Psychogeography 11/26

Psychogeography is a way of thinking about how environments resonate the state of mind and emotions of individuals living and/or contributing that particular place. It explores the outside forces exerted on the surroundings to shape and create particular shapes in individual mindsets. The suggested practice in both articles focuses on exploring a random city with random directions. In this case, the individuals are supposedly become more realized about their surroundings, and thus allows them to get out of their routines. It empowers individuals by forcing them to make their own decisions and define their self-routes.

New environment attracts us because they are out of our normal routine, thus we become more aware of the surroundings. It creates a similar basis of anarchism, since its philosophy on the root is to challenge whatever system is existing, and then getting rid of them. However, as The Double Negative article points out that psychogeographic practices have limitations based on the social class, gender, economic background etc of the individual. This suggests an elitist approach to the psychogeography since not everyone is able to invest resources to practice. Also, it creates the idea that this philosophy is about controlling power illusions rather than challenging them. Yet, since its point is the route, not the destination, it is unplanned and unexpected in nature. Those who are in the system can at least question it.

In the Psychogeography article, people are depicted as data collectors. It talks about humans unique abilities to gather and process information from their surroundings. It fully supports to psychogeographic notion that the mindset is shaped by the surroundings. However, it does not reflect upon the fact that people are also natural beings that leaves mark on their territories. It creates a ceteris paribus as the concept of psychogeography deals with outside, sometimes invisible, factors. Where is the place of self in the creation of the environment? And to what extent the self creates an impact over it?