Simon Sez
Maryland July 22, 2015Dan Green
Palm Beach July 22, 2015
Our big north American cities , and several in Europe, are developing into what is coined City states. You work, commute, live, and spend free time in these cities. Thes elarge metropolitan area's have much to offer, but make no mistake, navigating your day is often complex or possibly stressful. Walking is fast replaing having to own a car, and driving from point A to B. Point is, in this type congestion, one has to carve out what escape sooths the mind. Commuting 1.5 to 2.0 hours as reported as average, is worse.
RFLatta
Iowa City July 22, 2015
It may seem silly (this study is endlessly mocked by neuroscientists on Twitter) or obvious but it is at least worth thinking about why a walk in nature is in some sense restorative. Human created environments, even if they seem chaotic as a highway, are designed to be orderly and predictable. Nature is not orderly and only partially predictable and that is what our minds are adapted to. When we spend all day in an office we delude ourselves into thinking that our natural state is within the wilderness of other minds. That may be adaptive within our community but our social environment is but a limited and blinkered subset of our naturally disordered environment.
Portia
Massachusetts July 22, 2015
Of course going outdoors, and being in a relatively more natural environment, is good for us. We didn't evolve to live in boxes. We've put ourselves into situations that have similarities to being zoo animals -- a cage of limited, familiar interior spaces, a small drab outdoor space, repetitive activities. Not only is this depressing and unhealthy, it's a radically simplified environment compared to a genuinely natural one, with its variety of plants, animal, terrain, and weather. Not only ago the Times published an article about what happens to animal species when they're domesticated (their brains shrink and they get stupider), with some consideration of whether we've domesticated ourselves. Well, obviously. Think of all the alertness we don't need to have, all the awareness we don't possess.
WBJ
Northern California July 22, 2015
I recall the Fran Liebowitz line that outdoors is what you go through to get into a taxi
Richard F. Seegal
Delmar, NY July 22, 2015
Do SSRI's also affect blood flow?
Benito
Oakland CA July 22, 2015
Maybe it is just proximity to motor vehicle exhaust and/or noise that accounts for the "slight but meaningful" mental health difference. Maybe the benefits would exist if the walk were not through a leafy green area but instead through a quiet hallway. Who knows? This study, as reported, doesn't shed any light on these questions, no matter how many references are made to the subgenual prefrontal cortex. But the article title got me to click on the link, so I guess that is all that matters.
gw
usa July 22, 2015
For all who say this study is a no-brainer, I hope you are involved in park and land preservation issues, for I can assure you, it is NOT a no-brainer to the development industry that sees nature as just wasted space ripe for construction. Land use battles mean continually countering the language of business and profit with public and ecological benefit. The land you enjoy is the result of the exhaustive efforts of others, first for purchase or donation, then ongoing protection against development and/or "disharmonious uses." Seriously, if nature offers you comfort, please get involved. This study lends credence to what you may already know, but your voice is needed.
Nfahr
TUCSON, AZ July 23, 2015
Right on! Thanks for a great post. We in Arizona are in that fight in two special places.....a big, open pit copper mine proposed in pristine mountain Santa Rita wilderness.... and McCain and Flake sneaking into a bill a mine on Indian land next to the Grand Canyon. An unending battle, so often lost.
Diego dos Santos
94588 July 28, 2015
Honest question, how can I get involved?
RBS
Little River, CA July 22, 2015
"a slight improvement" followed by "strongly suggest" --hmm.
Susan
Eastern WA July 22, 2015
I think it's gotta be bird songs.
ellienyc
New York City July 22, 2015
I couldn't agree more. I am a city dweller who likes to walk and walk and walk. I don't always have the option of walking in a park, but seek out the quieter parts of my neighborhood and the quieter times of day (often late at night), away from traffic. I have also found long walks better mood elevators and aids to mental problem solving than a gym workout. For variety, I try to mix walking and gym workouts (and am sometimes forced to go to the gym when is too hot or wet to walk), but despite feeling good after the gym I never feel as good as I do after a long walk and never find my mind working as creatively and spontaneously as it sometimes does when I walk.
Susan Branting
Columbia, MD July 22, 2015
What would be the results if, instead of walking near loud traffic, the subjects walked through empty, treeless urban streets?
Wesatch
Everywhere July 23, 2015
a mugging?
JohnBorghi
Brooklyn July 22, 2015
The results of the study published by Bratman and colleagues are pretty clearly a case of regression to the mean. The average pre-walk score for the nature group (35.39, SE = 1.60) is much higher than the pre-walk score for the urban group (30.11, SE = 2.61). The post-walk scores are hardly different between the two groups (nature group: 33.06, SE = 1.61, urban group: 30.16, SE = 2.61), meaning that the "change" observed in the study is mostly due to the nature group having higher rumination scores before their walk.
Their central analysis (the interaction between time and environment) is also NOT statistically significant [F(1,35) = 3.51, P = 0.07], meaning that their conclusions aren't supported by their actual results. So yes, there may be "little downside to strolling through the nearest park", but there is also no real evidence for the benefits described in this article.
Their central analysis (the interaction between time and environment) is also NOT statistically significant [F(1,35) = 3.51, P = 0.07], meaning that their conclusions aren't supported by their actual results. So yes, there may be "little downside to strolling through the nearest park", but there is also no real evidence for the benefits described in this article.
Daniel
New York July 22, 2015
I was quite surprised to read this article, by a writer who I totally respect, because of its omission of 'forest bathing,' also known as 'forest therapy,' which consists of using walks in forest areas for therapeutic purposes. This has been extensively studied, mostly in Japan, yet the way this article is written you would think Gregory Bratman is on the cutting edge of something new. Reynolds writes: "But just how a visit to a park or other green space might alter mood has been unclear." That's not true – we know precisely why that is. (See article I linked to below.) Also, at the end of the article, she mentions questions remaining – those also have been addressed and answered by research. Forest therapy is not a new thing, and when a researcher starts looking at its effects, it might be a good idea to give a nod to all the work that has come before it, looking at the same questions. Read more about what's going on with force therapy: http://aplus.com/a/a-walk-in-the-woods-for-health-and-healing
Glennmr
Planet Earth July 22, 2015
Without additional study, including a glass of red wine to a walk in the park with one's sweetheart will work even better...
