"Psychogeography"

Some reflections

So a few things that are interesting that I’ve been thinking about today. Long rant.

I found out about the concept of psychogeography from a very interesting TMU prof named Ted Hiebert. Basically the idea condensed is that given your geographical location, your psychology, identity, sense of self and functionality will change. Psyc, cogsci, and geography influencing identity and sense of self, including functioning. When I was renovicted in 2012-2013 whilst in very severe abuse initiated mental health crisis - by house flipping douchebag realtors I truly learned what this phenomenon ACTUALLY means. All of a sudden the elements of my psyche that my apartment normally contained - templates of memory, relations to objects, histories and narratives had literally no place to go. ReMax agents broke into, took over and flipped my apartment. While I was living in it. Meanwhile, I had not slept in 6 months due to abuse - quite literally hadnt- and had been subject to numerous life threatening incidences of SA. I managed to “stay in control” (whatever that means thanks colonial social work wtf) by orienting my psyche, memories and place to OTHER locations. Vic Park in London was one, the market was another, and to be honest within constructs of colonialism and the fact that money dictates place/land/ space, this got wild. If it - tokenism and money - does not equate to place and space “legitimacy”,, all the things many folx take for granted, what happens when that is restricted... To yr psyche, to what contains and holds your psychology... All the “vessels” change. I know for a fact most people don’t understand how their housing construct basically creates the template for their personality to operate. Until they lose it. That was splintered for me at a time when I was denied ODSP, and literally every purchase became a translation point for my identity. Trust me colonialism I get your perpetuation deal. Conquer carry yourself forward so your narrative perpetuates. I just wouldn’t extend that kind of construct to other humans, and kept it to trees and what not. As minimal as possible.

I just - today- got ALL of my work done in the Beaches Library. Stuff I couldn’t do for two weeks with my neighbor being a dick. Or anywhere else with zero dollars. I for one have a shit ton of problems with the literal white atmosphere of the beaches. It’s horrifying. However I basically transferred my psyche here for 4 years after running from asshole landlords and advanced predators. I have realized I can function in the beaches neighborhood and library at a level that... Post homelessness, is FAR different. After homelessness I wound up eventually on the west end. After psychosis as well.

I don’t think we as white people honestly understand that the efficiency we can operate within results from having these material needs “met”... Or like, actual fucking land stolen so we can function at a specific level that others cannot. Seriously.

It is interesting however... How my writing on the west end of the city is far more nuanced, complex, and has a lot more depth than my writing which is “functionally efficient” in the beaches. I lived here prior to 6 months of homelessness and psychiatric abuse. Psychogeography and I would argue psychohistory can create the paradigm or template we live within. Which ENABLES functioning. This has a huge impact in terms of housing access, ability to work, agency, and homelessness.

Maybe we need to write these ecological narratives differently. It’s not as simple as I have or haven’t been homeless. Those are two different universes.

Our nervous systems are far more intelligent than we are.