Epsilon Open Archive

Abstract

The aim of the present dissertation is to create a greater understanding of the importance of
pure experiences of nature for human health. The dissertation consists of five articles and a
frame story.
The first two articles report on an introspective study of my own experiences of the nature
previously. The interplay between human beings and the natural environment is described in
detail, based on the interaction between the author and strong elements in nature, e.g. stones
and water.
The findings from Article III and IV may be interpreted as follows:
x Elderly people, in general, recover more quickly from directed attention fatigue after
having rested in a garden than after having rested indoors, as could be measured by
different tests of concentration.
x Elderly people with low psycho-physiological balance were most affected by a stay in a garden, as could be measured by changes in heart rate and blood pressure.
x The study shows, first, that an outdoor visit is important for recovery from stress and fatigue and, second, that the improvement is especially significant for those who are
most susceptible.

The findings from Article V may be interpreted as follows:
x Experiencing nature seems to have a more powerful influence on the rehabilitation
potential of people greatly affected by a crisis.
x Taking a walk also has a significant influence, although not of equal importance.
x The social factor seems to have more influence on the rehabilitation potential of people affected by a crisis to a low/moderate degree.
x Having access to nature in everyday life can have a buffering effect on people’s
mental state. Individuals who have many experiences of nature are less affected by their crisis than are those who have few such experiences.
The above results are discussed and interpreted in the frame story by linking them to that stays in sound natural environments function as stays in enriched environments.
Sound natural environments contain certain qualities that mediate an effectual explanatory models of the effects of nature experiences on emotions and recovery
from a crisis.