JB Smith
Waxhaw, NC July 22, 2015
Nature is good for people. Being in natural settings is.. natural. Obvious to all but Frankensteinian White Dudes who prosecute the piecemeal destruction of the Earth's natural systems. For profit. For fun. Because they can.
Their consumptive, incontinently breeding and Repuglickin voting minions only want 'nature' when they want to vacation somewhere. Their personal ethical failings as human beings and their compliance to a hate-squared, Corporate rape of the Earth compels them to vote repeatedly for this rightwing destruction.
Rightwingers and their toxic Patriarchy are incompatible with Earthly life as evidenced by their hatred and disregard of the environment. The entire planet is groaning and objecting to their subsidized Meat, Sports, War and Oil- their true Gods.
Those on the political right have caused these environmental catastrophes to happen and they have NO moral or ethical right to even *go to a park*. They should now be worried about nature biting them back. Among other things.
Their consumptive, incontinently breeding and Repuglickin voting minions only want 'nature' when they want to vacation somewhere. Their personal ethical failings as human beings and their compliance to a hate-squared, Corporate rape of the Earth compels them to vote repeatedly for this rightwing destruction.
Rightwingers and their toxic Patriarchy are incompatible with Earthly life as evidenced by their hatred and disregard of the environment. The entire planet is groaning and objecting to their subsidized Meat, Sports, War and Oil- their true Gods.
Those on the political right have caused these environmental catastrophes to happen and they have NO moral or ethical right to even *go to a park*. They should now be worried about nature biting them back. Among other things.
Craig Millett
Kokee, Hawaii July 22, 2015
Perhaps we need to flip this around and study whether city living is mentally and emotionally toxic.
Contingent
CO July 22, 2015
One of the factors at work in this phenomenon has got to be, to my mind, beauty. Of course there is sometimes beauty in built environments, but often it is surrounded or interrupted by the ugly. And is there anything uglier than asphalt? In my own unfortunate time in central Florida, my daily routes would take me past acre after acre of vast, mostly empty parking lots, some decrepit and some newer, all of them black and looming and huge and dead. I felt such sadness, anxiety, and hopelessness going by or through those places. Wild places, parks, and gardens have color, texture, palpable life, beauty. They connect us to life instead of alienating us from it.
Colenso
Cairns July 22, 2015
Walking easily at the pace that most folks walk is too pedestrian for me. It allows me to brood too easily, whatever the setting. Running fast, on the other hand, is therapeutic precisely because I can't think hard and run hard at the same time. If I run fast and far, almost all the blood drains from my head and into my legs. After that, sometimes my brain switches off for hours. Oh, what bliss!
Davidd
VA July 23, 2015
"Different strokes for different folks" - Sly Stone.
buzz
east bay July 22, 2015
The book about Nature Deficit Disorder is Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv.
John McGloin
Staten Island, NY July 22, 2015
I got into evolutionary biology decades ago when I read The Naked Ape, A Zoologist's Study of the Human Animal, by Desmond Morris. From that I theorized that people are naturally more happy in the environment that their ancestors evolved in and that getting into nature for a while would lower my stress levels. As a teenager I used to take long walks in the wilder parts of Prospect Park and it seemed to work well.
Part of it I think has to do with the patterns and colors. Cities are all about straight lines and hard edges, and either off-white concrete and black asphalt or garish colors made to attract attention.
Nature is fractal in design. Patterns that repeat themselves over all size scales, the way the leaves of a fern look like a fern, or streams follow the same patterns as the river. These patterns are much easier to look at and listen too (Wind and sea spray have wide frequency content that follow equal power laws). The colors tend to be green leaves and blue sky mixed with various browns, which are mostly calming colors.
Maybe someone could test to see if fractal patterns are more calming than rectangles triangles and circles.
Part of it I think has to do with the patterns and colors. Cities are all about straight lines and hard edges, and either off-white concrete and black asphalt or garish colors made to attract attention.
Nature is fractal in design. Patterns that repeat themselves over all size scales, the way the leaves of a fern look like a fern, or streams follow the same patterns as the river. These patterns are much easier to look at and listen too (Wind and sea spray have wide frequency content that follow equal power laws). The colors tend to be green leaves and blue sky mixed with various browns, which are mostly calming colors.
Maybe someone could test to see if fractal patterns are more calming than rectangles triangles and circles.
Don DeHart Bronkema
Washington DC July 22, 2015
In nature, stress cortisol drops.
Ashley
Brooklyn July 22, 2015
I don't want to be one of those people, but I will: duh! I mean maybe I am just in tune to the fact that nature is so important to me, but obviously people would be more calm and think more pleasant thoughts, etc etc after strolling through a quiet leafy park versus a crowded street or highway! I escape the city in the summer every weekend to go east to home, and during the week I am frustrated to be stuck in a concrete urban hotbox. However, in the winter, my yearnings for nature and trees and the beach wane- perhaps this has to do more with the lack of nice weather, strong sun and plantlife? I do feel this study should try to figure out what it is, specifically, or if it varies from person to person. Whatever it is, there is no doubt that nature is very soothing for many a person
jimstoic
Santa Barbara, CA July 22, 2015
I work in an industrial area. Most afternoons I take a half-hour walk on the road that leads past the airport and a sewage-treatment facility. The marsh, lagoon, and meadows around these facilities are homes to amazing plants and wildlife. I see herons, egrets, ducks, orioles, hummingbirds, geese, crows, hawks, vultures, swallows, mockingbirds, jays, blackbirds, finches, butterflies, and moths almost daily. I see squirrels, and gophers as well, and have even seen a gorgeous blue-eyed bobcat a couple times. Plant life includes both local natives and beautiful landscaping around the facilities: grasses, coral trees, agave, reeds, bushes, and more. I always feel better after immersing myself in this unexpected natural environment.
Fred Musante
Connecticut July 22, 2015
So Thoreau was right when he said nobody ever felt melancholy when taking a walk in the woods.
Be The Change...
California July 22, 2015
And let's not forget the added benefit of connecting people with the natural world, hopefully raising awareness about the environment (plants, animals, air, water, etc) & the need to protect/preserve.
bpearly
Mexico July 22, 2015
As a poet who would like a research appointment at Stanford, I guarantee more extensive seeing in this realm than the scientists. We could also do some research related to natural events poets have been praising for centuries. Onward.
Sophie
New Mexico July 22, 2015
Do we need scientists to tell us that walking in nature makes us feel better than walking in traffic?!!
