Biophilia by Edward O. WILSON
The biophilia hypothesis suggests that there is an instinctive bond between human beings and other living systems, and the importance of nature on our wellness (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) which is rooted in peer-reviewed science. Edward O. Wilson introduced and popularized the hypothesis in his book, Biophilia (1984). He defines biophilia as “the urge to affiliate with other forms of life.”
The benefits of biophilia
• trigger endorphin effect
• lower blood pressure
• boost the brain’s attention
• accelerate patients’ recovery at home and hospitals
• reconnect with nature
• plants
• protect the environment and tackle air pollution
Green spaces help kids get smarter
Research suggests that children who are exposed to green spaces, especially while at school, had improved working memory and decreased inattentiveness as well as a scored higher on academic tests. A Belgian study suggests that a low residential green space in urban children is associated with a “shift” towards a higher incidence of low IQ (Bijnens, et al. 2020) which suggests that bit more green space (3%) for kids can boost their IQ by 2.6 points and reduce aggression by two points.
There is a Nordic word: friluftsliv – the healing power of nature.
Key benefits of the biophilia effect for kids are:
- Improving focus
- Boosting creativity
- Getting more out of the workouts
- Less pain and better sleep
- Increasing vitamin D levels
- Higher IQ
- Lower aggression levels
According to research-heavy studies, the biophilia effect can be enhanced just with views and pictures of nature (and watching nature programmes). Spending time in nature, parks, woods, forests, by the sea, etc is the best option. And having many plants at home and workplace. For example, a 2015 study proved that “microbreaks” in nature (just looking at green roofs in cities rather than concrete roofs) improve cognitive functioning.
Biophilia effect
Forest bathing
Forest bathing is a form of meditation in the natural world based on the biophilia hypothesis and there is growing research on the befits of the forest bathing. ‘Forest bathing’ is a translation of the Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku, developed in the 1980s for the good of public health. Other popular Japanese lifestyle concepts are wabi-sabi, the art of imperfection, kanso and danshari.
Plant trees
Planting and preserving trees is one of the key ways to lock up carbon, clean our air and provide environments for wildlife. It makes good financial sense, too. The statistics are clear, Natural England, suggests that for every £1 spent on trees, the UK saves £7 in healthcare, energy and environmental costs. According to a poll by YouGov, nine in 10 Londoners think it is important that we have more trees in London. I’m sure it would be the same for other cities and towns on this planet.
“We need to get away from the idea that nature is for the countryside and not for cities.”
Dan Raven-Ellison is a guerrilla geographer and explorer
Carl Jung said, ” We all need nourishment for our psyche. It is impossible to find such nourishment in urban tenements without a patch of green or a blossoming tree.” Voltaire said, ” “Il faut cultiver notre jardin,” and walked his talk by planted thousands of trees on his land in eastern France to confirm: “I have only done one sensible thing in my life – cultivate the ground. He who tills a field renders a better service to mankind than all the scribblers in Europe.” Freud was an avid orchid lover and cherished his garden in West Hampstead, London. There is a Nordic word: friluftsliv – the healing power of nature.
Research and references on biophilia
A Forest Bathing Trip Increases Human Natural Killer Activity and Expression of Anti-Cancer Proteins in Female Subjects See the Pdf of the study
Green Spaces at School May Help Kids’ Brains
Green spaces and cognitive development in primary schoolchildren
Green Spaces Make Kids Smarter
On the importance of parks and green spaces
5 Reasons to Spend More Time Outside—Even When It’s Cold
A prescription for better health: go alfresco
Give your ideas some legs: the positive effect of walking on creative thinking.
Outdoor physical activity and self rated health in older adults living in two regions of the U.S.
Vis Medicatrix naturae: does nature “minister to the mind”?
The Origins of Aesthetic and Spiritual Values in Children’s Experience of Nature
“Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Serotonergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior,” by Christopher Lowry et al., published online on March 28, 2007 in Neuroscience.
Mind & Brain/Depression and Happiness – Raw Data “Is Dirt the New Prozac?” by Josie Glausiusz, Discover Magazine, July 2007 Issue. https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac
Antidepressant Microbes In Soil: How Dirt Makes You Happy https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/antidepressant-microbes-soil.htm
The Natural Health Service: What the Great Outdoors Can Do for Your Mind by
The Well Gardened Mind: Rediscovering Nature in the Modern World by
Aitken, N. & Pelletier, L. G. (2013). The benefits of being connected to nature and motivated toward the environment on subjective well-being, in Presented at the 74th Annual Canadian Psychological Association Convention, Quebec City, QC.
