Spending time in nature has a profound effect on our well-being. But you don’t have to trek out to the middle of a forest to feel the benefits.
A study, published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that simply viewing natural landscapes is enough to reduce the brain activity associated with pain perception.
To reach this conclusion, researchers from the University of Vienna and University of Exeter analysed the brain activity of 49 participants in Austria using a functional MRI scanner.
During the experiment, these volunteers received pain through mild electric shocks while viewing different videos, including scenes of nature, urban images and office environments.
The results speak for themselves. The participants reported feeling less pain when watching natural landscapes. This decrease was also observed at cerebral level, with a significant reduction in the sensory signals associated with pain.
This discovery echoes the work carried out over 40 years ago by the American researcher Roger Ulrich.
At the time, he demonstrated that hospitalised patients recovered more quickly and needed fewer painkillers when they had a view of a green space rather than a brick wall. However, until now, the exact mechanism behind this effect has remained unknown.
New approaches to pain management
This study is the first to demonstrate the exact process by which exposure to nature modifies brain activity.
Max Steininger, a doctoral student at the University of Vienna and lead author of the study, insists that this phenomenon is not simply a matter of autosuggestion.
“Our study is the first to provide evidence from brain scans that this isn’t just a ‘placebo’ effect – driven by people’s beliefs and expectations that nature is good for them – instead, the brain is reacting less to information about where the pain is coming from and how intense it feels,” the researcher explains in a news release.
In other words, exposure to natural scenes really does influence the perception of pain by modifying brain activity. While this effect is less powerful than that of painkillers, it nevertheless offers a promising avenue for the development of new approaches to pain management.
The use of immersive virtual reality experiences could even bring these benefits to a wider audience, particularly to those who do not have direct access to green spaces.
“The fact that this pain-relieving effect can be achieved through a virtual nature exposure which is easy to administer has important practical implications for non-drug treatments, and opens new avenues for research to better understand how nature impacts our minds,” says study co-author, Dr Alex Smalley.
This study is part of a growing body of scientific research that highlights the positive health effects of sensory immersion in nature.
In a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2019, researchers in Japan and South Korea claimed that contemplating natural landscapes, even from a distance, could have a beneficial impact on the parasympathetic nervous system, helping to lower blood pressure and regulate heart rate variability.
Whether you’re stressed out or prone to pain, turning your gaze to nature could help promote faster recovery. Even by viewing images of natural landscapes on your computer or smartphone screen may help you feel nature’s soothing benefits.