Eileen McGinley
Telluride, Colorado July 22, 2015
Walking in nature brings many benefits, but being in nature brings even more.
I love to find a quiet spot among the trees, close to the sound of the river, cleanse my mind, and just be. It's humbling and enlightening to realize there is no difference between yourself and the woods. No separation. We all are of the same stuff.
I love to find a quiet spot among the trees, close to the sound of the river, cleanse my mind, and just be. It's humbling and enlightening to realize there is no difference between yourself and the woods. No separation. We all are of the same stuff.
susan huppman
upperco, md July 22, 2015
Guess what, plenty of people out here in the country have depression and anxiety too. Silly over simplification.
Dan Styer
Wakeman, Ohio July 22, 2015
Guess what, the study talked about averages, not about everybody.
garnet
OR July 24, 2015
A fairly large number of people in the country don't go outside much and don't walk. They drive everywhere, ride ATVs or a pickup to get anywhere outside, spend alot of time indoors, watching TV, on the internet. They don't even have a veg/fruit or flower garden. I live in mostly rural county in western Oregon, and that's what I've seen. Not everyone but many. Unless they're retired, or wealthy & commute by helicopter, or are able to work from home (electronically), they often have long commutes.
Some farmers spend alot of their time in airconditioned huge farm equipment, w/sound systems, etc.
Some farmers spend alot of their time in airconditioned huge farm equipment, w/sound systems, etc.
NYTReader
Pittsburgh July 22, 2015
It seems to me that blood flow to a specific area of the brain is an extremely low resolution indicator to what is actually going on in the brain.
Everyone knows the brain is more complex than this.
Everyone knows the brain is more complex than this.
Peggy
NewYork, NY July 22, 2015
Glad to know science can quantify what most people know instinctively. Do we really need more studies so we can know exactly how much time in nature is "most beneficial" or what the minimal exposure time is to relieve stress/ Just get out there and take a walk! And pick up some litter while you're at it.
Virginia
USA July 22, 2015
I volunteer as a trail guide in a Southern California county that is so densely developed that visitors and some locals are surprised to learn we have sufficient open space to make guides useful. The hallmark of our surprisingly abundant park lands (including nearly 3.5 miles of spectacular undeveloped coastline, miles of trails through thousands of acres of rare native landscapes, as well as beautiful cultivated green parks) is its proximity to urban space and more than 3 million people. I volunteer on one program that leads participants through three crosswalks on a black road full of cars, and then drops down into a green gully full of life.
My observational and biased hunch supports that there is something special and meaningfully robust about the rewards of moving in the natural world as opposed to only the built. Both are obviously sensory, but the braced vigilance on the sidewalk gives way to a more participatory, gladly receptive experience in the gully. Unlike the study, most of our hikes and walks are social, gathering from a diverse community, and that vibrant sociability could also contribute to the consistently positive response.
I was recently asked what advice I would give those who visit these parks, and my answer was to carry away the feeling they have while they're outside. http://www.orangecoast.com/bestoforangecoast/qa-virginia-webber/
My observational and biased hunch supports that there is something special and meaningfully robust about the rewards of moving in the natural world as opposed to only the built. Both are obviously sensory, but the braced vigilance on the sidewalk gives way to a more participatory, gladly receptive experience in the gully. Unlike the study, most of our hikes and walks are social, gathering from a diverse community, and that vibrant sociability could also contribute to the consistently positive response.
I was recently asked what advice I would give those who visit these parks, and my answer was to carry away the feeling they have while they're outside. http://www.orangecoast.com/bestoforangecoast/qa-virginia-webber/
Fairminded Alaskan
Nome, Alaska July 22, 2015
While I agree that it's a no-brainer that being in the grand outdoors soothes the mind, I'm grateful I have a study to refer to in an effort to promote more community parks and green-spaces.
mb
New York, NY July 22, 2015
Studies like this reinforce our common sense knowledge. Why, then, is the city, with the full agreement of our mayor, allowing NYU to demolish city owned green spaces downtown?
JXG
Athens, GA July 22, 2015
I moved out of NYC to be around nature and trees. Well, I have a .73 yard surrounded by trees and I thought I would find bliss. Wrong! Two years ago I was chased and stung by yellow jackets. Then I was stung by a hornet. This year dogs from the neighbor next door came into my yard twice, growled and barked at me in my own yard. When I was running around the neighborhood with mature trees, twice unattended dogs barked at me. Bats invaded my attic. I was nipped at by a snake. Then I fell while running and broke my ankle with no one in sight to ask for help. A neighbor was attacked by a raccoon. Now, I'm scared of going out because of coyotes. If I stay on my deck then I'm irritated by leaf blowers, lawn mowers, pressure washers, and other power tools. I will take the High Line or Central Park anytime over the backwoods of Georgia. After coming back from a trip to NYC I always feel refreshed.
left field
maine July 22, 2015
For me, it is successfully dodging the deer ticks, new to Maine!
Ernie Schell
Ventnor, NJ July 22, 2015
I frequently walk for exercise on the nearby seaside boardwalk in Ventnor, enjoying the sound of the surf and the yapping of the seagulls. The majority of my fellow walkers have earplugs in their ears, listening to music or spoken word or the radio, oblivious to the audible pleasures of nature all around them. On days when there's a crowd, they are also less able to hear bikers calling out warnings to avoid collisions. Not a good thing!
Winnie
Brooklyn, NY July 22, 2015
Okay - so does the study does not prove or validates that living in the middle of nowhere is effective or productive in reducing an individual's brood level? Furthermore, the study does not push anything significantly new such that it is stereotypical that city folks have social and emotional issues where there are high levels of anxiety, depression, anger, and fatigue, etc. Though those living in the concrete jungle does not have time to significantly debrief and absorb what they are brooding. For city dwellers, the act of reflection is somewhat forgotten or buried by noise, but they are able to strattegize and adapt to overcome their irregularities and obstacles.
In that case -- why can these real estate moguls stop with these overcrowding of condos in Brooklyn and invest in greener parks?
In that case -- why can these real estate moguls stop with these overcrowding of condos in Brooklyn and invest in greener parks?
