Mark Berman shares a simple and accessible way to combat stress
Although people have always sought solace in nature, it has long remained a mystery why this works. Stevenson described in his works that the forest attracts us not only with its beauty but also with its atmosphere. However, what lies behind this feeling, and how does it affect us?
In his book "Nature and the Mind: How Nature Improves Our Physical, Psychological, and Social Well-Being," neurobiologist Mark Berman analyzes how natural conditions influence health. He begins with a study conducted in 2008 at the University of Michigan, where, as a graduate student, he worked with scientific advisors.
As part of the study, participants were given challenging memory tasks, including a task to reproduce numbers in reverse order. After completing the tests, participants went for a 4.5-kilometer walk—either through the urban area of Ann Arbor or through the university's arboretum. The results showed that city walks had no significant impact on the results, while time spent in the park improved test scores by 20%. Comparing images of nature and urban environments also yielded positive, albeit less pronounced, results.
"Previous surveys have assessed how people feel after spending time in nature, but none have evaluated the impact of nature on cognitive functions using objective data," notes Berman.
According to Berman, attention is a key element of cognitive processes. He emphasizes the importance of directed attention, which allows us to filter information and focus on what matters. "This enables us to make informed decisions and prevents outbursts of aggression," he explains. "Attention helps us concentrate on tasks when necessary."
Chris Hayes, a political commentator and author of the book "The Call of the Siren," emphasizes that in today's world, saturated with distractions, attention has become a vulnerable resource. Companies create products and services that keep users online, distracting them from more important tasks.
Berman, the founder of the Laboratory of Ecological Neurobiology at the University of Chicago, expresses concern about this trend, as directed attention is not just an important ability but also a resource that can be easily depleted. "We are exhausting our attention to the limit," he warns. "This threatens our relationships and our quality of life."
The scientist supports the "Attention Restoration Theory" developed by the Kaplan psychologists from the University of Michigan, which asserts that nature is the answer to attention depletion. Natural stimuli, such as the rustling of leaves or clouds in the sky, do not require the same level of attention as artificial signals, such as notifications from a mobile phone. These natural sounds create a special atmosphere that helps us relax and recharge.
The 2008 study was one of the first to confirm the Attention Restoration Theory. The results raised new questions for Berman: how long does this restorative effect last? How can it be applied in practice?
In a subsequent study, Berman and his team examined people suffering from depression. Participants performed similar memory tasks before and after walks. Before the walks, they were primed with negative thoughts, which is characteristic of depressive states. Participants who walked outdoors showed significant improvements in cognitive functions.
"It felt like a miracle that happened in less than an hour: therapy without side effects, accessible to everyone and free," shares Berman. This is also supported by research from the University of Illinois, which showed that children with ADHD who spent time in green spaces exhibited fewer symptoms compared to those in artificial environments. One study found that the effect of a walk in the park for children with ADHD was comparable to that of a special medication.
Interestingly, it is not necessary to love nature to feel its benefits. Participants in the experiments did not always report an improvement in mood, but their attention improved. "A good medicine is not always pleasant to taste," concludes Berman.
In other studies, Berman investigated which features of nature provide this effect. Participants were asked to evaluate photographs of natural and artificial objects. He identified four key qualities considered "natural": the presence of curved lines, the absence of straight forms, the predominance of green and blue hues, and fractal patterns that repeat at different scales. Fractals are found in nature: from the branches of trees to the patterns of snowflakes.
"Natural curves and fractals have a gentle charm, as they combine complexity and predictability," notes Berman. "They are not too complex to be incomprehensible, and not too predictable to be boring. They are in active balance, like a raging waterfall or a burning campfire, captivating us."
Using artificial neural networks, Berman and his colleague found that images with natural elements are remembered worse than urban ones. This indicates that perceiving nature requires less directed attention. For example, when we look at a tree with many leaves, we do not pay attention to each leaf but focus on the general characteristics of the tree, freeing mental resources for other tasks.
These discoveries are significant for design, both for individuals who can easily incorporate plants and natural materials into their homes and on a broader scale. Berman's lab is working to combine neurobiology and urban planning to improve city design. He argues that access to nature should be viewed as a fundamental human right, not a privilege. It is especially important to create more green spaces in cities where most of the world's population resides.
"If we do not explore how nature can improve health, only the wealthy will have constant access to the resources that support health," he emphasizes. "As a result, the poor will be deprived of this access and will receive messages that nature is not for them."
In Berman's book, there is a sense of disappointment and bitterness that many underestimate nature. However, in his lively and accessible narrative style, there is an optimistic tone. He reminds us: "We are what we are, not only because of individual factors but also because of the environment and how individual traits interact with it, shaping us."
"Science shows that access to green spaces can change people's consciousness much more than we can imagine," he concludes.
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