Left to Their Own Devices by Julie M. Albright

Author:Julie M. Albright
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781633884458
Publisher: Prometheus Books

THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

All of this raises the question: Do we really need nature experiences for our mental and physical health? It turns out, we do. Modern psychological research literature lends support to the notion that writers, composers, and artists have believed intuitively over the years—that time spent in nature reinvigorates the spirit and calms our soul. Some psychologists have suggested that communing with nature has restorative effects on the brain, since being outdoors allows our minds to wander, giving them a break from the everyday grind of life and its information overload. Neuroscientist David Strayer has said, “You let the prefrontal cortex rest, and all of a sudden these flashes of insight come to you. [Time spent in nature] supports creativity, positive well-being, [and] reductions in stress. There are all kinds of reasons why it's helpful.”76 Nature activates a different kind of attention, one that is softer and less focused, allowing the brain to rest. Psychologist William James described two types of attention that are activated in different settings, directed and indirected. Directed attention is the kind we use to navigate the city on a daily basis to avoid running into people, or to stop at a crosswalk for a red light to avoid getting hit by a car. Indirected attention refers to the effortless, “soft fascinations” that nature affords us: It is the attention we spend to witness the clouds floating slowly by, above us in the sky; the leaves rustling overhead; or a bird singing. Soft fascination is watching the hypnotic beauty of softly falling snow in the winter. These kinds of experiences rest and replenish our brains. Environmental psychologist Stephen Kaplan calls this “attention-restoration theory.” He says that the directed attention called upon every day to navigate a busy city environment—and the kind we now use to stare at devices—leads to mental fatigue.77 Cognitive psychologist Strayer says forays into nature without this constant, focused attention alters the prefrontal cortex, which is the brain's command center. This allows it to dial down and rest, like resting an overused muscle.78 A stroll in the park, a walk on the beach, or a hike in the mountains can act as a reset button for the brain, allowing one to relax by not having to be always “on,” focusing on the demands of the city. The kind of easy looking back and forth, taking in one's natural surroundings, was the inspiration for EMDR, or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, a therapy used with success for those suffering from trauma and PTSD. Its pioneer, Francine Shapiro, was inspired to create it after a walk in a park, when she felt noticeably better afterward. She had noticed that her eyes moved back and forth in indirect attention as she walked, and then she artificially re-created this movement in her therapy method.79 The subsequent research on the success of EMDR should suggest that forays into nature would calm stressed-out or anxious city dwellers, or calm traumatized individuals, in a similar manner. In fact, doctors in the United Kingdom are beginning to prescribe forays into nature for just this purpose.

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