Darien.C.Watsonadmirals2015
Gulfport July 22, 2015
I do think that getting out and walking in greenery can help stimulate good thoughts and feeling of ones self. And that being physically active outside will gain the fullest psychological benefits. We will feel happier and think more positively towards our selves and others around us. Spending time in nature can open our eyes up to see that our problems that are centered around urban living are rather irrelevant compared to the bigger picture of life. So all in all i would recommend getting outside, enjoying nature, and letting your mind reflect on the good things in life instead of the little informality's that we make big deals out of.
M
NYC July 22, 2015
"How Walking in Nature Changes the Brain"
Well? Ask yourself: did the article answer the question? Nope. And this passes as both science and journalism. Nice work if you can get it.
Well? Ask yourself: did the article answer the question? Nope. And this passes as both science and journalism. Nice work if you can get it.
Allecram
New York, NY July 22, 2015
I wonder what the results would have been if volunteers instead wandered through a diverse area of the city filled with cafes, bookstores and art galleries and then walked through brushy woods filled with ticks, poison ivy, possibly rabid wildlife and white supremacists?
Susan
Eastern WA July 22, 2015
Your view of the woods is probably just the thing that keeps our boonies so sparsely occupied and lovely.
Nancy
Great Neck July 22, 2015
Every single day, I never miss my nature walk or walk-run.
sfdphd
San Francisco July 22, 2015
I believe there is a book called something like Nature Deficit Disorder, about kids who have been labeled with Attention Deficit, who actually have a deficit of contact with nature...
Lola
Canada July 22, 2015
Last Child in the Woods, by Richard Louv, mentions this phrase.
OSS Architect
San Francisco July 22, 2015
I don't think Mr Bratman's results were as obvious as they seem to some commenters. Since I live and work near Stanford, I know where the subjects went on their walks.
The results may have been different if the bucolic setting used was the trail to "the Dish" (Stanford's radio telescope). The trail itself is very pleasant, but Stanford limits it's use by making parking at the trailhead onerous. Blackening the best of moods.
On the urban route (that I think it is) it's odd to see people on foot. "Look mommy a homeless person...." kids in passing Mercedes and BMW's are imagined to be saying. If there is a center in the brain for registering humiliation, then it's getting directly targeted.
In the middle of Tokyo you will come across small public gardens where people come to sit on bleacher seats and stare at the landscape. Despite all the people around you and the urban noise, it's quite soothing. Amazingly so.
I think nature surroundings have an effect, but it's more complex than what is explained here.
The results may have been different if the bucolic setting used was the trail to "the Dish" (Stanford's radio telescope). The trail itself is very pleasant, but Stanford limits it's use by making parking at the trailhead onerous. Blackening the best of moods.
On the urban route (that I think it is) it's odd to see people on foot. "Look mommy a homeless person...." kids in passing Mercedes and BMW's are imagined to be saying. If there is a center in the brain for registering humiliation, then it's getting directly targeted.
In the middle of Tokyo you will come across small public gardens where people come to sit on bleacher seats and stare at the landscape. Despite all the people around you and the urban noise, it's quite soothing. Amazingly so.
I think nature surroundings have an effect, but it's more complex than what is explained here.
Luke
Rochester, NY July 22, 2015
Walking anywhere away from traffic or congestion would seem more relaxing and restorative than to be in an atmosphere where you must continually be on alert for the dangers of being a pedestrian. I wonder the brain's response to driving in traffic versus a rural or park like setting would be evident in brain scans? And would the same hold true for bicyclists too?
If you notice most car commercials show the driver on either a road with no traffic or on a road winding through a beautiful setting. What a joy to drive on the open road.
I agree nature can be a balm for the emotional and cognitive functions of the brain. Does this study really measure the effect of nature on the brain, or the absence of navigating a congested car centric world?
If you notice most car commercials show the driver on either a road with no traffic or on a road winding through a beautiful setting. What a joy to drive on the open road.
I agree nature can be a balm for the emotional and cognitive functions of the brain. Does this study really measure the effect of nature on the brain, or the absence of navigating a congested car centric world?
Lola
Canada July 22, 2015
Interesting.
Perhaps a good follow-up - using more of a control - would be to let subjects walk on a featureless road closed off (for about a mile or so) to traffic.
(Alas, what comes to mind are post-apocalyptic scenes using actual decommissioned highways in The Road.)
Is it the relief from being vigilant or the green space itself that soothes us?
As a graduate in ecology, I'd say the latter. But solid science asks all the questions, not just the easy ones.
Perhaps a good follow-up - using more of a control - would be to let subjects walk on a featureless road closed off (for about a mile or so) to traffic.
(Alas, what comes to mind are post-apocalyptic scenes using actual decommissioned highways in The Road.)
Is it the relief from being vigilant or the green space itself that soothes us?
As a graduate in ecology, I'd say the latter. But solid science asks all the questions, not just the easy ones.
Charles
Philadelphia, PA July 22, 2015
This is a good comment. When I am driving from center city Philadelphia to my home, I almost always take one the two drives flanking the Schuykill River. They are actually parkways, where there is abundant foliage and slightly slower speeds of automobiles than on the always hectic Schuykill Expressway. I do so because I have experienced "brain-soothing" of the kind described in the article. A walk in the park is great; a drive in a park is pretty good too.
moosemaps
Vermont July 22, 2015
Oh yes, walking through the woods is great for us; I feel it daily, well, except when that huge bear shows up, then I feel more an adrenalin high than a soothing calm. But the hyped up state might be useful as well, particularly if it is uncommon, interspersed with calm joy.
the dogfather
danville ca July 22, 2015
Yeah well, it's all fun-and-games until you're eaten by a tiger ... or bitten by a tick.
In these hinterlands, I've noticed my own affinity for redwood groves -- not so much for hiking as for contemplation. Glad to have my predilection confirmed.
And in other news, may we assume that the blood flow to the 'lizard brain' region of one Mr. Trump is particularly ample?
In these hinterlands, I've noticed my own affinity for redwood groves -- not so much for hiking as for contemplation. Glad to have my predilection confirmed.
And in other news, may we assume that the blood flow to the 'lizard brain' region of one Mr. Trump is particularly ample?
William
Columbus, OH July 22, 2015
Not a criticism--not at all--but I find it interesting that we need science--data, brain scan, etc.--to "prove" something we already know and experience. How long should I walk in a park to gain the "optimal" benefit? As long as it takes to forget about numbers, time, and what science tells me.
