Why does nature feel spiritually significant?
Written by
Natalie Hamilton
Reviewed by
Prof. William Dalton, Ph.D.The spiritual resonance with nature stems from biophilia, our biological connection to living systems. This inborn connection explains why natural settings produce such deeply felt reactions in all cultures. All retreat participants with whom I've been on a wilderness retreat report experiences of transcendence, regardless of their religious background. Your biology reacts on a cellular level to the patterns of nature.
Awe Activation
- Natural grandeur triggers neurobiological responses
- Stimulates dopamine release in reward pathways
- Creates feelings of humility and wonder
Interconnection Perception
- Recognizing ecological relationships
- Sense of belonging within ecosystems
- Mirrors indigenous cosmovisions
Transcendence Pathways
- Nature facilitates altered states
- Activates default mode network regions
- Creates timelessness experiences
These spiritual aspects are found universally across various traditions. Indigenous practices honor nature through rites to ancestral lands. Eastern traditions extoll harmony with natural cycles. Western mystical thought derives its understanding of divinity from revelation through wilderness experiences. My comparative studies show that all these stem from basic neurological correlates. Your spiritual experiences share the biological accommodations to evolution.
You can nurture this spirit by practicing basic techniques. Try silent witnessing at a local park. See what seasonal changes you notice on the trees in your neighborhood. I direct clients to write down the particulars of their nature interactions in their journals. This observance inevitably engenders a deeper consciousness over the space of a few weeks. When you regularly enlighten your mind, it builds neural pathways.
This link to spirit changes the relationship we have with nature. The idea of the sacred is created, so conservation arises through reverence rather than duty. My conservation partners demonstrate this change daily. Your personal spiritual practice fosters the healing of the earth through conscious stewardship.
Read the full article: 9 Powerful Benefits of Connection with Nature
