In Our Nature

If reducing social anxiety were the only benefit of being in nature, then sitting alone in a quiet room would be just as good as walking in nature, and the plasma screen pictures would be as good as an actual window. It certainly isn't for me. It seems as if nature has its own energies that are healing and restorative for us. Whether these are actual external forces that science hasn't yet identified, or psychological triggers that are wired into our brains doesn't matter. What matters is that people FEEL different when they're in nature, alone or with a large group. Maybe it's as simple as not being the only focus of attention. Nature notices us, but doesn't make us the entire universe. It's a great reminder.
A wonderful article, and a topic that deserves far more research.

A vocal path.

You live
near a vocal
path, and always
a young bird
returns in your
head like a
beautiful song
in the light
of a white dream...

Francesco Sinibaldi

This experiment has confirmed to me my own observation on myself.Getting absorbed in nature works like a "Nirvana"or
has effects like TM.

Bear Grylls is a cheap fake. If you enjoy survival check out the reruns of "Survivorman," with Les Stroud. He has no camera crew and no support. Just himself and his own survival skills for a whole week in the wild. Does all of his own filming and gives practical survival advice. Much of what Bear shares is actually detrimental to survival, and the risks he takes are only feasible with a first aid crew close at hand.

Having spent my high school years in Ann Arbor I found the arboretum to be my favorite spot. I used to run there alone to pray and meditate, or with the Pioneer Cross Country team where we would enjoy Kung-Foo Canyon, our spirited reenactment of a thousand dubbed kung-foo movies. Now that years are past and I spend most of my time staring at this screen, I feel in my heart and bones that I need to find my new arboretum.

For the vast majority of man's history on Earth, he was a small scale hunter and gatherer and spent his life with family and children, living and playing in paradise.

UC Irvine placed electrodes on human's brains to measure responses. First, they showed the participants photos of man's most magnificent architecture, then photos of man's most beautiful landscapes, and then photos of wild, natural land that the eons landscaped [Earth's ecosystems]. Magnficent buildings received the least rapture, joy response; next was the photos of man's attempts at creating nature, but the photos of wild places and things sent the responses off the charts in the measurements of joy and rapture.

It is called the oceanic feeling as many humans experience profound feelings of an interconnectedness to the universe and beyond when on Earth's oceans. For me, I feel my heart will explode when I encounter a wild, natural animal or view a mountain or oak trees, landscaping and design by the Almighty, himself! Where else would mankind find paradise? A bad day of fishing is always better than being locked up in a dark hole for the majority of time spent on Earth, the majority of one's life. And, why is it the native people of New Guinea never experience depression?

would be interested to know if the results of these tests would be different if the woods you were walking in had brown bears wandering around as well? i know my summer walks in the woods can be very stressful as a few people were attacked by brown bears in my area this past summer, whereas my winter walks are much more relaxing. no bears and no bugs in the winter. just a thought.

For a great book on this subject, try Louv's, "Last Child in the Woods". It will open your eyes to the fear and hysteria, mostly mistakenly applied, to our life of today. Such a shame. The children will not see the forest for their parents.

Dog parks are a part of the stimulus bills so that should really help get people outside and in turn stimulate the economy. Oh wait, there is fee to take your dog to the park, nevermind.

This is why my organization Great Plains Restoration Council has made Ecological Health -- the interdependent health of humans, animals and ecosystems -- the activating prism through which all of our conservation and youth work is done. People can heal themselves through healing the Earth. We've already protected over 18,000 acres and our Plains Youth InterACTION operates in two states. What's different about GPRC from other orgs is we don't become visitors to the natural world, we become part of the natural world, wherever we live. We not only protect our critically endangered prairie/plains wildlands, but we work to bring the natural world back into our flesh and blood and culture and soul, even in the inner city. And now we're opening a new front in conservation where we will partner with a local hospital or hospice and begin exploring trauma and illness recovery through protecting wild nature. Even deeper wellness results are achieved when people are actually allowed personal, hands-on participation in restoration work, beyond just a visit. Protecting our living, breathing (gasping) Earth is the central issue of public health. Jarid Manos, Founder/CEO, Great Plains Restoration Council, www.gprc.org; Author/Ghetto Plainsman, www.ghettoplainsman.com

It's like Lynard Skynard says, " Be a simple kind of man." Take your son or daughter camping w/o a cell phone, I-Pod, Radio and although they'll scream......... teach them about the great outdoors. Probably sounds corny but you'd be amazed how you learn to talk to each other again!

Great article! In my recent book, Chasing Science at Sea, I illustrate through stories of my own experience and that of my colleagues the importance of observing and studying the ocean through firsthand experience at, on or under the sea. Not only does it provide unexpected insight into how the natural world really works, but also inspires a continued sense of curiosity and a wonder for natural beauty, evolutionary successes, and complexity. Natural scientists worry that a lack of experiences in nature will also fail to inspire the next generation of scientists and stewards for the environment. We need to bring the issue to a broader audience so that people of all ages continue to get an opportunity to see, feel and experience all that is the wonder of nature.

Great article! In my recent book, Chasing Science at Sea, I illustrate through stories of my own experience and that of my colleagues the importance of observing and studying the ocean through firsthand experience at, on or under the sea. Not only does it provide unexpected insight into how the natural world really works, but also inspires a continued sense of curiosity and a wonder for natural beauty, evolutionary successes, and complexity. Natural scientists worry that a lack of experiences in nature will also fail to inspire the next generation of scientists and stewards for the environment. We need to bring the issue to a broader audience so that people of all ages continue to get an opportunity to see, feel and experience all that is the wonder of nature.

I'm a TV producer, working on a project all about this. It's a hot button issue. I second the motion to print it in Newsweek as well as online.

Wow. This is a GREAT article, and i hope Newsweek will print it in the magazine, not just on the Web, so all Americans can see it. This is such an important issue, and i commend Newsweek for raising it !! Modern people need to know what they are missing by not connecting with nature.

df