SS
NY July 22, 2015
I think a lot of science seems very obvious because each small piece is only part of a much broader picture. It seems obvious that a walk in green space would be more relaxing than one along a busy street, but it's not at all obvious how much difference that makes long-term, for example, or how long the effect lasts. And the neurological mechanism in play certainly is not obvious. Until the research is done, we also cannot know entirely where it may take us or what additional research might be useful.
Longue Carabine
Spokane July 22, 2015
I'm not a scientist. But I know that walking in parks, forests, and the like is indeed soothing and relaxing. Since being "soothed", or "relaxed" pertains to a state of feeling, then it must happen in the--- stop the presses-- brain!
Can I have some of that grant money now, too?
Can I have some of that grant money now, too?
drichardson
July 22, 2015
It would be nice if scientists paid more attention to the humanities. Rousseau pointed out the mind-nature connection in great and accurate detail 250+ years ago, followed by countless Romantic philosophers and writers. These studies are merely confirming the obvious. People immersed in nature realize their relationship to something bigger and more important/beautiful than their own egos. People glued to their computers don't.
Gregg
South Dakota July 22, 2015
RW Emerson: In Wilderness We Return to Reason and Faith
Jane
NYC March 25, 2016
...says the armchair philosopher, typing on their computer
J. W.
NYC July 22, 2015
Yet, when participants on the nature walks were joined by Donald Trump brooding increased, along with a visible gnashing of teeth and generalized feelings of "what are you looking at, commie!"
Peggy
NH July 22, 2015
@J.W.
In the absence of a woodsy venue ready to hand to take a mid-afternoon stroll (e.g. now), a good chuckle amidst the NYT comment section is often the next best thing!
Thanks for the grins!
In the absence of a woodsy venue ready to hand to take a mid-afternoon stroll (e.g. now), a good chuckle amidst the NYT comment section is often the next best thing!
Thanks for the grins!
Wordsworth from Wadsworth
Mesa, Arizona July 22, 2015
Walking in nature is one of my favorite things. Like a lot of people, I kind of intuited the findings in this article.
What I don't understand here out west is the need for ATV quad riders to vitiate nature with their vehicles. It's like they want to escape industrial society by taking a part of the factory with them.
What I don't understand here out west is the need for ATV quad riders to vitiate nature with their vehicles. It's like they want to escape industrial society by taking a part of the factory with them.
Linda Fitzjarrell
St. Croix Falls WI July 22, 2015
Or buzzing around on a quiet lake like a mosquito in their boats. They can't hear, they can't see, what fun is that?
Susan
Eastern WA July 22, 2015
Ditto for motorboats on quite lakes and snowmobiles in the quiet white woods. Give me a pair of hiking boots, a kayak, or a pair of X-country skis any day.
Lola
Paris July 22, 2015
The Japanese refer to this as "forest bathing" and have been using it for centuries as a form of therapy.
Sometimes I feel these researchers, who feel the need to prove the obvious, can't see the forest for the trees. Pun intended.
Sometimes I feel these researchers, who feel the need to prove the obvious, can't see the forest for the trees. Pun intended.
jane
ny September 12, 2016
I think the only way you can get money from an idea is to scientifically prove it. So, perhaps this study could be used for selling landscape murals to be installed in psychiatric wards.
polymath
British Columbia July 22, 2015
"A walk in the park may soothe the mind ..."
I agree entirely. But for rough terrain, a walk in the park may be no walk in the park.
I agree entirely. But for rough terrain, a walk in the park may be no walk in the park.
Kevin
Binghamton NY July 22, 2015
This is a no brainer: The answer of course (in my humble opinion) is to spend as much time as humanly possible out in nature, preferably hiking, and as little time as possible at work or in noisy urban settings. Spending hours on trails, hiking to the tops of mountains etc. is the ultimate way to forget you even have any problems in your real "life"!
Susan
Eastern WA July 22, 2015
Hiking is good, but it's really not superior to kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. Or even just walking the dogs up the wooded hill behind our house.
Jen
BC, Canada July 22, 2015
Every gardener knows this.
Kip Hansen
On the move, Stateside USA July 22, 2015
The effects of getting out and out of yourself are self-evident and coterminous.
The Bratman "studies" are fine examples of the all-too-often-seen nonsense being produced by the wacky world of modern psychology, which has lost all sense of real scientific investigation.
Less than half of psychology studies, when attempted to be replicated, produce results even "similar" -- only 4% produce results that are extremely similar (in other words, find the same result).
Bottom line, the Bratman studies are like the result of Bratman "finding what he was looking for".
Many of us find that taking a walk outdoors and paying attention to our surroundings improves our mood -- walking out in God's world of Nature, in a park or further out, is even better. One does not need imaginary science to find this out -- just get out and do it.
The Bratman "studies" are fine examples of the all-too-often-seen nonsense being produced by the wacky world of modern psychology, which has lost all sense of real scientific investigation.
Less than half of psychology studies, when attempted to be replicated, produce results even "similar" -- only 4% produce results that are extremely similar (in other words, find the same result).
Bottom line, the Bratman studies are like the result of Bratman "finding what he was looking for".
Many of us find that taking a walk outdoors and paying attention to our surroundings improves our mood -- walking out in God's world of Nature, in a park or further out, is even better. One does not need imaginary science to find this out -- just get out and do it.
gw
usa July 22, 2015
Kip, to those of us who appreciate nature, the benefits may seem a no-brainer, but to the development industry, "unused" land is just wasted space. Nature lovers are constantly having to battle back construction and disharmonious uses. The price of nature preservation is constant vigilance, but studies like this can help.
Meredith
NYC July 23, 2015
Bratman "finding what he was looking for"? Any good scientific studies proving that it's god's world , instead of just the world? Or any imaginary non science.
Dr.A.
Texas July 22, 2015
When I was in grad school and miserable because I was I was stressed or suffering writers block I would leash up my dog, pack a sandwich, and water bottles for the two of us and go hike on a short trail in some nearby woods. The city was nearby, but out there you would see birds, deer, snakes, and other small animals. A pleasant ramble with my hound always helped set things straight-- and I am hardly the outdoorsy type.
Many great thinkers and writers routinely took walks to clear their heads. It just makes you feel better.
Many great thinkers and writers routinely took walks to clear their heads. It just makes you feel better.
