Through the green looking glass
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the awareness on our need to connect with the outdoors. But what if we could have an outdoor-like experience from the comfort of our homes?
Using a virtual reality headset for the first time was definitely an emotional experience. As scared I was about 'cyber-sickness', I forgot about it within seconds as I started my trip into the metaverse.
Even the simple menu of my Oculus VR was able to entrance me, by transporting me to a cabin in the middle of the woods at night. From the virtual hearth, through the wide windows, I could see other cabins in the virtual distance, with bright lights flashing from them.
As a chorus of virtual insects and birds chirped in the distance, I sat on the floor of my room for a short meditation, and wondered: how many other people would be doing the same, trying to virtually escape their stressful, messy, claustrophobic realities? The answer is: probably not many. But this might be bound to change.
The increasing affordability of VR headsets is allowing a growing interest around the applications of virtual nature in many fields, from education to the arts or healthcare. In this last one, VR has become a great ally to research on restorative nature, that is, the health outcomes of experiencing nature in a variety of contexts.
In recent years, a small but growing number of studies coming from all over the world are looking into the potential restorative benefits of virtual nature experiences for humans. And it seems that VR headsets, nature films and soundscapes might provide physical and psychological benefits such as relieving stress, boredom or pain and enhancing creativity or mood in settings ranging from prisons to hospitals, elder-care facilities, schools or workplaces.
Research on the benefits of nature contemplation goes back to the 1970s, when psychologist Roger Ulrich led a decade-long study that analyzed the recovery of hospital patients in relation to their window views. Those facing natural environments had a faster and better recovery than the patients facing a brick wall, who also requiring less medication and were reported to have a better mood according to their nurses.
In the 1980s and 1990s, other authors like Edward O. Wilson or Rachel and Stephen Kaplan coined different theories to ground the restorative benefits of engagement with nature. Since then, a majority of the research on restorative nature has jumped from theory to action.
American biologist Edward O. Wilson laid out the biophilia hypothesis in his book Biophilia, suggesting that humans possess an innate and hereditary attachment to nature. This notion was then further developed in 1993 on The Biophilia Hypothesis, edited with Stephen R. Kellert.
Biophilia can be understood as a series of learning rules between several emotional spectra: "from attraction to aversion, from awe to indifference, from peacefulness to fear-driven anxiety." These would have been mediated by genetic and cultural coevolution, taking into account the long portion of human history in which we were directly interacting and intertwinned with the natural environment.
A companion to the notion of biophilia is that of biophobia, a human shared fear to specific aspects of nature, such as snakes or spiders. These responses seem to be the result of evolution in a world in which humans were constantly vulnerable.
In 1989, psychologists Rachel and Stephen Kaplan developed the attention restoration theory (ART) in their book The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. ART suggests that people can concentrate better after spending time in nature or looking at scenes of nature.
This happens because of the expansive and rich qualities of natural environments, which might provoke feelings of evasion, fascination and meaningful connection. This way, the Kaplans saw nature exposure as a potential remedy to attentional fatigue, a phenomenon that happens when an individual exhausts their ability to focus on an attention-demanding task.
In 1991, psychologist Roger Ulrich coined the stress reduction theory (SRT), which claims that viewing or visinting nature might not only restore attention, but also provide emotional and physiological benefits.
In other words, mediated or actual interactions with nature, especially after or during a stressful situation, contributes to enhance positive emotions, as well as physiological relaxation, easing a person's state of alert.
However, not all natural spaces provide an equally restorative experience. Imagine being on a swamp in the middle of the summer, with mosquitoes flying around you; or being alone in the desert at night, with coyotes howling in the background. Kind of scary, right?
Not all experiences of nature are equally pleasant, and not everyone reacts the same to the same scenarios. Researchers have argued that the restorative potential of nature and virtual nature depends on two variables: the physical features of the space and the personal and cultural experience of the individual.
A key theory in relationship to the structure of natural spaces is that of prospect and refuge . Coined by the geographer Jay Appleton in 1975, it claims that the environments that make people feel secure are those that offer "prospect", that is, the capacity to observe (e.g., natural wonders, distant vistas or elevated views) as well as "refuge", the ability of not being seen (a bench behind a wall, for example).
Researcher Roger Ulrich stipulated that "preferred natural views" for restorative purposes would be those offering moderate to high visual complexity, a defined focal point, order and patterning, a moderate to high level of depth and a lack of perceived threats.
