Nature Based Healing Six Categories

Credit: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: 2020 Feb; 17(3):685

1. Stimulation

On visiting the forest, participants felt better and refreshed by five sensory effects of the forest. They also experienced emotions such as happiness, fascination, curiosity, and joy. Their senses and sensibilities were recovered. Participants who had experienced such positive stimulation tended to visit natural environments more actively and frequently. Therefore, the experience of positive stimulation in the natural environment is an important starting point for healing and change. In the stimulus stage, words related to positive emotions such as mood, beauty, refreshment, pleasure, joy, and fascination appeared.

2. Acceptance

In this stage, participants experienced receptive feelings in the forest, including the sense of consolation and comportment. The forest is a place where participants could rest and relax at any time. Participants felt that the forest accepted everything about them. They felt consolation and comfort in the forest as if they were in their mother’s arms. Their tiring and exhausting lives were relieved when they communicated emotionally with the nature. Their minds were opened. In the acceptance stage, words such as friends, mother, comfort, relax, and hug gave emotional stability and consolation appeared

3. Purification

In the purification stage, participants overcame and dissolved their negative feelings. They vented and released their negative energy in a quiet forest. Their minds and emotions were then lightened and cleansed. This led them to experience relief from stress. Their pain and anger then disappeared. They also forget worries while they walked through the forest. They could honestly recognize their own feelings of avoidance in the tranquil forest alone. They confided stories from their heart that they usually could not tell others. They communicated with nature, emptying and washing away their mind and emotions. They became relaxed and generous so they could afford to look back and reflect on themselves. Purification is an important mediator that can lead to insight. Words used frequently at this stage were release, dissolve, tear, disappear, and forget.

4. Insight

Insight is the most important and meaningful stage in the nature-based therapy process. Participants experienced awakening through self-reflection and meditation in nature. They then communicated with themselves and talked with their inner self. They knew what they really wanted. They found a new way of life. They regained their identity. They also discovered the meaning and purpose of their life and reinterpreted the meaning of their pain. The most important phenomenon at this stage was “change of thought”. “Change of thought” is a core phenomenon of nature-based therapy. Participants could make a choice for new life through “change of thought.” Factors that could promote insight in nature are survival methods of animals and plants, strong vitality, and the order of nature. Frequently used words at this stage were thinking, reflection, enlightening, finding a dream, and understanding.

5. Recharging

The fifth stage is recharging. It fills participants with positive energy such as hope, courage, and confidence. Recharging involves both psychological and physiological aspects. In the natural environment, participants developed the will and desire for life. Hope, courage, confidence, and positive thoughts became energy that could overcome difficulty and create a new life. Recharged with positive energy, participants could go back into the world they were once afraid of and avoided. Words often used at this stage were power, hope, energy, courage confidence, positive, vigor, and vitality.

6. CHANGE

The last stage is change. In this stage, participants recovered and changes occurred mentally and physically. Participants could now live a life with changes such as relationship restoration, re-employment, advancement, new challenges, and accomplishments. In addition, the value of life could be changed. They described having a more positive attitude, leading to a satisfying life. These changes ultimately led to self-realization. They described this life as rebirth, reproduction, and rejuvenation. Words that appeared frequently at this stage were improvement, happiness, health, healing, treatment, recovery, love, lightening, and positive.