We all know that nature reduces stress. It turns out that to feel calmer, you don't necessarily have to go to a park, get bitten by mosquitoes, and trip over roots. It is enough... to imagine that you are there. That is the conclusion reached by Finnish and Norwegian psychologists Mika Koivisto and Simona Grassini.
Instead of sending participants to lakes and forests, they asked them to imagine these landscapes. In the experiment, 50 students were first 'primed' with a stressful task and then asked to focus on either natural or urban images. Those who mentally 'walked' through a forest relaxed more: their pulse slowed, and their hearts worked more evenly — just like after a quiet walk.
The secret is simple: humans are evolutionarily attuned to nature, and the brain does not care whether you see a forest or simply imagine it. This opens convenient possibilities — you can 'visit' a seashore during your lunch break while sitting in the office, or a warm meadow without leaving your apartment.
Incidentally, the effect was stronger in those who generally like nature and feel connected to it. So perhaps in the future psychotherapists will suggest closing your eyes and 'switching on' a forest. The main thing is that the mosquitoes in such a forest are purely virtual.
