The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective

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Tsunetsugu, Y. & Y. Miyazaki (2005). Measurement of Absolute Hemoglobin Concentrations of Prefrontal Region by Near-Infrared Time-ResolvedSpectroscopy: Examples of Experiments and Prospects. J Physiol Anthropol Appl Human Sci 24(4)

Norton, B. C. Sustainability: A Philosophy of Adaptive Ecosystem Management (Univ. Chicago Press, Chicago, 2005). Touch is also rather poorly studied, and many of the references we reviewed were not directly about touch. However, there are intriguing indications that touching animals contributes to health and well-being, and we suggest that this be researched more thoroughly and experimentally where possible. There is also a significant gap in the literature with regards to touching non-animal aspects of nature, such as plants. Commensal organisms produce serotonin, melatonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid, catelcholamines, histamine, and acetylcholine, all neuroactive molecules [ 308], and so can be expected to affect mood. A soil bacteria, Mycobacterium vaccae, has been show to increase emotional affect and cognitive function in cancer patients [ 334, 335, 336] by inducing Treg production, which downregulates inflammation [ 308]. From the present perspective it is difficult to believe that at the time we began this research program there were virtually no studies on the subject of this book. A great deal has happened since then, and the literature on the importance of nature is growing. In retrospect, we find ourselves surprised by the quantity of research we and our students have done in these two decades. The present volume focuses on this more or less coherent research program. Though we refer to the work of others as it seems pertinent, we have placed a higher priority on coherence and integration th Soderlund, J., Newman, P. (2015). Biophilic architecture: a review of the rationale and outcomes. AIMS Environ Sci. 2(4):950–969Kellert, S. R. (1997). Kinship to mastery: Biophilia in human evolution and development. Island Press Zelenski and Nisbet studied whether connection itself is the magic ingredient. They assessed the overlap between connectedness with nature and a general sense of connectedness, such as feeling in tune with one’s friends or community. They found that feeling connected to nature was a significant predictor of happiness even after controlling for the effects of general connectedness ( Environment and Behavior, Vol. 46, No. 1, 2014). “People who feel that their self-concept is intertwined with nature report being a bit happier,” says Zelenski. “Nature connectedness isn’t the biggest predictor of happiness, but [the association between the two] is quite consistent.” Awe blurs the line between the self and the world around us, diminishes the ego, and links us to the greater forces that surround us in the world and the larger universe,” he writes. In that way, awe can serve a dual purpose, improving our well-being while bringing us together. The Benefits of Experiencing Awe

Spending time in nature can act as a balm for our busy brains. Both correlational and experimental research have shown that interacting with nature has cognitive benefits—a topic University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman, PhD, and his student Kathryn Schertz explored in a 2019 review. They reported, for instance, that green spaces near schools promote cognitive development in children and green views near children’s homes promote self-control behaviors. Adults assigned to public housing units in neighborhoods with more green space showed better attentional functioning than those assigned to units with less access to natural environments. And experiments have found that being exposed to natural environments improves working memory, cognitive flexibility and attentional control, while exposure to urban environments is linked to attention deficits ( Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 28, No. 5, 2019). Kellert, S. R. C., Elizabeth F. (2015). The Practice of Biophilic Design. Retrieved from www.biophilicdesign.com

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Addeddate 2014-06-02 15:31:12.12959 Call number 1559810 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City Cambridge External-identifier This paper is intended to be a narrative review of disparate literature designed to provide a reference for wider reading rather than to provide a systematic review of the evidence. As such, no systematic search or synthesis has been attempted and instead, a number of search terms were used and anything considered relevant to senses and nature benefits was included. Multiple study designs were included, as well as research on animals in addition to humans. Some search term examples, for sound, included “sound”, “noise”, “nature benefit”, “wellness”, “health”, “wellbeing”, with similar searches for the other senses. When relevant articles were found, a snowballing method was utilized, searching their references for further relevant articles. In some instances where very few results were found, we included preference studies as well as correlational studies where the effects of possible confounding variables could not be assessed. Brown, D. K., Barton, J. L., Gladwell, V. F. (2013). Viewing nature scenes positively affects recovery of autonomic function following acute-mentalstress. Environ Sci Technol, 47:5562–9