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J. & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02225.x
Berto, R. (2005). Exposure to restorative environments helps restore attential capacity. Journal Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2005.07.001
Bijnens, E. M., Derom, C., Thiery, E., Weyers, S., Nawrot, T. S. (2020). Residential green space and child intelligence and behavior across urban, suburban, and rural areas in Belgium: A longitudinal birth cohort study of twins. Plos Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003213
Bond, S. (2008). The impact of feng shui on residential property prices in Western cultures. International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, doi:10.1108/17538270810861175
Bowler, D.E., Buyung-Ali, L.M. & Knight, T.M. (2010). A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC Public Health, doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-45
Bringslimark, T., Hartig, T., Patil, G. G. (2007). Psychological benefits of indoor plants in workplaces: putting experimental results into context. HortScience, doi:10.21273/HORTSCI.42.3.581
Bruun, O. & Kalland. A. (2014). Asian Perceptions of Nature: A Critical Approach. London and New York: Routledge.
Capaldi, C. A., Dopko R. L. & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00976
Cimprich, B. & Ronis, D. L. (2003). An environmental intervention to restore attention in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Cancer Nursing, doi:10.1097/00002820-200308000-00005
Coggins, C., Minor, J., Chen, B., Zhang, Y., Tiso, P., Lam, J. & Gultekin, C. (2018). China’s community Fengshui forests: Spiritual ecology and nature conservation. In Cultural and Spiritual Significance of Nature in Protected Areas (pp. 225-236). London and New York: Routledge.
Chang, C. Y., & Chen, P. K. (2005). Human response to window views and indoor plants in the workplace. HortScience, doi:10.21273/HORTSCI.40.5.1354
Chuen, L.K. (1995). The FengShui Handbook-How to Create a Healthier Living and Working Environment.London: Gaia Books Ltd.
Cooper-Marcus, C. & Barnes, M. (Eds.). (1999). Healing gardens: therapeutic benefits and design recommendations. New York: Wiley.
De Vries, S., Verheij, R. A., Groenewegen, P. P. & Spreeuwenberg, P. (2003). Natural environments-healthy environments? An exploratory analysis of the relationship between greenspace and health. Environment and Planning A: Economy and Space, doi:10.1068/a35111
Eitel, E. J. (1973). Feng-Shui: or, The Rudiments of Natural Science in China. Cambridge: Cockaygne.
Emmons, C. F. (1992). Hong Kong’s feng shui: popular magic in a modern urban setting. Journal of Popular Culture, 26(1), 39-49.
Eriksson, I. (2008). Feng Shui in Traditional Gardens. Doctoral thesis, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Faber Taylor, A. & Kuo, F. E. (2009). Children with attention deficits concentrate better after walk in the park. Journal of Attention Disorders, doi:10.1177/1087054708323000
Frumkin, H. (2001). Beyond toxicity: Human health and the natural environment. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, doi:10.1016/s0749-3797(00)00317-2
Han, K.-T. & Sinha, A. (1996). An empirical study of feng-shui in landscape. Environments, 23(3), 36-42.
Han, K-T. (2009). Traditional Chinese Site Selection-Feng Shui: An Evolutionary/Ecological Perspective. Journal of Cultural Geography, doi:10.1080/08873630109478298
Hartig, T. & Cooper-Marcus, C. (2006). Essay: healing gardens – places for nature in healthcare. The Lancet, doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(06)69920-0
Hartig, T., van den Berg, A., E., Hagerhall, C. M., Tomalak, M., Bauer, N., Hansmann, R., Ojala, A., Syngollitou, E., Carrus, G., van Herzele, A., Bell, S., Podesta, M. T. C. & Waaseth, G. (2011). Health Benefits of Nature Experience: Psychological, Social and Cultural Processes. Chapter 5 in: Nilsson, K., Sangster, M., Gallis, C., Hartig, T., De Vries, S., Seeland, K. and Schipperijn, J. (2010). Forest, trees and human health.Dordrecht: Springer Science Business and Media, doi:10.1007/978-90-481-9806-1_5
Herzog, T. R. (1985). A cognitive analysis of preference for waterscapes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/S0272-4944(85)80024-4
Herzog, T. R. (1989). A cognitive analysis of preference for urban nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/S0272-4944(89)80024-6
Herzog, T. R., Maguire, C. P. & Nebel, M. B. (2003). Assessing the restorativecomponents of environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/S0272-4944(02)00113-5
Hong, S-K., Song, I-J. & Wu, J. (2007). Feng shui theory in urban landscape planning. Urban Ecosystems, doi:/10.1007/s11252-006-3263-2
Hwang, B. B. (2001). Conceptions of Feng Shui as represented in Western (English) Documentary Sources. Journal of the architectural institute of Korea planning and design, 17(11), 125-132.
