The Green Experience: Benefits of Spending Time in Nature
- humans have consistently valued scenic outdoor beauty throughout history, and this appreciation has grown as urbanization increases.
- Mountains and the sea, in particular, have historically evoked feelings of awe, fear, and reverence in people.
- Examples of these sacred mountains include Mount Olympus in Greece, Meru in India, mount Tabor in Israel, and Mount Fuji in Japan.
Nature’s Enduring Appeal to Humans
humans have consistently valued scenic outdoor beauty throughout history, and this appreciation has grown as urbanization increases. The English Romantic movement of the early 19th century emphasized the uplifting, comforting, and beneficial effects of nature, with city dwellers actively seeking and documenting these experiences through art and literature.
Nature Can Inspire Awe
Mountains and the sea, in particular, have historically evoked feelings of awe, fear, and reverence in people. Yi-fu tuan,a geographer,noted that nearly every society possesses a sacred mountain central to it’s cosmology.
Examples of these sacred mountains include Mount Olympus in Greece, Meru in India, mount Tabor in Israel, and Mount Fuji in Japan. Cultural legends further illustrate this connection; Moses received the Ten Commandments on a mountaintop, and Abraha’s army was defeated attempting to destroy the Kaaba in Mecca, according to Islamic tradition.