The iconic kauri tree of Aotearoa New Zealand is under increasing threat due to the plant disease kauri dieback, with human activity believed to be a high-risk vector for spread of the fungus-like pathogen. Although forest hygiene measures have been introduced, concern exists over shortfalls in public compliance, particularly among those who live near or in infected areas. This qualitative study takes a community case-study approach to investigate the barriers and enablers of pro-environmental behavior in relation to kauri dieback. Twenty-one members of the public residing in a locale heavily impacted by kauri dieback were interviewed. Several issues that may lead to noncompliance with measures to protect kauri were identified, primarily centered around themes related to system knowledge, certainty and trust. Understanding community social dynamics, as well as cultivating and maintaining public trust in scientific and resource management authorities, is an important element for generating and improving pro-environmental behavior when uncertainty is high.

For Aotearoa New Zealand Māori, sleep and wairua (spirit) are closely intertwined. During sleep the wairua awakens and journeys across multiple dimensions of time and space to attain the tools and knowledge the individual needs to navigate waking life. While this function of sleep is understood within Mātauranga Māori (bodies of knowledge regarding everything within the universe) (Hikuroa 2017), it has yet to be explored within psychological sleep research. This qualitative study contributes to addressing this gap by exploring nine Māori participants’ personal experiences of wairua during sleep. A whakapapa thematic analysis identified two interconnected layers. The first layer contributed to a spiritual explanatory framework for sleep, developed to encompass participants’ beliefs regarding wairua, which were utilised to interpret their sleep experiences. The second layer describes these interpretations, comprised of three central themes: (1) Tohu/Guidance; (2) Ako/Space and time for learning; and (3) Tau/Attaining a state of stability, peace, and purpose. These findings suggest that the spiritual experience of sleep supported participants in navigating their waking lives safely, purposefully, and meaningfully, contributing to Indigenous and Māori scholarship regarding the spiritual and cultural purpose of sleep, and with important implications for clinical, social, and academic approaches to understanding and supporting sleep.

Realising behavioural change in long invested environmental practices is often difficult to achieve, especially when scientific understanding of the issues is still unfolding. Having confidence in one’s action requires knowledge that actions will be effective in improving environmental outcomes. Currently, we know little about the role of social trust in mediating complex and uncertain knowledge of environmental problems and the required actions needed to address them. In this quantitative study, we surveyed 472 users of endangered kauri forests in New Zealand to better explore the role of trust in relation to pro-environmental behaviours (PEB) designed to mitigate effects of the devastating plant disease, kauri dieback. Findings show uncertainty about the scientific knowledge of the issue, recommended actions and efficacy of proposed solutions significantly influenced PEB for both residents and visitors of forests; however, this relationship was partially mediated by trust, particularly among locals residing within 5 km of infected forest areas. These findings indicate the need for closer engagement with local residents to develop institutional and scientific trust in kauri dieback interventions. We outline activities that may help build trust and recommend new areas of research to support higher compliance with environmental protection initiatives.

Exceptional Experiences (EEs) are highly prevalent among the general population and are often perceived as positive and meaningful spiritual occurrences. Several scales measuring experiences and beliefs relating to EEs have previously been developed, yet most are based exclusively on Western understandings and perspectives, thus introducing linguistic and conceptual biases. The goal of this study was to develop a valid measure of belief in EEs among the Aotearoa New Zealand population – a diverse multicultural society with two prominent ethnic groups, Māori (Indigenous peoples) and Pākehā (New Zealand European). A total of 39 items were developed through an intensive literature review and face-to-face interviews with 15 Māori participants, and subsequently piloted with 325 participants. Exploratory Factor Analyses (EFA) produced a three-factor 19-item solution, with excellent internal consistency. Preliminary findings indicate that Māori are significantly more likely to endorse EEs than Pākehā. Given that EEs can be interpreted as either spiritual, anomalous or even pathological according to cultural background, these findings have important implications for how EEs are addressed in the wider society and in mental health settings specifically.