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Nature
Nature and self-transcendence are two concepts that have been explored by various philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual thinkers throughout history. This refers to the physical world and its phenomena, as well as the inherent qualities and tendencies of living beings. Self-transcendence refers to the ability to go beyond one’s ego and personal limitations, and to experience a sense of connection with something greater than oneself. In this article, we will provide an introduction to these two concepts and discuss how they relate to each other and to human well-being.
Nature Quickens your Thinking
Did you know that spending time in nature doesn’t just feel good; it can actually help your brain work faster and more clearly? Research has shown that after being in parks, forests, or even green schoolyards, people of all ages tend to think more quickly, solve problems more easily, and feel less mentally tired. Scientists call this “processing speed”; how fast you take in information, make sense of it, and respond.
Testing Processing Speed and and thinking time
Studies using common psychology tests, like the Trail Making Test or the Digit Symbol Substitution Test, have been used to compare mental performance between high toxicity places such as cities and workplaces.
The Trail Making Test (TMT) is a neuropsychological assessment (thinking test) that measures executive function, such as visual attention, processing speed, and mental flexibility. It consists of two parts: Part A requires connecting numbers in ascending order, while Part B requires alternating between numbers and letters (e.g., 1-A-2-B). It is often used to assess cognitive impairment from conditions like brain injury, stroke, and dementia.
The Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) is a neuropsychological assessment that measures a person’s cognitive speed and ability by having them match symbols to numbers as quickly as possible. It is used to evaluate cognitive functions like attention, motor speed, and visio-perceptual ability, and it is sensitive to cognitive dysfunction caused by brain damage, dementia, depression, and aging. The test involves copying symbols into boxes below a key that pairs symbols with digits, often with a time limit.
A win for Nature!
These tests have found that natural settings improve scores, often quite significantly, compared to when people stay in busy city environments or indoors.
This research has found that exposure to nature can produce statistically significant improvements in processing speed, however, the exact amount of this improvement can vary with the type of test, participant, and study setting. The difference is often in the range of a few percent to several seconds faster reaction/response time on well-known cognitive tests after experiencing natural environments, compared to urban or indoor settings.
Examples from the Research
One study measuring reaction time in a flanker task (a test of attention and processing speed) found that response times improved significantly after a nature experience, with event-related potentials showing enhanced brain patterns linked to faster inhibition and decision-making.
Experiments comparing urban and nature scene exposure found that participants processed information more quickly, with reduced cognitive load and quicker shape discrimination in nature scenarios; these changes were observable even after only brief exposure (like a walk or brief VR session).
Nature exposure typically yields improvements in processing speed and mental clarity that are statistically significant even if the raw percentage improvement is modest (like a 3–10% change, or several hundred milliseconds faster on tasks).
How Significant Is It?
For almost all participants, these improvements are small but real (a few percent or a few tenths of a second), but for those with high cognitive load, fatigue, or certain health conditions, the cognitive benefit may be even greater. Even small speed increases are meaningful in psychological testing, and consistent results over many studies show that the effect is robust.
These brain boosts are linked to lower stress, fewer distractions, and less “mental clutter” in green spaces, all of which free up your mind to work at its best.
Overall, the benefits are thought to include:
Lower Environmental Toxicity: This mean the need for fewer coping behaviours to deal with and avoid potential threats, known to not exist in the natural environment. This reduction in threat scanning, and the holding of pre-rehearsed coping styles and patterns means that not only is thinking time freed up to improve processing time, but also stress and anxiety is reduced, and also, a more dynamic personality is promoted.
Connection: The individual, with fewer challenges and needs to guard against threats, is able to find that they have “free time”, in their head to think more expansive connecting thoughts that allow them to bond with others, easier, and also to form connections and empathy with nature. This connection can strengthen feelings of belonging, and improving confidence, in themselves and the environment itself.
Gratitude: Clearly, moving from an environment of high toxicity to one of much lower toxicity improves thinking time, and therefore, also, alertness, spontaneousness. The individual has far fewer rules of behaviour, in their mask, and are much more authentic than they could allow themselves to be previously. This not only provides supports of connectedness and of confidence in themselves and the environment, but it means that over time, a sense of gratitude can be developed that provides even more benefits to thinking time and overall well-being. This forms a natural, healthy, and highly virtuous circle, and feedback loop.
