| Have you ever wondered what causes that warm | | | | junkyards are ugly and repulsive. The reason |
| glow inside, the sense of peace and | | | | for this double standard is that we are, at |
| exhilaration when walking through the woods | | | | our core, part of nature - not synthetics. |
| or sitting by the ocean and watching the | | | | Just as birds of a feather flock together, we |
| sunset? How about the beauty of a fresh | | | | bind to our own kind as well. Nature is our |
| snowfall clinging to trees, the smell and | | | | kind; synthetic and industrial artificiality |
| feel of the first warm day in spring, or the | | | | is not. |
| vistas of unspoiled prairies or mountain | | | | |
| ranges? Watching animals in the wild or | | | | What our world may be coming to. |
| even the behavior and antics of our pets can | | | | |
| affect us similarly. Virtually everyone is | | | | Everything in nature is connected. Neurons |
| touched by such experiences even though we | | | | and blood vessels course through the body |
| seem to be increasingly alienating and | | | | interconnecting every single tissue with what |
| isolating ourselves from nature. Biologists | | | | is sensed from the external environment. As |
| call this phenomenon biophilia - defined as | | | | we breathe, lung tissue connects to the |
| the human need for and love of natural | | | | atmosphere. Seeing and hearing is the nexus |
| places. | | | | of light and sound, via chemical reactions in |
| | | | the tissues of our eyes and ears, to the rest |
| As you canoe a beautiful, crystal clear | | | | of the body. Smelling, tasting and touching |
| stream, is not the mood changed when you come | | | | similarly reach out for contact. |
| upon an old tire lurking in the depths? How | | | | |
| about the beer bottle you trip over on your | | | | When we feel the wind in our face, the crunch |
| "wilderness" backpack adventure? Do the | | | | of snow underfoot, listen to a bubbling |
| plastic bags entangling your bare feet as you | | | | stream, breathe the aroma of a forest, marvel |
| stroll the beach not spoil the mood? What | | | | at the flight of geese in formation, or gaze |
| becomes of the view of the open prairie or | | | | in awe into the nighttime infinite heavens, |
| desert with billowing factory smoke in the | | | | we are connecting. |
| distance? Is the wonder of the ocean sunrise | | | | |
| diminished by offshore derricks interrupting | | | | Joining with nature is like coming home, |
| the horizon? Do you like the dead silence of | | | | harmonizing with the world, connecting to |
| the forest pierced with the distant sound of | | | | that which is familiar, touching our very |
| a chain saw? | | | | origins. |
| | | | |
| The interjection of human activity into these | | | | Biophilia obviously speaks to protecting |
| natural settings spoils them. It can change | | | | nature, but is also key to understanding |
| the mood from peace, wonder and personal | | | | illness since health is balance and balance |
| reflection to disgust, anger and a sense of | | | | requires connection to our source of life - |
| futility. Tripping over a pop can in nature | | | | nature. There is a direct proportionality. |
| is like interrupting a beautiful symphony by | | | | Break the interconnections with nature and |
| starting up an un-muffled Harley Davidson. | | | | illness will result in lockstep. Restore |
| | | | these balances by returning to nature, and |
| On the other hand, the chaos of centuries of | | | | physical, mental and spiritual health is the |
| forest refuse strewn about is a thing of | | | | reward. Nature is indeed both a treasure and |
| beauty. In contrast, human refuse and | | | | a lifeline. We should treat it as such. |