I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and
to have my senses put in order.
John Burroughs, 1837–1921
HEALING COLORS, PATTERNS, SCENTS, SOUND, AND SILENCE
Recent studies by the noted social scientist Peter Aspinall of Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and his colleagues have demonstrated that walking through urban green space elevated brain electroencephalogram (EEG) readings, lowering frustration and heightening engagement, and had an especially healing impact on older adults.1 One can’t help but wonder whether this effect is caused by the absence of city stress or something else. Maybe it has more to do with what the subjects are seeing—the green—than with where they are?
In 1984, Dr. Roger Ulrich (see Chapter 1) published new research in Science that went beyond his initial breakthrough in the late 1970s that demonstrated the healing power of looking out of windows into green space.2 In his new work, Ulrich reported even more remarkable results. Hospital patients who had plants in their rooms or even just looked at photographs of nature recovered much more quickly from surgery and required fewer painkillers. Perhaps this explains why we feel compelled to bring flowers to people who are sick. The blossoms brighten things up and immediately change the tone of the environment. They might be accompanied by a pleasing smell, but their uplifting effect seems to be primarily visual. As my neighbor Audra Tsanos, whose garden is a thing of wonder and delight in almost every season, puts it, “The eye seeks green.” Nature produces a visual experience of infinite complexity and subtlety.
Seeing colors
When we look at an object, it reflects light, which is received by the cells in our retinas, producing messages that are interpreted by the brain as images, colors, intensity, and so on. In the back of the eye, rods process light and dark and cones process the varying wavelengths that are perceived as color. Our brains are directly affected by what we see; there is a short but critical path between our eyes and our brain, and different parts of the brain hold different information: faces, motion, distance, luminance. (We’ll consider luminance in Chapter 8, and why spending too much time looking at screens can have negative effects.)
In her book Healing Spaces, Esther M. Sternberg asks: “Is there something about the structure of a scene that might be intrinsically jarring or relaxing—that could change your mood or affect healing?” She answers the question by explaining that there is a pathway from the visual cortex—the part of our brain that receives and processes sensory nerve impulses from the eyes—to the parahippocampal place area, which recognizes and recalls environmental scenes (such as landscapes) over other stimuli (such as faces). That’s interesting, but this is amazing: “The nerve cells along this pathway express an increasing density of receptors of endorphins—the brain’s own morphine-like molecules.”3
Think of the possibilities: We might be able to heal ourselves simply by looking at images from nature! Sternberg goes on to explain how beautiful natural tableaux such as sunsets or misty forests have been shown to stimulate this opiating pathway. Remarkably, the more the nerve cells are stimulated by motion, color, and a variety of depths of perspective, the more active and opiating the release of endorphins becomes. Perhaps this evolved as a survival tool: the more that primitive people could see as they scanned the horizon, the more useful and potentially life-saving information they could gather. We have become what the neuroscientist Dr. Edward Vessel of the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics calls “infovores,” using visual information both to ascertain risk and to spark “cognitive pleasure.”4
Green is not the only color to which we have an instinctive reaction. The longer the wavelength of the colors we’re looking at (reds and oranges, rather than blues), the better we think. Studies at Rockefeller University have shown that our alertness and cognitive abilities are enhanced when we are exposed to orange light, as opposed to blue, which has a shorter wavelength.5 This might be why we may grow dreamier when looking at a blue sky, but are drawn to and thrilled by sunsets. Perhaps it’s related to the colors of the sunrise, as well—the beacon of a new day.
Speaking of blue, the neurosurgeon Amir Vokshoor says that, because of its shorter wavelength, blue has a relaxing effect and tends to evoke a more positive emotional response, related to dopamine or the “feel-good” hormone. He wrote: “the arousal mechanism stimulated by blue’s wavelengths correlates to the release of neurotransmitters thought to be associated with feelings of euphoria, joy, reward, and wellness.”6 It follows that, just as we need to eat a variety of foods, we should make sure we have some exposure to natural light’s full color spectrum every day (if possible) if we want to enhance our brain function and feel more alert and even happier.
