Natural Thinking

Michel P. Anderson
naturethought.jpg

Psychologists at the University of Michigan recently published a study that proves cognitive function can be enhanced through taking periodic strolls through nature. A group of volunteers were given a task to memorize a random sequence of numbers and repeat them back to an experimenter in reverse order. After 35 minutes the group was split into two, consigned GPS remotes, and sent out of the lab.  One group was instructed to walk the busy downtown streets of Ann Arbor while the other strolled through the tranquil shade of the nearby arboretum. Upon returning, the nature walkers improved their recall abilities by 20% in comparison with their urban trekking counterparts.

The primary claim of the study rests upon Attention Restoration Theory (ART) which states that the human brain toggles between two moods of attention – involuntary attention and directed attention. Involuntary attention is instinctual and activated by our immediate surroundings to keep us out of harm’s way. For example, it is our involuntary attention that keeps us from being hit by a city bus or bumping into other franticly roaming pedestrians. Our directed attention is used when we set out to contemplate an idea or memorize something. Without a conducive setting and relaxed state of being, involuntary attention can be difficult to override. A harsh and noisy urban environment does not grant the brain the respite it needs to perform mental tasks that require directed attention. On the other hand, the mysterious contours of tree bark and the gently shifting patterns of clouds stimulate the brain in such a way that engages complex and subtle patterns of thought enhancing our ability for direct attention. Interestingly, the study also discovered that viewing photographs of nature can improve directed cognitive function as well -- though not as significantly as actually communing with a natural setting.

 

This story was suggested by Dana Peterson.

Comments

An interesting study indeed.

Submitted by stecky on Tue, 01/20/2009 - 14:38.
An interesting study indeed. I'm curious as to how it would have turned out if these psychologists chose a different natural setting for their experiment -- say on top of an active volcano or right next to raging stampede. The term "natural setting" should not be equated invariably with peace and gentleness. Nature can be just as noisy and hectic as urban settings. Studies like this should account for this diversity. r s

Seeing perfection in nature is only the first step...

Submitted by Jedi Mind Traveler on Tue, 01/20/2009 - 14:44.
Maybe it's because I've spent most of my life wandering through nature, but I tend to have the most intense, transpersonal experiences of heightened awareness in urban settings at night. Anyone else find that walking along a city street, with rain glistening in the streetlight, induces instant connection and recognition of others? It's in that dreamlike state that we tend to see the beauty in everything. I think it's only after finding peace for ourselves, usually in nature, that we can bring it back to the larger human community.

re jmt

Submitted by Ninnylips on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 01:34.
JMT, The situation you described on a city street at night is one I myself have also had several times. To be honest, I've never been able to come up with words to explain how I feel in those moments, and I think you're bang on about the dreamlike state where everything is beautiful and there is this powerful connectedness.

Certainly Interesting

Submitted by furiouspoet on Wed, 01/21/2009 - 09:40.
I agree with Stecky on this one, "nature," as this illustrates, is a questionable scenario. A wooded area within a city is a cultural adaptation of what we consider to be natural; the landscaping is often planned for aesthetic comfort and an interpreted sense of tranquility. Many of us city dwellers, and even those outside the city, would likely feel a crisis of the senses if the nature walk involved getting lost in the perceived wilderness and had to find a way to survive in the "calmer" setting of "nature." I'm not disagreeing with this article. I live next to an "urban nature" setting and frequently go for a bicycle ride or walk after work to clear my head. Walking the same distance even on the sidewalk is much more nerve wracking. This is a good initial investigation . . .

walking in nature

Submitted by rudy too on Mon, 04/06/2009 - 02:58.

It is well known that a beginning meditator needs isolation from the distractions of involuntary attention. Presumably such isolation helps the meditator focus on something to cultivate directed attention, or concentration. Another approach has the meditator simply relaxing in an attentive posture and allowing the mind to quiet down by itself.

Because walking in the woods always has this quieting effect on me, I suspect that any environment free of distraction would have essentially the same effect. (And I certainly agree that the authors of this study never  considered walking the rim of a volcano to be anything like what they meant by 'walking in nature.') My own sense is that such quieting can lead to a temporary loss of 'self,' the self that is, that thinks it must  watch out for 'me,' lest I get overwhelmed by some danger because I wasn't 'paying attention,' the ego-self, if you will. In nature the ego-self can take some time off, and the subtle, intuitive self can begin to emerge. And it is the 'intuitive self,'  or mindfulness, that 'just knows.'

It is only the ego-self that has a problem with distractions. The intuitive self simply responds as the situation 'calls'.... In sports it is called 'court sense'. . Taoists call it 'wu-wei,'  'walking in the Tao,' transcendent awareness that bypasses focused attention all together, allowing 'spirit' to do the walking.  

stonehouse

p.s. I should add that I am certain that this is the only way to survive to see 2013.