TS
California July 22, 2015
Bingo! I'll add that both my and my dog's favorite time of day is our 30 mintue walk in the morning before I go to work. On the days I manage to take him for 2 walks, we both get a double dose of awesome! On weekends, our walks are often in a canyon near my house or at the beach.
Tom Hebert
Pendleton, Oregon July 22, 2015
Years ago I read a book which included some history of British Victorian-era insane asylums. In fact, they were built in lovely country settings for the exact reasons given here. The doctors involved in this movement would require that their patients, not inmates, would be taken in small groups on daily walks in the woods. And some healing occurred. Thus their new American cousins were also situated in the countryside and many still are. In this country, however, the belief in the healing powers of the regular bucolic walk had been lost as it crossed the ocean.
The subject of the history I read was Dr. W. C. Minor, an insane American doctor who had murdered a Londoner in 1872. Minor was sent to the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, a 53-acre facility near the village of Crowthorne. A US Army pensioner, at Broadmoor he lived in his own unlocked apartment and was encouraged by the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary to pursue his passion for discovering the origins of English words and the ancient source documents with the actual quotations documenting their first known use, their etymology. Thus, today's OED is laced with the results of this insane man's work. The 1998 book by Simon Winchester was “The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words.”
The subject of the history I read was Dr. W. C. Minor, an insane American doctor who had murdered a Londoner in 1872. Minor was sent to the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, a 53-acre facility near the village of Crowthorne. A US Army pensioner, at Broadmoor he lived in his own unlocked apartment and was encouraged by the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary to pursue his passion for discovering the origins of English words and the ancient source documents with the actual quotations documenting their first known use, their etymology. Thus, today's OED is laced with the results of this insane man's work. The 1998 book by Simon Winchester was “The Surgeon of Crowthorne: A Tale of Murder, Madness and the Love of Words.”
Travel the Spaceways
Austin, TX July 22, 2015
I'm heading to the library to get that book! Thanks.
Tom Hebert
Pendleton, Oregon August 5, 2015
I'm worried a bit. If this particular history of the British insane asylum movement is not found in this book, this old man made a mistake. Let me know and I will go a-looking for the the right book. But the facts remain the same.
Joelle
Ohio July 22, 2015
Anne Frank
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.”
Birdtalk
Massachusetts July 22, 2015
Belaboring the obvious. Conversing with bird interlocutors, one learn more--tey do NOT talk of sports, of investments, of pharmaceuticals, but they DO talk of predation, of weather, and in their "whisper song" low near their nests, domestic needs.
snickers233
White Plains, NY July 22, 2015
I am learning to love sitting outside in the morning and at night. BUT, my memories walk in the great outdoors are mostly hitting at buzzing insects around my head, arms, neck (even though I am loaded with peppermint oil or Deet). Sorry, more memories of stumbling over roots and falling. BUT, it can be wonderful, I agree. Guess it can be good and it can be, well, just annoying. As for enjoying the great outdoors from my deck, crazy good before the sun hits.
Montag
Milwaukie OR July 22, 2015
I believe that loss of contact with the natural world stresses all living things. Anyone who has lived in a natural setting for a period of time -- even a few weeks -- and then must re-enter the world in which most of us live, knows the feeling of intrusion and assault on their natural selves.
Peggy
NH July 22, 2015
@Montag
Amen to that!
I read A Year in the Maine Woods sometime back and it reinforced all the reasons why I abandoned urban, then suburban living to my now life in the rurals of NH. Yes, I still work, but I never have to commute to my workplace. I get far more "done" as I pass by the windows to my own woods and see the deer and squirrels and yes even the occasional bear.
While I did not go off the grid as the author did in AYITMW, I have certainly come to appreciate the value of wise allocation of energy and sharing skills and resources-with my neighbors --whom I cannot actually see but am far closer to than any previous lives in the city or suburbs.
In fact, my Greyhound and I will head out in a few minutes. Thanks for the prompt and the article too.
Amen to that!
I read A Year in the Maine Woods sometime back and it reinforced all the reasons why I abandoned urban, then suburban living to my now life in the rurals of NH. Yes, I still work, but I never have to commute to my workplace. I get far more "done" as I pass by the windows to my own woods and see the deer and squirrels and yes even the occasional bear.
While I did not go off the grid as the author did in AYITMW, I have certainly come to appreciate the value of wise allocation of energy and sharing skills and resources-with my neighbors --whom I cannot actually see but am far closer to than any previous lives in the city or suburbs.
In fact, my Greyhound and I will head out in a few minutes. Thanks for the prompt and the article too.
jane
ny September 12, 2016
This is why zoos need to up the ante and create habitats that are as close to natural as possible for the poor inmates.
Ken L
Atlanta July 22, 2015
I would discreetly add that making love in a natural setting multiplies the effect. Talk about relaxing!
CS
MN July 22, 2015
There may be more benefits than discussed here, although as usual, more research is needed.
Why has the ADHD label increased so much? We can probably make a list of reasons, and there may be important reasons we haven't even thought of yet. However, for now, consider just two candidates from recent research:
1. Exposure to nature (even simply improved school landscaping) improves children's concentration and diminished disruptive behavior.
2. Physical activity improves children's concentration and diminished disruptive behavior. (I am continually stunned that my local school district, and probably many others, have tried to improve academics by essentially eliminating recess -- a strategy that's bound to backfire if ever that was one).
I'm not saying that #1 and #2 alone will solve every child's problems, but for many children regular walks in the park might be enough to dodge that ADHD label and a lifetime on Ritalin.
Why has the ADHD label increased so much? We can probably make a list of reasons, and there may be important reasons we haven't even thought of yet. However, for now, consider just two candidates from recent research:
1. Exposure to nature (even simply improved school landscaping) improves children's concentration and diminished disruptive behavior.
2. Physical activity improves children's concentration and diminished disruptive behavior. (I am continually stunned that my local school district, and probably many others, have tried to improve academics by essentially eliminating recess -- a strategy that's bound to backfire if ever that was one).
I'm not saying that #1 and #2 alone will solve every child's problems, but for many children regular walks in the park might be enough to dodge that ADHD label and a lifetime on Ritalin.
Lowell
NYC July 22, 2015
Mere walks in the park won't do it for that modern malady. Try stomping in the mud, scampering up trees, making rock cairns, tracking bugs and other small critters, and generally tuckering yourself out before nightfall.