So, when you take a walk in the park or just chill under a tree, you’re not only helping your mood, and sharpening your mind, too!
Nature and self-transcendence
Nature and self-transcendence are connected in many ways. Self-transcendence is the ability to go beyond one’s own ego and personal interests, and to experience a sense of unity and harmony with something greater than oneself. Nature can be a source of self-transcendence, as it can inspire awe, wonder, gratitude, and reverence for the beauty and complexity of life. This can also challenge us to overcome our fears, limitations, and attachments, and to discover new aspects of ourselves and our potential. It can also help us to connect with our deeper values, purpose, and meaning, and to align our actions with them. This can also foster a sense of compassion and responsibility for other living beings and the environment, and to realize that we are part of a larger whole that transcends our individual selves.
Natures impact on transcendence
Nature can have a profound impact on an individual’s self-transcendence by providing opportunities for awe, wonder, gratitude, and humility. Awe is the feeling of being overwhelmed by the beauty, majesty, or complexity of nature. Wonder is the curiosity and fascination that arises from observing the mysteries and intricacies of nature. Gratitude is the appreciation and thankfulness for the gifts and blessings that nature offers. Humility is the recognition of one’s own limitations and insignificance in comparison to the vastness and power of nature. These experiences can foster a sense of transcendence by expanding one’s perspective, enhancing one’s well-being, and inspiring one’s purpose.
Positive steps with nature
Exploring nature and transcendence can be a rewarding and enriching experience for an individual. There are many positive steps that one can take to deepen their connection with the natural world and their own spirituality. Some examples are:
Practising mindfulness meditation in a natural setting. This can help one to focus on the present moment, appreciate the beauty and complexity of nature, and cultivate a sense of gratitude and awe.
Reading books or articles about nature and transcendence. This can expose one to different perspectives, insights, and wisdom from various authors, traditions, and cultures. It can also inspire one to reflect on their own beliefs and values, and challenge them to grow and learn.
Joining a community or group that shares an interest in nature and transcendence. This can provide one with social support, encouragement, and feedback. It can also create opportunities for meaningful interactions, discussions, and activities with like-minded people.
Engaging in creative expression related to nature and transcendence. This can include writing, drawing, painting, photography, music, or any other form of art that allows one to express their feelings, thoughts, and experiences. It can also help one to discover new aspects of themselves and their spirituality.
Further reading
Here is a list of links for further reading on the subject.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027249442100092X
This URL is from a scientific journal that explores how nature promotes self-transcendence and prosocial behaviour. The article reports on three studies that show that exposure to nature increases a sense of self-transcendence, which involves feeling deeply connected to something greater than oneself, such as all of humanity, the natural world, or the universe as a whole.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/transcendence-happens-all-the-time/
This URL is from a popular science magazine that argues that transcendence constantly happens in biology. The article suggests that this is a form of transformation from one mode of life to another, similar to what humans have long fantasized about.
https://slife.org/transcendence/
A website that focuses on the spiritual life and various religious traditions. The website defines transcendence as the aspect of a deity’s nature and power that is wholly independent of the material universe and beyond all known physical laws. The website contrasts transcendence with immanence, where a god is said to be fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways. The website also discusses different types of transcendence, such as personal, cosmic, and social.
https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/12/10/emerson-nature/
This URL is from a blog that explores literature and philosophy. The blog post analyses Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Nature”, which was published in 1836 and is considered one of the founding texts of American transcendentalism. The blog post argues that Emerson’s essay offers a vision of how we can become our most authentic selves by reconnecting with nature and transcending our conventional modes of thinking and being.
Prolonged exposure to urban environments requires higher cognitive processing resources than exposure to nature environments, even if only visual cues are available. Here, we explored the moment-to-moment impact of environment type on visual cognitive processing load, measuring gait kinematics and reaction times. In Experiment 1, participants (n = 20) walked toward nature and urban images projected in front of them, one image per walk, and rated each image for visual discomfort.
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