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Reconnect with nature - it's good for you!

Geoff-Allen

Resident megalomaniac
Greetings fellow earthlings

I hope your day has been enjoyable so far ... if not - try this -

Humans have long intuited that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous adolescents completing rites of passage in the wild, to modern East Asian cultures taking “forest baths,” many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth.

Why nature? No one knows for sure; but one hypothesis derived from evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson’s “biophilia” theory suggests that there are evolutionary reasons people seek out nature experiences. We may have preferences to be in beautiful, natural spaces because they are resource-rich environments—ones that provide optimal food, shelter, and comfort. These evolutionary needs may explain why children are drawn to natural environments and why we prefer nature to be part of our architecture.

To read the full-article just click below -

What Happens When We Reconnect with Nature

Enjoy!

:)
 

exchemist

Veteran Member
Greetings fellow earthlings

I hope your day has been enjoyable so far ... if not - try this -

Humans have long intuited that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous adolescents completing rites of passage in the wild, to modern East Asian cultures taking “forest baths,” many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth.

Why nature? No one knows for sure; but one hypothesis derived from evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson’s “biophilia” theory suggests that there are evolutionary reasons people seek out nature experiences. We may have preferences to be in beautiful, natural spaces because they are resource-rich environments—ones that provide optimal food, shelter, and comfort. These evolutionary needs may explain why children are drawn to natural environments and why we prefer nature to be part of our architecture.

To read the full-article just click below -

What Happens When We Reconnect with Nature

Enjoy!

:)
I've always assumed it is because we are apes that we retain an atavistic attraction towards nature, especially trees and bushy plants. Is it really any more complicated than that?
 

Twilight Hue

Twilight, not bright nor dark, good nor bad.
Greetings fellow earthlings

I hope your day has been enjoyable so far ... if not - try this -

Humans have long intuited that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous adolescents completing rites of passage in the wild, to modern East Asian cultures taking “forest baths,” many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth.

Why nature? No one knows for sure; but one hypothesis derived from evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson’s “biophilia” theory suggests that there are evolutionary reasons people seek out nature experiences. We may have preferences to be in beautiful, natural spaces because they are resource-rich environments—ones that provide optimal food, shelter, and comfort. These evolutionary needs may explain why children are drawn to natural environments and why we prefer nature to be part of our architecture.

To read the full-article just click below -

What Happens When We Reconnect with Nature

Enjoy!

:)
Reconnecting with nature in some places can get you eaten.

Just ask Timothy.
 

Bear Wild

Well-Known Member
Greetings fellow earthlings

I hope your day has been enjoyable so far ... if not - try this -

Humans have long intuited that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous adolescents completing rites of passage in the wild, to modern East Asian cultures taking “forest baths,” many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth.

Why nature? No one knows for sure; but one hypothesis derived from evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson’s “biophilia” theory suggests that there are evolutionary reasons people seek out nature experiences. We may have preferences to be in beautiful, natural spaces because they are resource-rich environments—ones that provide optimal food, shelter, and comfort. These evolutionary needs may explain why children are drawn to natural environments and why we prefer nature to be part of our architecture.

To read the full-article just click below -

What Happens When We Reconnect with Nature

Enjoy!

:)

Note: I am using the term nature in the sense of the non-human created sense environments or at least environments with less human control.

I cannot imagine living anywhere were I could not get out of the four wall and just be able to be enveloped in the natural world. It does not need to be a primal forest just an area where the natural world is alive and active and where you can feel intimately connected.

I have patients who have learned to control their depression by walking into a natural area and feel connected to the land. Many have been able to reduce and even get off of medications as long as the visit their spot regularly.

There are studies of inner city school children with attention deficit disorders that showed improvement just visiting inner city parks with a natural setting.

Forest bathing is a practice in Japan that has been studied at length with multiple medical conditions showing positive response with regular visits.

Studies of the effect of terpenes (given off from trees) from spending time in a forest has improved the immune system, respiratory system and cardiovascular as well as mental health.

Here is an example of a review of the information.

Effects of forest bathing on pre-hypertensive and hypertensive adults: a review of the literature | Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine | Full Text
 

Bear Wild

Well-Known Member
I've always assumed it is because we are apes that we retain an atavistic attraction towards nature, especially trees and bushy plants. Is it really any more complicated than that?

It is more complicated than that. Humans evolved in an external environment with all kinds of exposure and stimulations that we adapted to. Modern living now can occur with little to no exposure to the outside world. There are and maybe many environmental interactions that benefit us that we are not yet aware of and others are being studied now. Ironically since we are eliminating natural selection in out self contained places and perpetual food supply, we do not know yet what will happen genetically to humans in a long term perspective. The simple solution is to not pave over all of the "natural" areas and enjoy the benefits we evolved with.
 

Bear Wild

Well-Known Member
Reconnecting with nature in some places can get you eaten.

Just ask Timothy.

I assume you are referring to Timothy Treadwell who was tragically killed by a bear attack in Alaska. I am wrong let me know.

It the case of the Timothy Treadwell the fatal attack was terrible but occurred in a slightly unusual circumstance. The time was late in the season with most bears preparing for hibernation. The bear in question evidently had not eaten enough to prepare for hibernation and this probably cause the bear to search for any form of food to survive winter and unfortunately Timothy was in the search area of the bear. What was really remarkable is just how well he survived and interacted with the grizzly bears up to that point.

So a question could be asked was his life better or worse for having lived with the bears knowing his death. From what we are told about his life is he was declining from drugs and alcohol and his experience with meeting the bears of Alaska changed his life for the better. So would it be better to live a shorter but fuller life free from drugs and alcohol or to have a longer life which appeared to be devoid of meaning?

We cannot forget also how many people suffer from terrible and deadly car accidents especially when alcohol is involved, die from suicide, homicide and many other possible deaths without spending any time in nature.
 
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