Travel and the Mind

Abstract

This chapter explores travel and the mind, and aspects of psychology of travel, describing humans as the ‘travelling ape’. The chapter looks at the evolution of the human species, the effects of the shift to sedentism some 11,000 years ago, and how travel can impact our mental state. The author introduces the concept of Deep Travel, a way of using the mind that opens us up to new experiences. Different than either daydreaming or closely focused attention, which both seal us off from the world, Deep Travel is alert to everything around us. This way of thinking, the author argues, evolved due to the altered perspective afforded by bipedalism; and is a state of mind that we must nurture, in our sedentist societies, if we are to foster human well-being in future. The chapter also examines the importance of travel for creativity, mental health, and healthy aging.