This is ecotherapy, which is contact with nature. A few years ago researchers at the University of Essex in 2007 find that, of a group of people suffering from depression, 90% felt a higher level of self-esteem after a walk through a country park. Almost three-quarters felt less depressed. Another survey by the same research team finds that 94% of people with mental illnesses believe that contact with nature put them in a more positive mood. Since then, in the UK, contact with nature has been increasing as a therapy by mental health professionals.
But as well as helping us to heal our minds, contact with nature can transform us. For several years, I have done research into what I call ‘awakening experiences’. These are moments when our vision of our surroundings becomes more intense. We feel a sense of connectedness to them, and towards other people. The world may somehow seem harmonious and meaningful. A strong feeling of well-being fills us. And my research consistently shows that contact with nature is one of the most frequent triggers of these experiences – in fact, around 20 percent of them.
This is certainly true for me. I have what you could call ‘low intensity awakening experiences’ very frequently when I’m amongst nature. If I go walking in the countryside on my own, there usually comes a point when a feeling of well-being inside me. The trees and the fields and the sky around me seem to be more alive and beautiful. The clouds above me seem to be moving with a dramatic beauty, and I have a sense that ‘all is well. CONTINUE READING.