RandiZ
Rutgers July 22, 2015
I personally need green space and regular quiet to ease my mind and anxious tendencies. I have to consciously remove stimulations and come back to my work which requires thinking, reading, and writing. Certainly, my gardens, designed backyard, or walking in the tree filled quad between my work buildings help me regroup mentally after hours in my chair, or just to reboot then go back to work for hours.
But, I wonder if both the sensory novelty and conscious, self regulation of pushing aside additional outside stimulation isn't more at play here than just a lot of grass and a soft breeze.
But, I wonder if both the sensory novelty and conscious, self regulation of pushing aside additional outside stimulation isn't more at play here than just a lot of grass and a soft breeze.
Randall Rowlett
Fox Point, WI July 22, 2015
Thought experiment: you feel less stressed out after walking along the beach, kayaking along a river listening to birds, or laying under a tree watching squirrels chase one another. An admittedly interesting side note if this feeling correlates with decreased blood flow to the subgenual prefrontal cortex – or any other biological marker. But should such correlations in any way inform your values and priorities? Would the absence of a reliably observable change in blood flow lead you to turn away from Nature because your feelings were merely subjective? Should you choose instead to take an anti-rumination pill because it more effectively quieted the subgenual prefrontal cortex? And what if your nature walks could be shown to increase blood flow to some region of the brain associated with delusional feelings of being at one with the universe?
Karolyn Schalk
July 22, 2015
Gardening and gardens are a marker of civic life - they can amplify what makes us humane by allowing us to turn off the anxiety that is quite literally 'baked' into us when we communicate with other humans. I think this is also why spending time with domestic animals or watching birds and other critters is so relaxing.
UnBelievable
Houston, TX July 22, 2015
Get a dog. He/she knows when you really need that dose of the open air.
Petey Tonei
Massachusetts July 22, 2015
I can attest to this, so true!
freyda
ny July 22, 2015
Look up biophilia hypothesis and E O Wilson. Also, included in a past AMNH show on Darwin was a video allowing us to walk the path he took where he did his thinking. This doesn't appear to be on Youtube but there are lesser versions under headings like Darwin's Sand Path or The Thinking Path, best with sound off and subtitles covered. Also putting these headings into a search engine or looking under Images produces still images of same. Would like to hear of more good ways to find relaxing nature imagery on the web.
Stuart
July 22, 2015
Botanist and author Diana Beresford-Kroeger, in her books "The Global Forest," "Arboretum America," "Arboretum Borealis" and "The Sweetness of a Simple Life," explains the science behind this story. For instance, now, with 85+ degree temperatures, is the perfect time to head into a pine forest and breathe deeply under the branches for the chemicals that are released in aerosol form by those trees. Medicines come from trees and you don't need a laboratory to extract them, just a warm summer day.
julia
hiawassee, ga July 22, 2015
My father often took me with him to walk in the woods, pointing out different trees, plants, birds, etc. He thoroughly enjoyed a connection with nature and my own enthusiasm I owe to him. One feature of our natural world that has been proven a boon to overall human health is running water - creeks, streams, falls especially - as they give off negative ions as opposed to positive ion abundance found in cities and around man-made structures. The sound itself is soothing. I believe this phenomenon is the reason my grandson and son-in-law take 30-minute showers! Mine are not so lengthy but I do give thanks for the therapeutic effect.
Lola
Canada July 22, 2015
Biophilia is the term you refer to.
E.O. Wilson wrote an excellent book about it - and followed it a few years later with another.
E.O. Wilson wrote an excellent book about it - and followed it a few years later with another.
Michael Keezing
Easthampton, MA July 22, 2015
Better mood and less rumination (improvement in one's state of mind) is something most everyone feels after time spent in nature. That this affects the brain is only "news" if you think that some mental states have physical brain correlates (and therefore "change the brain") and others don't. But they all do, as has long been clear. And of course, changes in the brain relating to mental experiences, like the seen/heard/smelled/felt experience of walking in the park, may have subsequent effects on the mind -- the elevated mood may last. Great to remind people that a walk in the park is good for the mind. But to suggest that what really matters is the walk's effects on the (mysterious, hidden, and fundamental) brain is just a modern way of saying it's good for the (mysterious, hidden, and fundamental) soul. Do we need this recourse to the modern religion to justify something so manifestly, self-evidently positive?
Bhava Ram
San Diego July 22, 2015
I'm always amazed at the importance placed upon studies that conclude the obvious and are held to be more significant than our inherent wisdom. Is there anyone among us who does not intuitively know that a stroll in nature feels better than walking along a busy highway?
JLC
Seattle July 27, 2015
Yes - people that don't have access to nature. They exist, and maybe studies like this make it formal so that when it comes time to set aside money for parks there is justification.
Paul Adams
Stony Brook September 12, 2016
So how come we inexorably build and black-top more and progressively eliminate nature? Perhaps our "inherent wisdom" is a rather feeble thing that needs all the support it can muster. Or perhaps we are all just hypocrites.
MIMA
heartsny July 22, 2015
Exactly why those in the northern most states take refuge to more southern climates in the winter. It might be nice to take a stroll in a blizzard for some folks, but piling on all those winter clothes and having ice on your eye lashes doesn't come close to being comfortable in sandals and shorts in January or February. Remembering Valentine's Day in Arizona, breathing what seemed like
"normal air" always brings a sweet brain wave.
"normal air" always brings a sweet brain wave.
NYCATLPDX
Portland, OR July 22, 2015
Five times larger than Central Park, Portland's Forest Park is my notion of a self-administered anti-depressant.
@ReReDuce
Los Angeles July 22, 2015
Stay in touch with nature.
Go experience.
You will soothe your soul
in the wilderness.
Go experience.
You will soothe your soul
in the wilderness.
PJ
Rochester, NY July 22, 2015
This is so true and intuitively we know this. It also reminds me of insights into our brain in Dr. Daniel Amen's book "Change Your Brain, Change Your Life". I highly recommend the book, with many useful insights.
