TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE IN FOREST ENVIRONMENTS

doi:10.1006/jevp.2001.0204

Journal of Environmental Psychology

Volume 21, Issue 3, September 2001, Pages 249-260

https://doi.org/10.1006/jevp.2001.0204 Get rights and content

Abstract

People who visit, work or live in forests (n=131) described a transcendent moment in a forest, providing written responses to open ended questions regarding the cause, thoughts, and behaviour associated with the event. Participants also rated the episode on a number of scales measuring characteristics of transcendence such as sense of union and timelessness, and broader appraisal dimensions such as complexity, novelty and causality. Appraisal patterns, identified through principal components analysis, suggest that transcendence in forests varies on three major dimensions: fascination, novelty and compatibility. The paper discusses broad classifications of transcendent experience in forest and considers the implications for understanding the spiritual meaning of nature.

References (40)

L.M. Fredrickson et al.
A qualitative exploration of the wilderness experience as a source of spiritual inspiration
Journal of Environmental Psychology
(1999)
S. Kaplan
The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework
Journal of Environmental Psychology
(1995)
S. Mazumdar et al.
Sacred space and place attachment
Journal of Environmental Psychology
(1993)
I. Altman et al.
World views in psychology: trait, interactional, organismic and transactional perspectives
R.E. Chenoweth et al.
The nature and ecology of aesthetic experiences in the landscape
Landscape Journal
(1990)
T.S. Cleary et al.
The plateau experience and the post-mortem life: Abraham Maslow's unfinished theory
The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology
(1995)
M. Csikszentmihalyi
Flow: The Psychology of Happiness
(1992)
P. Cock
Values for Sustainability: The Necessity of Transcendent and Sacred Realms
(1991)
J. De Rivera
A structural theory of the emotions
(1977)
B.L. Driver et al.
Nature and the Human Spirit: Toward an Expanded Land Management Ethic
(1996)

J.F. Dwyer et al.

The significance of urban trees and forests: toward a deeper understanding of values

Journal of Arboriculture

(1991)

J. Fitness et al.

Love, hate, anger and jealousy in close relationships: a prototype and cognitive appraisal analysis

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

(1993)

W. Gallagher

The Power of Place

(1993)

C.Y. Glock et al.

Religion and Society in Tension

(1965)

L. Gray

Shamanic counseling and ecopsychology

F.C. Happold

Mysticism: A Study and an Anthology

(1970)

Hartig, T. Korpela, K. Evans, G. Gärling, T. 1996, Validation of a Measure of Perceived Environmental Restorativeness,...

R.W. Hood

The construction and preliminary validation of a measure of reported mystical experience

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

(1975)

W. James

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature

(1902/1961)

Cited by (198)

Forest features and mental health and wellbeing: A scoping review
2023, Journal of Environmental Psychology
Forest environments have been found to benefit mental health and wellbeing, however there is little research on which forest features are more effective. Here, original research articles are reviewed to examine the impact of particular forest features on mental health and wellbeing. A systematic scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological guidelines reviewed 33 articles. Findings from this review indicated that all types of forest had beneficial outcomes on mental health and wellbeing. These findings suggest that all forests have the potential to induce positive and reduce negative effect. The review also revealed the need for greater understanding of impact of forest type on mental health and wellbeing. It is recommended that all future research include detailed reporting of the forest environment to understand the features most effective for mental health and wellbeing.
Tourists and ‘philosophers’: Nature as a medium to consciousness and transcendence in spiritual tourism
2023, Annals of Tourism Research
Nature is a vital context for transcendent experiences fostering the spiritual dimensions of humankind. Analysing data from protected areas in China, this paper investigates the ways in which spirituality permeates nature-based tourism. A thematic analysis was undertaken to interpret 27 semi-structured in-depth interviews with professionals and tourists. Findings enable the construction of a hierarchical framework of spiritual tourism achievement and highlight the need to create links between protected areas, tourists, and ‘mediums’. Nature is acknowledged as a means of overcoming spiritual emptiness in a secular nation where religions function in a limited way and traditional wisdom is undervalued. This study proposes a nature-based, philosophy-oriented tourism development model, which sheds light on theoretical and industrial domains alike.
Measures and modalities in restorative virtual natural environments: An integrative narrative review
2022, Computers in Human Behavior
Decades of research in environmental psychology have shown that contact with natural environments has restorative, stress-ameliorating effects. At present, researchers in the emerging field of virtual natural environments are studying whether these restorative health effects can be reproduced with simulated environments, raising new possibilities for preventive healthcare and therapy. This paper aims to synthesize earlier research on restoration and virtual nature, including theory, measurement, and modalities. Restoration theories were reviewed regarding their connection to measures and modalities, identifying possible research gaps in the current approaches. Furthermore, we performed a descriptive analysis of empirical studies utilizing virtual nature for restoration, exploring the commonalities and differences between the studies, emphasizing measured outcomes and modalities. Based on a thematic analysis of the theoretical and empirical review, we also introduce a new conceptual model named the Multidimensional Model of Restoration Measurement. This model connects different aspects of restoration measurement and theories. We conclude the review by discussing current measurement practices and envision multiple paths for future research.
Preferences for woodland activities and forest features as predictors of well-being after forest visits: Evidence from a nationally representative survey in Slovakia
2024, Ambio
Science fiction and self-transcendence: evidence from retrospective, experimental, and longitudinal studies
2024, Journal of Communication
Where wilderness is found: Evidence from 70,000 trip reports
2024, People and Nature

View all citing articles on Scopus

View full text

Regular ArticleTRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE IN FOREST ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

Journal of Environmental Psychology

Journal of Environmental Psychology

Journal of Environmental Psychology

World views in psychology: trait, interactional, organismic and transactional perspectives

The nature and ecology of aesthetic experiences in the landscape

Landscape Journal

The plateau experience and the post-mortem life: Abraham Maslow's unfinished theory

The Journal of Transpersonal Psychology

Flow: The Psychology of Happiness

Values for Sustainability: The Necessity of Transcendent and Sacred Realms

A structural theory of the emotions

Nature and the Human Spirit: Toward an Expanded Land Management Ethic

The significance of urban trees and forests: toward a deeper understanding of values

Journal of Arboriculture

Love, hate, anger and jealousy in close relationships: a prototype and cognitive appraisal analysis

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology

The Power of Place

Religion and Society in Tension

Shamanic counseling and ecopsychology

Mysticism: A Study and an Anthology

The construction and preliminary validation of a measure of reported mystical experience

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature

Regular Article
TRANSCENDENT EXPERIENCE IN FOREST ENVIRONMENTS