Stop and see the roses
A body of research undertaken by Japanese scientists in 2016 revealed a startling fact: that simply seeing fresh flowers (not even smelling or touching them) has benefits. Chorong Song and her colleagues assembled a group of 114 people of varying ages, genders, and occupations, and had each person look at a bouquet of thirty pink odorless roses for four minutes. By analyzing the participants’ pulses, the scientists concluded that the visual stimulation of looking at the roses increased parasympathetic nervous activity, fostering a state of relaxation, while simultaneously decreasing sympathetic nervous activity and alleviating stress.7 Think about that: Merely seeing flowers can calm us, and with that state of ease all sorts of healing—both physical and psychological—are more likely.
Further study produced similar results with striped Dracaena or corn plants, a common houseplant. And even more studies have shown that we experience a calming response from observing three-dimensional plants and flowers—even if they are artificial—in lieu of photographs.8 In other words, the real thing is best, artificial the second best choice, but even photographs of fauna will produce some positive effects.
Fractals are structures in which the same pattern recurs at a progressively smaller scale. Think about how the vein patterns of a leaf echo the appearance of the tree itself. The geometry of fractals is all around us—zoom in on a fern, a pine tree, a snowflake, a snail shell, a Queen Anne’s lace flower, or a head of broccoli, and you’ll find fractals. Dr. Qing Li (see Chapter 3) incorporates them into his forest bathing instructions, and writes that after gazing at fractals, first as light through a tree canopy and then as leaves, parts of leaves, and veins, we can appreciate the interconnected patterns of the natural world. With that appreciation can come sensations of wonder and delight, as well as of quietude and tranquility.9
Richard Taylor, professor of physics at the University of Oregon, is developing retinal implants to restore vision for people suffering from eye disease. In the process he looked at images of Jackson Pollock’s action paintings. At first you might think this is a stretch—from Abstract Expressionist painting to inner eye implants—but it was through Pollock’s art that Taylor first realized how nature’s fractals might relate to human stress. Because of this, he made sure that the implants he developed simulated the retina’s design to induce the same kind of stress reduction that would result when looking at nature’s fractals through healthy eyes.
Taylor found that seeing fractals stimulates the pleasure centers in the brain, but it went further than that. When his team used EEGs to monitor electrical activity in the brain and electrical responses in the skin of their subjects, they found that looking at works of art—such as Pollock’s paintings—produced a reduction in stress of 60%. Sixty percent! That’s with no medication, no mantras, no stretches or yoga poses, just looking at a fractal-rich painting. They also discovered that the physiological change initiated by looking at the art accelerated recovery from surgery.10 Mind-blowing!
The scents of nature
The green cure isn’t just about vision, it’s also about smells. A great many studies have explored how smell influences our thinking. In particular, essential oils and other forms of fragrance can have a positive effect on how we remember and pay attention, on our self-confidence and experience of pain, and on how we make decisions.11 This should sound pretty familiar to people who have tried aromatherapy, and there is a science to it. For example, it’s been tested and shown that people who inhale the fragrance of rose oil feel calmer, more relaxed, and dreamier than those in a control group who don’t. This has led to further research into the use of rose fragrance in treating or abating depression and anxiety.12
Of course, it’s not just about roses. As we learned through forest bathing, the smell of pine woods and phytoncides—those volatile organic compounds that boost immune function—have a beneficial effect on our bodies and minds.
Sound
In her book #What Is Sound Healing? (2016), Lyz Cooper, founder of the British Academy of Sound Therapy, defines sound as audible energy. She goes on to say that “it is the result of particles of matter vibrating to make waves that are ‘big’ enough and of the right pitch to be audible to the human ear.”13 Then our brain makes sense of those vibrations and gives them meaning—a baby’s cry, a jackhammer, a babbling brook. Too many sounds, or unpleasant ones, can have a deleterious effect.
According to a study undertaken in 2018 by the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) in the south of England, hearing sounds from nature, such as the roar of the ocean, helps us to focus our attention and allows us to relax.14 You’re not making it up when you feel as though the burble of running water, sparrows chirping, or the rustling of prairie grass relaxes you.
BSMS collaborated with the audiovisual artist Mark Ware to study what happened when people listened to recordings of natural and artificial sounds. Using an MRI scanner, they gauged brain activity while monitoring infinitesimal changes in heart rate. They learned that natural sounds increased brain connectivity and directed attention outward, whereas artificial sounds focused attention inward, creating a state similar to anxiety, depression, or PTSD.15 After all, I can’t imagine that anyone wouldn’t feel calmer listening to the rustling of trees or a stream than to traffic or construction sounds.
