Author: Ishfaq Ahmad Shah, Dr. Hina Tahir

Abstract: In the Anthropocene, due to rampant anthropogenic impact on ecological systems, a divide has occurred between human and nonhuman worlds, where the former exerts its power on the latter. This hierarchical relationship between them has proved detrimental to both. To challenge and dismantle this uneven paradigm, I discuss the scope of ecospirituality—which regards the nonhuman world as sacred—in promoting a harmonious relationship between humans and other-than-humans. This spiritual approach emphasises the collective evolution grounded in interconnectedness and interrelation among all life forms. Influenced by the ecological philosophies of Thomas Berry and Thomas Clarke, I argue that ecological space is sacred for the islanders of Taiwan, with whom they communicate and stay in communion. I foreground their familial relationship with the natural world, highlighting coexistence rather than domination. Besides, I contend that the islanders deem nonhuman objects as agential entities that help shape their realities. Moreover, I examine Wu Ming-Yi's depiction of ‘ecological memories’ as a way to underscore the geological and temporal scales at which transformations in the nonhuman world become perceptible.

Keywords: agency; anthropocene; ecospirituality; ecological world; harmony; islanders; nonhuman; sacred

Article Info: Received: 27 Jun 2026; Received in revised form: 22 Jul 2026; Accepted: 25 Jul 2026; Available online: 01 Aug 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.114.27