Local Medicinal Plants
Long before the days of modern medicine and the invention of synthetic chemicals, people used plants to prevent and cure diseases. Ancient civilizations understood how to use plant medicines strategically in order to treat illnesses ranging from the common cold to life-threatening diseases such as cancer. This wisdom was passed down orally from one generation to the next, but as indigenous cultural values have been replaced with western ideologies, many of these practices have been lost, or at least forgotten. In this presentation, I will discuss traditional uses of plant medicines that can be found right here in Southern California, common plants that are found all throughout the western U.S. Some of the plants I will review were used for physical healing and others for ceremonial purposes, including spiritual healing and manifestation. As we work towards greater ecological harmony and healing, it is essential that we reintegrate traditional wisdom into our lives. Plants have the power to facilitate this process.
More About Erica Wohldmann, PhD:
Nothing has more potential to elicit feelings of oneness than eating-nourishing our bodies with the same matter that every single other life form on this planet needs for survival. Putting earth directly into our human bodies unites star with star, and connects us deeply to the greater web of life.
–Erica Wohldmann
He who experiences the unity of life sees his own Self in all beings and all beings in his own Self.
–Buddha
Recommended Reading:
Erica Wohldmann’s publications on Planet Experts
Erica Wohldmann’s academic publications