Hwangbo, A. B. (2002). An Alternative Tradition In Architecture: Conceptions In Feng Shui And Its Continuous Tradition. Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 19(2), 110-130.
Joye, Y. (2007). Architectural Lessons from Environmental Psychology: The Case of Biophilic Architecture. Review of General Psychology, 11, 305 – 328.
Jung, C. (2002). The Earth Has a Soul: The Nature Writings of C.G. Jung. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books. p. 154-155
Kahn, P. H. Jr. (1997). Developmental psychology and the biophilia hypothesis: children’s affiliation with nature. Developmental Review, 17,1-61.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2
Kellert, S. R., & Wilson, E. O. (Eds.). (1993). The Biophilia Hypothesis. Washington, DC: Island Press.
Knight. C. (2014). Why plants in the office make us more productive. University of Exeter. http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_409094_en.html
Korpela, K. & Hartig, T. (1996). Restorative qualities of favorite places. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 16:221–233
La Torre, M. A. (2006). Creating a Healing Environment. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, doi:10.1111/j.1744-6163.2006.00086.x
Lee, K., Williams, K., Sargent, L., Williams, N. S. G., & Johnson, K. A. (2015). 40-second green roof views sustain attention: The role of micro-breaks in attention restoration. Journal of Environmental Psychology, doi:10.1016/J.JENVP.2015.04.003
Lee, S. H. (1986). Feng Shui: Its Context and Meaning. Doctoral thesis, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.
Leyten, V. (2008). Five elements towards a healthy architecture. Engineering, doi:10.22215/etd/2008-08062
Levitt, L. (1988). Therapeutic value of wilderness. In: Freilich, H. R. (Eds.), Wilderness Benchmark 1988: proceedings of the National wilderness colloquium. USDA Forest Service General Technical Report SE-51, pp 156–168. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Asheville, NC.
Li, Q., Morimoto, K., Kobayashi, M., Inagaki, H., Katsumata, M., Hirata, Y., Hirata, K., Suzuki, H., Li, Y. J., Wakayama, Y., Kawada, T., Park, B. J., Ohira, T., Matsui, N., Kagawa, T., Miyazaki, Y. & Krensky, A, M. (2008). Visiting a forest, but not a city, increases human natural killer activity and expression of anti-cancer proteins. International Journal of Immunopathology and Pharmacology, doi:10.1177/039463200802100113
Lip, E. (1996). Environments of Power. London: Academy Editions.
Lohr, V. I., Pearson-Mims, C. H., & Goodwin, G. K. (1996). Interior plants may improve worker productivity and reduce stress in a windowless environment. Journal of Environmental Horticulture, 14, 97-100.
Lohr, V. I., & Pearson-Mims, C. H. (2000). Physical discomfort may be reduced in the presence of interior plants. HortTechnology, 10, 53-58.
Lupone, L. (1999). Feng Shui: Therapy for the New Millennium. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, doi:10.1177/153321019900500201
Mak, M.Y. & Ng, S.T. (2005). The art and science of Feng Shui — a study on architects’ perception. Build Environment, 40:427–434.
Marafa, L. (2010). Integrating natural and cultural heritage: the advantage of feng shui landscape resources. International Journal of Heritage Studies, doi:10.1080/1352725022000155054
March, A. L. (1968). An appreciation of Chinese geomancy. Journal of Asian Studies, 27:256–267.
McMahan, E. A. & Estes, D. (2015). The effect of contact with natural environments on positive and negative affect: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, doi: 10.1080/17439760.2014.994224
Nilsson, K., Sangster, M., Gallis, C., Hartig, T., de Vries, S., Seeland, K. &Schipperijn, J. (Eds.). (2011). Forests, Trees and Human Health. Cham: Springer.
Mosley, S. (2014). Environmental History of Air Pollution and Protection. In: Agnoletti M., Neri Serneri S. (Eds.),The Basic Environmental History. Environmental History, vol 4. Cham: Springer.