Correlating patterns in the urban landscape : biophilia and landscape configuration By Kimberly Dietzel Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Environmental Design — Master of the Arts. (2016). Biophilia was lastly defined as “The innate, genetically determined affiliation of human beings to nature and other living organisms.” (Biophilic Design Guidebook, June 2018). Elements, principles, and experience of biophilic design Hirsch Hadorn, G. et al. in Handbook of Transdisciplinary Research (eds Hirsch Hadorn, G. et al.) 19–39 (Springer, 2008). The first category Nature in the Space includes all the direct, physical, and ephemeral existence of nature in a place. The influence of the nature in the space experience can be achieved through three main factors which are diversity, movement, and multi-sensory interactions, for instance Some flowerbeds and bird feeders; this category consists of seven biophilic design patterns and they are visual connection with nature, non- visual connection with nature, non-rhythmic sensory stimuli, thermal & airflow variability, presence of water, dynamic & diffuse light, and connection with natural systems [ 10]Mycobacterium vaccae is an aerobic, temperate bacterium to which we are exposed in water, soil, and vegetation [ 337, 338, 339]. As an aerobe, it does not colonize the intestinal tract, but is considered a “transient commensal” [ 340]. It is believed that M. vaccae alters serotonin levels, affecting mood, arousal, and learning [ 341, 342], and in mice, it lowered maze run times, mistakes, and anxiety behaviors [ 311]. This effect was temporary, only affecting the mice while the bacteria was in their system. The experience of awe goes beyond making us feel good, it helps us to connect with others and has health benefits: A biophilic landscape design in Shanghai, China By Kyle Saylor Hopkins B. S ., The Ohio State University, 2009 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado in partial fulfillment of the requirements f or the de. (2014).

Douglas A. Vakoch is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies as well as Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute. His books cover fields ranging from psychology and ecocriticism to anthropology and space sciences and include Psychology of Space Exploration: Contemporary Research in Historical Perspective (NASA, 2011); On Orbit and Beyond: Psychological Perspectives on Human Spaceflight (Springer, 2012); Ecofeminism and Rhetoric: Critical Perspectives on Sex, Technology, and Discourse (Berghahn, 2011); Feminist Ecocriticism: Environment, Women, and Literature (Lexington, 2012); Altruism in Cross-Cultural Perspective (Springer, 2013); Extraterrestrial Altruism: Evolution and Ethics in the Cosmos (Springer, 2013); and Astrobiology, History, and Society: Life Beyond Earth and the Impact of Discovery (Springer, 2013). Dr. Vakoch serves as general editor for Lexington Books’ Ecocritical Theory and Practice Series and for Springer’s Space and Society Series. He also co-edited, with Fernando Castrillon, a special double issue of the peer-reviewed journal ReVision on ecopsychology. Prior to earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he received an M.A. in history and philosophy of science from the University of Notre Dame, where he focused on contemporary continental philosophy of psychology. He may be reached at [email protected], telephone (415) 575-6244, Department of Clinical Psychology, California Institute of Integral Studies, 1453 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; or at [email protected], telephone (650) 960-4514, Center for SETI Research, SETI Institute, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Acselrad, H. in The Crisis of Global Environmental Governance: Towards a New Political Economy of Sustainability (eds Park, J., Conca, K. & Finger, M.) 96–109 (Routledge, London, 2008).

Since Wilson published The Biophilia Hypothesis almost two decades ago; the biophilia term has expanded considerably and the final biophilic patterns were analysed to disclose emotional connections mentioned by Wilson. Some studies suggest that awe may be able to increase our critical cognitive skills. One study found that when people were induced to feel awe, they were less persuaded by weak arguments than people who did a neutral activity (imagining doing their laundry). Sterman, J. D. Risk communication on climate: mental models and mass balance. Science 322, 532–533 (2008). Kellert, S. R., & Finnegan, B. (2011). BIOPHILIC DESIGN The architecture of life viewing guide. http://www.biophilicdesign.net/