TO YOUR HEALTH
Connecting Deeply With Nature Heals the Mind
BY JERRY CHESNUT
ed with stress), lower pulse rate, lower blood pressure, greater para- sympathetic nerve activity, and lower sympathetic nerve activity than do city environments.” And what about spending time with animals? -RXUQDOLVW $OLQD %UDGIRUG ZULWLQJ LQ WKH 2FWREHU1RYHPEHU LV - sue of 7KH(DUWK , , states that “interacting with animals has been found to release chemicals in the brain, such as oxytocin, that can lead to stress and pain relief, happiness, relaxation, and other welcomed mental states.” How Much Time in Nature is Needed? You certainly don’t need to be a scientist to appreciate time spent in nature. The 19 th FHQWXU\$PHULFDQQDWXUDOLVW-RKQ0XLUZURWHWKDW ³QDWXUH¶V SHDFH ZLOO ÀRZ LQWR \RX DV VXQVKLQH ÀRZV LQWR WUHHV 7KH winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their en- ergy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” 6R KRZ PXFK WLPH GR DGXOWV QHHG WR VSHQG LQ QDWXUH WR UHDOL]H VXFKEHQH¿WV"$FFRUGLQJWR3URI/DV]OR³MXVW¿YHKRXUVSHUPRQWK LVVẊ FLHQWWRLPSURYHPRRGYLWDOLW\DQGIHHOLQJVRIUHOD[DWLRQ Wil- OLDPV 0RUHRYHUWLPHLQQDWXUHFDQEHVSHQWLQDFLW\SDUNDV
'XHLQSDUWWRWKHVRFLRHFRQRPLFLPSDFWVRIWKH&29,' SDQ - demic, mental health issues have been thrust into the media spotlight — perhaps as never before. Surging drug overdoses, crime, suicide, YLROHQFHDOFRKROLVPLQFLYLOLW\SROLWLFDOSRODUL]DWLRQDQGRWKHUVLJQV of mental imbalance are rampant in many parts of the globe. ,QWKHPHDQWLPHVFLHQFHFRQWLQXHVWRREVHUYHWKHPLQGIURPGHHS - er and broader perspectives, tying its performance and existence to HQHUJ\ ¿HOGV HSLJHQHWLFV WKH TXDQWXP ¿HOG FRQVFLRXVQHVV DZDUH - QHVVDQGHYHQWKHTXHVWLRQRI³:KDWLVWKHPLQGDQ\ZD\"´'RRXU thoughts come from our brain, or does our brain simply access tran- VFHQGHQWVRXUFH V "$UHWKRXJKWVDWUXHUHÀHFWLRQRIWKH0LQG" ,Q WKH PLGVW RI VR PDQ\ KXPDQFDXVHG VWUHVVRUV WKH QDWXUDO ZRUOG WRR LV VX̆ HULQJ 1RW RQO\ KDYH PHQWDO LPEDODQFHV ² JUHHG VHO¿VKQHVV HWF ² QHJDWLYHO\LPSDFWHG QDWXUH EXW SHRSOH KDYH ORVW sight of what nature means to them in a most fundamental and pro- found sense. :KDWLVWKHUHVXOWRIWKLVORVV"/LVD0LOOHU3URIRI3V\FKRORJ\DW &ROXPELD8QLYHUVLW\ says “we live in a situation where humans must be very scary to other living creatures.” Spending Time in Nature — A Review $VZHNQRZKXPDQVEHQH¿WIURPWKHPDWHULDOUHVRXUFHVWKDWQD - ture provides, but time spent in nature can also help resolve human PHQWDOD̈ LFWLRQV2QWRSRIWKDWWKHPRUHWLPHZHOOVSHQWLQQDWXUH WKHJUHDWHUWKHEHQH¿WV for both parties . This is something that nearly everyone knows to some degree. %XWXQGHUVWDQGLQJWKH³ZK\´FRXOGFRQWULEXWHWRDOLIWLQKXPDQFRQ - sciousness that leads to environmental restoration, something the world so badly needs. %HIRUHJHWWLQJLQWRWKH³ZK\´LWLVLPSRUWDQWWRUHYLHZZKDWQDWXUH can do for humanity’s mental states, which profoundly overlap phys- LFDOFRQGLWLRQVDVZHOO7KHEHQH¿WVDUHVRQXPHURXVDVWRUDLVHWKH question, “What does quality time in nature NOT do for humans?” According to a presentation E\3URI&KULV/DV]ORDWWKH7KLUG,QWHU - QDWLRQDO&RQIHUHQFHRQ6FLHQFHDQG*RGWKHEHQH¿WVRI³FRQQHFWLQJ to nature” include: “overall health improvement; stress relief; reduced negative emotions, such as GHFUHDVHGIHDUDQGDQJHU HQKDQFHGSRVLWLYHH̆ HFWV LPSURYHPHQWVLQPRRG and increased subjective well-being; feelings of joy and happiness; a sense of reconnection with self; kinship ties in teams; a heightened sense of communi- ty, kinship, egalitarianism, and belongingness, along with increased empathy ( )ORUHQFH ); a stronger sense of place; and improved cognitive abilities, LQFOXGLQJFUHDWLYLW\FRJQLWLYHÀRZDQGPHQWDOSHUIRUPDQFHLQSUREOHPVROY - ing.” $QG WKDW¶V MXVW IRU VWDUWHUV EHFDXVH WKHUH DUH VR PDQ\ GL̆ HUHQW ways of being in nature. For instance, just the act of walking “releases hormones, such as dopamine, serotonin, estrogen, and testosterone, that make a person feel better physically, mentally and emotionally,” writes 'U3DUDPLWD0DQGDODVVLVWDQWSURIHVVRUDW,QGLD¶V8QLYHUVLW\ RI%XUGZDQRQWKHWKHUDSHXWLFH̆ HFWVRIDPRUQLQJZDON Another way of being in nature involves time spent in forests where, according to SV\FKRWKHUDSLVW 'U <DVXKLUR .RWHUD WDOO WUHHV FDQLPSDUWDVHQVHRIDZH³DQH̆ HFWDVVRFLDWHGZLWKYDULRXVSURVRFLDO behaviors, such as generosity and compassion.” Awe also helps one “transcend frame of reference,” says Kotera, citing 3L̆ HWDO . Kotera, citing an additional study, concludes: “Forest environ- ments promote lower concentrations of cortisol (a hormone associat-
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easily as in a forest, beach, mountain, desert, or grassy plain.” +HDOVRVWUHVVHVWKHLPSRUWDQFHRIFKLOGUHQVSHQGLQJWLPHLQQD - WXUHFLWLQJDVXUYH\E\7KH1DWLRQDO7UXVWLQWKH8QLWHG.LQJ - GRPWKDWIRXQG³DOPRVWRISUHVFKRROHUVODFNHGUHJXODURXWGRRU play sessions while older children, aged ten to sixteen, spent only thir- teen minutes a day on vigorous outdoor activity.” Our Connection with Nature is Profound So, why have people — who came out of nature and have known LWVEHQH¿WVIRUPLOOHQQLD²FRPHWRDSODFHZKHUHWKH\DV3URI0LOOHU states, are “scary” to nature? What is it about the human-nature con- nection that is missing? What don’t we “get” about that connection? The answer has to do with how people and nature are connected. As science advances into a postmaterialist era — studying such WKLQJVDVWKHTXDQWXP¿HOG²WKDWFRQQHFWLRQLVFRPLQJPRUHLQWRIR - cus. What it promises could change how we relate to the environment. $FFRUGLQJWR3URI/D]VOR³TXDQWXPSK\VLFVLQSDUWLFXODULVJLYLQJ ULVHWRDQHZLGHDWKDWLQIDFWDWWKHPRVWLQ¿QLWHVLPDOOHYHORIWKHXQL - YHUVHWKHUHLVDFRQQHFWHGDQGFRKHUHQWXQL¿HG¿HOGD¿HOGRIHQHUJ\ and information that connects everything.” ,QVWHDGRIWKLQNLQJRIVSDFHDVDYDFXXPKHVD\VLWVKRXOGEHVHHQ DVD³SOHQXP´RUIXOOUHSOHWHZLWK³¿HOGVRIHQHUJ\YLEUDWLRQDO¿HOGV of energy [that] connect everything, not just metaphorically — but ac- tually.” Famous experiments such as the double-slit experiment, as well DV%HOO¶VWKHRUHPH[SHULPHQWVKRZWKLVSHUYDVLYHFRQQHFWLRQRU³HQ -
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PATHWAYS—Winter 22—13
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