In general, spaces rich in prospect and refuge tend to provide a feeling of survival and shelter.
More recent research has suggested that natural spaces which feature green, blue and brown colors, as well as high biodiversity, the sounds of birdsongs, water sounds or the wind usually seem more attractive to observers.
On the other hand, sounds like those of insects, wolves or coyotes might increase anxiety. This effect is probably a manifestation of biophobia.
Research on restorative experiences from viewing nature has evolved from window views and interior design to the use of digital and immersive devices. Today, human-nature connection research exists within a range of technologically mediated experiences, whether in virtual reality, computer-generated environments, 360-degree captured media or two dimensional screens.
Click on each device to know more.
Sound is an essential component when creating experiences of nature. Exposure to sounds of nature might increase sensory awareness, the level of immersion and sense of presence within nature, all which are relevant for an effective virtual (and restorative?) experience.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the BBC launched Soundscapes for Wellbeing, a collaboration that aimed to bring virtual soundscapes of music and nature directly to audiences.
Nature films, documentaries and green videogames being consumed and watched on traditional two-dimensional screens might offer a sense of connection with nature.
In terms of restorative effects, there is not clear evidence on how viewing screen-based 2D materials compares to their virtual reality experience. For now, they remain an option before some of the challenges of VR, such as cyber-cickness.
Experiences of virtual nature through VR headsets have been examined in the form of both 360-degree videos and computer generated scenarios (CGI). Surprisingly, according to research, computer generated scenarios seem to be more restorative than real-life 360 degrees.
The use of gamification, either through screen-based media or virtual reality, seems to interaction and might render a better sense of presence and purpose within a VR experience.
Findings on the psychological and physical benefits of connecting with nature virtually are many, with varying degrees of confidence. Increased relaxation, the reduction of physical stress symptioms and perception of anxiety and negative feelings are the most solid findings, according to Matthew Browning, director of the Virtual Reality and Nature Lab at Clemson University.
But virtual reproductions of nature lack many of the appealing benefits of the real outdoors. For example, the physical exercise component --although there are starting proposals of virtual green exercise--, the exposure to sunlight and to the outdoor air microbiomes.
In this context, virtual nature remains a valuable asset for spaces where access to the outdoors is complicated or where individuals are required to face stressful or nature-deprived situations for long periods of time. Places like windowless office spaces, correctional institutions, elder-care facilities, hospital rooms or, even, the outer space.
Healthcare
In hospitals, virtual nature has proved effective in reducing distress derived from hospitalization on cancer patients, as well as stress during chemotherapy and on pre and post-operatory stages. Virtual nature has also been used to provide relaxation for patients in intensive care units.
Virtual nature experiences have also been applied effectively to the treatment of eating disorders in combination with relaxation therapy, to treat emotional distress in the context of memory care residents in elder care facilities and women with substance use disorder at residential treatment facilities.
Schools
Access to the outdoors in school settings has long been related to physical and mental benefits, creativity and cognitive development in children and adolescents. However, there is not a lot of research around the affordances of virtual nature in these settings yet.
Some studies have suggested the potential of VR to treat test anxiety and provide restorative breaks, especially in nature-deprived school settings.
Prisons
Prisons and correctional facilities are some of the most nature-deprived spaces in society. Research conducted in three Chinese prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic observed that exposure to nature from window views enhanced the life satisfaction and wellbeing of prisoners. In particular, prisoners who had access to window views showed a increased distress tolerance, reduced feelings of loneliness and fewer mental health problems.
In the United States, a study led in 2020 by Dr. Nalini Nadkarni (University of Utah) with over 70 inmates at the Salt Lake County Jail proved that exposure to nature imagery and sounds decreased physiological signs of stress in the incarcerated, also increasing their interest around the outdoor spaces they saw.
Workplaces
The workplace has long been part of the research on restorative nature and, in particular, biophilic indoor design. Just by putting posters of nature in the office can help reduce stress in the workplace, according to a 2008 study.
More recently, an experiment held in the finnish headquarters of Nokia in 2004 used VR nature headsets to achieve stress recovery and distraction from work duties.
Following on this example, the presence of virtual nature rooms in workplaces, especially in settings that are deprived for natural light or windows, could be a very valuable asset.
ESSAY NOTES
[1] My thoughts.
[2] More thoughts of mine.
[3] Even more thoughts of mine.