Catherine
Norway, MI July 22, 2015
I live in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula where Calvin Trillin says we are surrounded almost everywhere by sylvan beauty. Come and visit.
lark Newcastle
Stinson Beach CA July 22, 2015
Nature gives us oxygen to breath and the music of wind and lovely vistas. It does not give us high levels of carbon monoxide and ozone, which affect the heart, lungs and brains of those who breathe it. Take a walk in a wild place today, if you can.
pw
California July 22, 2015
We used to live in LA; now we live in a small town near the ocean far away from LA, and our house is backed into the woods. The quiet is amazing. Most of the time all we hear is the wind, birds, and the ocean sounds from about 6 blocks away. Quiet sounds are great healers compared to the endless noise of cities. Also there has been research that just seeing one tree outside your window enhances health, compared only seeing buildings. But please, researchers, don't get too hung up on quantifying just "what" creates this for us--instead just go outdoors yourselves, and simply walk quietly, or sit awhile. You'll get over it.
C Mathews
Fort Myers July 22, 2015
I would be willing to bet a lot of money (possibly two dollars) that the salutary effects the researchers report in their study would be "significantly" increased if the study's subjects were asked to walk in an unplanned "natural" setting (mountains, forest, meadows etc.) as opposed to a human designed park.
Josh Hill
New London, Conn. July 22, 2015
This doesn't surprise me at all. On a personal level, all I have to do is step out into the back yard, with its trees, flowers, and chirping birds, to feel a profound change in mood.
On a biological level, we tend to forget how exquisitely attuned we are to the natural world in which we evolved. Intellectually, we know that the urban environment is suited to our current way of life. But at a lower level in the brain, concrete, ugly buildings, polluted air, noise, and the press of people are interpreted as threats, while we suffer at the same time from lack of stimulation and instincts that once led us to hunt, gather, fish, and move about have no outlet.
I like to think that we will one day become wise enough to understand that the artificial environments we create have to satisfy not just our functional present but our evolutionary past, but as things now stand, we seem to be very far from that, and moving farther every day.
On a biological level, we tend to forget how exquisitely attuned we are to the natural world in which we evolved. Intellectually, we know that the urban environment is suited to our current way of life. But at a lower level in the brain, concrete, ugly buildings, polluted air, noise, and the press of people are interpreted as threats, while we suffer at the same time from lack of stimulation and instincts that once led us to hunt, gather, fish, and move about have no outlet.
I like to think that we will one day become wise enough to understand that the artificial environments we create have to satisfy not just our functional present but our evolutionary past, but as things now stand, we seem to be very far from that, and moving farther every day.
Chris Lake
Florida July 22, 2015
"Do we need to be walking or otherwise physically active outside to gain the fullest psychological benefits? "
No, you can be standing there fishing and achieve the same benefits.
No, you can be standing there fishing and achieve the same benefits.
R.C.W.
Upper Midwest July 22, 2015
So many interwoven, complex layers in natural settings. Man made systems are brittle, not integrated, chaotic. As the billowing wind blows across one's face, branches undulate, leaves ripple, dappled layers of light flutter over the grass, a brief fragrance of roses wafts by, then vanishes as mysteriously as it came, and from a fountain, a minty spray quenches warm dry skin from summer sun.
https://twitter.com/liveinkreading/status/623836893529010176
https://twitter.com/liveinkreading/status/623836893529010176
Shark
Manhattan July 22, 2015
MUCH better than popping a pill
Simon Sez
Maryland July 22, 2015
Just being outside, in the fresh air ( or as close as you can get to fresh air), in the sun is already a huge plus over being indoors.
In addition, our body requires movement for many reasons. The lymphatic system, the third circulation, is moved by muscles; it has no other means to circulate the lymph. That is why people who are paralyzed must be moved, turned in bed, to avoid bedsores and support the general body processes.
Even looking through the window at a living, natural setting is beneficial.
In the end, we are nature. We are not separate except in our beliefs and thoughts.
Get outside as much as possible and, if at all possible, to as natural a setting as you can find. It will add years to your life and make you a lot happier than otherwise.
In addition, our body requires movement for many reasons. The lymphatic system, the third circulation, is moved by muscles; it has no other means to circulate the lymph. That is why people who are paralyzed must be moved, turned in bed, to avoid bedsores and support the general body processes.
Even looking through the window at a living, natural setting is beneficial.
In the end, we are nature. We are not separate except in our beliefs and thoughts.
Get outside as much as possible and, if at all possible, to as natural a setting as you can find. It will add years to your life and make you a lot happier than otherwise.
NoseKnows
Upstate July 22, 2015
Unfortunately, I live next to a couple of chimneys who don't smoke inside because cigarettes smell so bad. They would be the first to declare their right to smoke in their own yard. The problem is the stench isn't confined to their yard but travels to others. It's so unfair, so this year I bought a chimera for the backyard. I now fight smoke with smoke.
Blackstone
Minneapolis July 22, 2015
We created our own "green space" in our city by replacing most of our lawn with native plants and wild flowers. We installed a small stone walking path and a secluded seating area. It's right outside our front door and it's a great way to spend some time decompressing, talking and enjoying the bees, butterflies and birds that now frequent our yard.
Jowett
Atlanta July 22, 2015
Wordsworth, "... Tintern Abbey"
For I have learned
To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes
The still, sad music of humanity,
Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power
To chasten and subdue. And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods,
And mountains; and of all that we behold
From this green earth;
For I have learned
To look on nature, not as in the hour
Of thoughtless youth, but hearing oftentimes
The still, sad music of humanity,
Nor harsh nor grating, though of ample power
To chasten and subdue. And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean, and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man,
A motion and a spirit, that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things. Therefore am I still
A lover of the meadows and the woods,
And mountains; and of all that we behold
From this green earth;
Josh Hill
New London, Conn. July 22, 2015
And then there's Blake:
London
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear
How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse
No accident, I think, as the romantic era was a response to early industrialization and the recognized passing of a more agricultural/pastoral way of life.
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
London
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow.
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every Man,
In every Infants cry of fear,
In every voice: in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear
How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every blackning Church appalls,
And the hapless Soldiers sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlots curse
Blasts the new-born Infants tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse
No accident, I think, as the romantic era was a response to early industrialization and the recognized passing of a more agricultural/pastoral way of life.
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark Satanic mills?
A
New York July 24, 2015
Wonderful citation and passages. Thanks for sharing this.
This not only forced me to go outside daily but truly has distracted me from my own tsures ( French for problems).
The honeybees are having a rough time. They are our future and in such a simple thing as helping them out, we get so much back.
Nature is amazing.
We are nature.
Do anything that gets you into nature.
You will be happy and that is so sweet.