Gasparatos said that connecting with nature provides opportunities for recreation and leisure, spiritual fulfillment, personal development, social relations, and aesthetic experiences.
Previous studies have shown that engaging in such opportunities can provide benefits such as enhanced
Alongside the 227 pathways identified by University of Tokyo researchers, Gasparatos said they also determined 16 “individual mechanisms.” Gasparatos described these mechanisms as the “overarching types of connection through which more specific pathways are created.”
According to Gasparatos, previous studies had already highlighted some of the mechanisms, but the new research has identified 10 more. These include:
“Although the findings are not necessarily surprising — at least to experts in our field — our study provides the first comprehensive effort to systematize them,” Gasparatos said. “In this sense, it provides a cohesive information base and conceptual framework of how these linkages occur.”
When it comes to connecting with nature and the environment, these mechanisms can be stimulated in various ways. For instance, a gentle stroll in the forest, helping out with a beach clean-up, exploring a new city, or foraging for berries are all activities that stimulate a sense of connection.
The researchers also noted that a crossover of mechanisms may occur, further enhancing their impact. For instance, caring for nature with a nature-based recreation activity, such as gardening, would encompass both cognitive and evolutive mechanisms.
But stimulation doesn’t always have to come from the outside world.
“For centuries, it was known to builders of temples worldwide that their high ceilings nudge us toward abstract thought and feelings of awe,” explained Michal Matlon, a place and architectural psychologist at the LivingCore.
This content was originally published here.