Spending time in nature is essential for humans

The human bond with nature is ancient, transformative, deeply spiritual . . . and eroding.

Consider that children, on average, spend less than five minutes a day outdoors engaged in unstructured play (spontaneous, self-directed, open-ended), but tally over seven hours face-to-screen, leaving an entire generation in jeopardy of losing this vital connection.

So what? To become fully human, we need to interact mindfully with nature, which is our existential bedrock. A solid sense of self requires context (“I am part of . . .”), and the most foundational context is the natural world.

Recently, a reader told me I was mistakenly romanticizing nature, which he described as “heartless.” After all, the natural world can wreak havoc on persons and lives through violent storms, earthquakes, wildfires, floods and all manner of other disasters.

His view is valid, to a point. It is true that nature, as a vast and intricate expression of the life force, is indifferent to humans. As I am fond of saying, “Nature is not for us, and it’s not against us . . . it simply is.”

But this mechanistic view is not the whole story. Not even close.

When in nature’s presence, humans are different. Eco-psychologists have assembled a sizable body of research showing that nature interaction is good for body, mind and soul. It is essential to well-being.

There are equally compelling studies cataloging the detrimental impacts from nature deprivation, which is endemic in our society. These include increased depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder, hurry sickness and even aggression.

Nature is our primal mother. We come out of her. She is in us.

To paraphrase Walt Whitman, when all else leaves us in this life — health, fame, money, loved ones — nature remains.

So, when interacting with nature, there is a critical process at work that transcends the physical and mental benefits of being outdoors, palpable as these are. It is the spiritual.

Consider a few of the religious figures we revere. Jesus awoke to his purpose in the desert. Buddha gained enlightenment under a tree. Bernadette saw Mother Mary in the grotto at Lourdes. The angel Gabriel cleansed Muhammad’s heart with sacred water. Lao Tzu gained his wisdom by observing the natural world.

So, despite its indifference to us and the real dangers it can pose, nature is also a conduit that can convey spiritual messages directly to the human soul. We sense this intuitively, so when feeling wounded, adrift or in need of solace, many of us seek to connect with the natural world.

To paraphrase Walt Whitman, when all else leaves us in this life — health, fame, money, loved ones — nature remains. When we interact with the life force, its constancy and order give us reassurance and hope.

Because nature so enriches and sustains the human spirit, it is disturbing to see our indifference or outright hostility to its well-being; which is, after all, our own. Allowing our leaders, businesses and ourselves to rape and pillage the planet is nothing short of species suicide.

Nature is not here for our benefit. It is simply here.

But if we fail to act for its benefit, we shall perish.

Philip Chard is a psychotherapist, author and trainer. Email Chard at outofmymind@philipchard.com or visit philipchard.com.