Even listening to natural sounds played on headphones increases parasympathetic activation, promoting and sustaining a sense of rest and counteracting stress. In a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2010, university students exposed to natural sounds such as fountains and birdsong, rather than traffic noise, dealt better with a stressor (an arithmetic test).16 There are long-term health benefits of diminished stress, so maybe it’s time to dig out all those nature CDs or download a few tracks of whale calls or soothing rain rhythms—or maybe even record your own. Turn off your screens and try listening to sounds like this before going to sleep. (If you’re in the city, try playing a recording at low volume.)
BIRDSONG
Birdsong has been found to be particularly restorative. Julian Treasure, author of Sound Business (2006), has said that birdsong evokes a state that he calls “body relaxed, mind alert.” In 2013, he told the BBC: “People find birdsong relaxing and reassuring because over thousands of years they have learnt [that] when the birds sing they are safe, [and] it’s when birds stop singing that people need to worry. Birdsong is also nature’s alarm clock, with the dawn chorus signalling the start of the day, so it stimulates us cognitively.” Treasure has put this to good use in a free smartphone app called Study, which claims to be a “productivity-boosting” soundscape to listen to while you work. He says it can help you to focus, improve cognition, and reduce tiredness. It’s also intended to mask background noise—particularly conversation—that can disturb your concentration.17
Sound has such a potent effect on us that some people think we should be aware of it in the same way as we monitor what we eat, drink, or breathe. After all, it’s effectively another substance that we’re putting into our bodies.
Just as sounds can be healing, so is silence. Although it is hard to come by, most of us would agree that quiet is essential. Think about noise pollution, blaring screens, even the sometimes desirable background of white noise. All of it can lead to stress, sleeplessness, and more. We seek out earplugs and noisecanceling headphones for temporary respite, because it’s easier to relax, think, and create without the stress and disruption of noise. Our world seems to be getting louder—with more traffic, cellphone pings and buzzes, televisions in waiting rooms, and music piped in everywhere—so seeking silence can be a challenge.
Traditional Japanese gardens include specific sense components, so that they address all means of perception, including sound. Running water is often incorporated, not just because it is perceived as cleansing, but also because its gentle sound contrasts with and enhances the silence.18 How many times have you been able to solve a problem or clarify a situation after you’ve had a quiet moment to sort it out? That’s where silence comes in, when the television is off, when you’re all alone, or the moment at a crowded party or on a busy railroad station when suddenly everything falls still.
SENSE MEDITATION
In just the same way as we can focus on our breath and the sensations of our bodies, we can meditate on the sensations coming from the world around us. This can apply to any of our senses, and it is a form of mindfulness. There’s a famous exercise popularized by Jon Kabat-Zinn and taught in Mindfulness Stress Reduction Programs using the contemplation and deliberate consumption of a single raisin to increase presence in mindfulness meditation.19 For our purposes I’ve adapted it to a dandelion flower, but it could be anything from nature—a pine cone, a rose petal, a blade of grass. See if you experience some of the green cure effects of deeply experiencing a small bit of nature.
1. Find a comfortable, quiet place to sit. This might be your favorite park bench, near a window as the sun rises, or on a blanket in the garden. Wherever it is, make sure it’s a spot that allows you to get as quiet and as connected as possible to some aspect of nature. If all else fails, play a recording of nature sounds.
2. Pause and assess how you feel. Are you anxious? Tired? Restless? Bleary? Make a mental note of the sensation.
3. Now, pick up the dandelion or whatever you’re using for your meditation and weigh it in the palm of your hand. Feel its heft or lightness. Is it soft? Sticky?
4. Next, look at it. Really focus on it with your complete attention. Imagine it’s the first dandelion you’ve ever seen. Can you find any fractal patterns? What does the color yellow evoke for you?
5. Turn the flower over between your fingers and connect to its texture and feel. Try closing your eyes, so that all your information comes solely from touch.
6. Try smelling the dandelion. Is there a fragrance? Is it pleasant or unpleasant? Assuming you’re not allergic, don’t just sniff it, but hold it near your nose and breathe slowly and deeply. Repeat for a few breaths.
7. Now, close your eyes and picture the dandelion. What does it evoke for you? Look at that thought and let it go as you assess how you feel. Are you more relaxed? Focused? Do you feel more connected to your surroundings?
This kind of meditation practice gives a whole new meaning to the idea of taking time to stop and smell the flowers!