Park, B. J., Tsunetsugu, Y., Kasetani, T., Hirano, H., Kagawa, T., Sato, M. & Miyazaki, Y. (2010). Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest)–using salivary cortisol and cerebral activity as indicators. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9
Parkes, G. (2003). Winds, Waters, and Earth Energies: Fengshui and Sense of Place. In: Selin H. (Eds.), Nature Across Cultures. Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science, vol 4. Dordrecht: Springer.
Pearson, D. (1998). The New Natural House Book: Creating a Healthy, Harmonious, and Ecologically. London: Prentice Hall & IBD.
Pretty, J. (2004). How nature contributes to mental and physical health. Spirituality and Health International, doi:10.1002/shi.220
Purcell, T., Peron, E., & Berto, R. (2001). Why do preferences differ between scene types? Environment and Behavior, 33, 93-106.
Raven-Ellison, D. (2019). Let’s plant a million trees and make London a true urban forest. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/comment/let-s-plant-a-million-trees-and-make-london-a-true-urban-forest-a4150751.html
Ren, H. (2000). Feng Shui and Chinese traditional domestic architecture. M.S. Thesis. University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati.
Scholz, U. & Krombholz, H. (2007). A study of the physical performance ability of children from wood kindergartens and from regular kindergartens. Motorik Mar, 1: p.17-22.
Smith, V. M. & Stewart, B. (2006). Feng Shui: A Practical Guide for Architects and Designers. Kaplan Business.
Spengler, J. D. & Sexton, K. (1983). Indoor air pollution: a public health perspective. Science, doi:10.1126/science.6857273
Stuart-Smith, S. (2020). The Well Gardened Mind: Rediscovering Nature in the Modern World. London: William Collins.
So, A. T. P. & Lu, J. W. Z. (2011). Natural Ventilation Design by Computational Fluid Dynamics—A Feng-shui Approach. Architectural Science Review, doi:10.1080/00038628.2001.9697454
Schweitzer, M., Gilpin, L. & Frampton, S. (2004). Healing Spaces: Elements of Environmental Design That Make an Impact on Health. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, doi:10.1089/1075553042245953
Talbot, J. F., & Kaplan, R. (1984). Needs and fears: The response to trees and nature in the inner city. Journal of Arboriculture, 10, 222-228.
Tam, C. M., Tso, T. Y. N. & Lam, K. C. (1999). Feng Shui and Its Impacts on Land and Property Developments. Journal of Urban Planning and Development, doi:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9488(1999)125:4(152)
Tahvanainen, L., Tyrväinen, L., & Nousianinen, I. (1996). Effects of afforestation on the scenic value of rural landscape. Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 11, 397-405.
Tennessen, C. M., & Cimprich, B. (1995). Views to nature: Effects on attention. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15, 77-85.
Tsunetsugu, Y., Park, B. J., Ishii, H., Hirano, H., Kagawa, T. & Miyazaki, Y. (2007). Physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the atmosphere of the forest) in an old-growth broadleaf forest in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan. Journal of Physiological Anthropology, doi:10.2114/jpa2.26.123
Ulrich, R. S. (1979). Visual landscapes and psychological well-being. Landscape Research, 4, 17-23.
Ulrich, R. (1981). Natural vs. urban scenes: some psychophysiological effects. Environment and Behavior, 13: 523-556.
Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224, 420-421.
Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M. A., & Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11, 201-230.
Wen, H. (2018). Exploring Feng Shui Elements in Domestic House. Research Project. https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/handle/10292/11714
Wilson, O. E. (2009). Biophilia. Harvard: Harvard University Press.
Chen, X. & Wu, J. (2009). Sustainable landscape architecture: implications of the Chinese philosophy of “unity of man with nature” and beyond. Landscape Ecology, doi:10.1007/s10980-009-9350-z
Xu, J. (2003). A framework for site analysis with emphasis on Feng Shui and contemporary environmental design principles. Ph.D. Dissertation. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg.
Yerrell, P. (2008). National Evaluation of BTCV’s Green Gym. Oxford Brookes University, https://www.tcv.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/green-gym-evaluation-full.pdf
Yoon, H. K. (1980). The image of nature in geomancy. GeoJournal, 4, 341–348 .
Yuan, J. Liu, J. (2009). Fengshui forest management by the Buyi ethnic minority in China. Forest Ecology and Management, doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2009.01.040