12 sources: 1 crossover trial, 6 meta-analyses, 4 randomised controlled trials, 1 systematic review
Spiritual · Practice
Nature-Based Contemplation
Sitting quietly in a natural setting with open attention: one way to carry out what the nature-exposure sources studied; Yao 2021 reports natural environments increased positive and decreased negative affect, Choe 2020 that mindfulness-based stress reduction outdoors had greater outcomes than indoors, and Harries 2025 that restorative prompting raised state well-being.
Beta content: this dimension's review set is version 0.9-beta and upgrades in place after the Round-2 internal reviews.
3 of 12 sources behind this entry were read from the abstract only; they are marked in the sources list.
1-3x per week
Beginner-friendlyOutdoors
Before you start
Not a treatment for anxiety or depression; if quiet attention increases distress, suggest a more active practice or professional support
When to seek a professional
- Persistent hopelessness, emptiness, or a sense that life is meaningless lasting more than two weeks: encourage contact with a licensed mental-health professional
- Any thoughts of self-harm or suicide, or feeling life is not worth living: direct the user to a crisis line or emergency services immediately
- Acute existential or spiritual crisis causing marked distress or inability to function: refer to a counselor, chaplain, or clinician
- Signs the user is using reflection to avoid unresolved grief, trauma, or clinical depression: recommend professional support
How to do it
10-15 minutes of quiet outdoor attention, 1-3 times per week
The research behind this entry does not establish an amount, so this is a practical starting point rather than a research-backed number.
None (a bench, park, garden, or window with a natural view)For most adultsAny belief backgroundNo religious contentOutdoors
What the evidence says
What the sources say
This practice is one way to carry out what the nature-exposure sources on the concept entry (env.nature-exposure-and-wellbeing) studied. Yao 2021 (meta-analysis) reports exposure to natural environments increased positive affect (SMD 0.61) and decreased negative affect (SMD −0.47) against built environments; Choe 2020 (randomised trial) reports mindfulness-based stress reduction outdoors had greater mental health and well-being outcomes than indoors; Harries 2025 (randomised trial) reports restorative prompting produced higher state well-being, positive affect and restoration than other groups; Siah 2023 (meta-analysis) reports forest bathing reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety; Zhu 2024 (meta-analysis) reports natural sound exposure reduced anxiety, heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate; Fan 2024 (meta-analysis) reports differences favouring natural sounds for heart rate, blood pressure and respiratory rate, no significant difference for perceived stress, and concludes that natural sounds were more beneficial for stress reduction than quiet environments, "though evidence was slightly inconsistent"; Browning 2020 (systematic review) reports that experiments without control groups reported more positive findings than expected, which may indicate publication bias. The full account, source by source, is on the concept entry this practice links to (env.nature-exposure-and-wellbeing).
Common misconceptions
- It is not about emptying the mind but resting attention on what is present
- A city park counts - you do not need wilderness
- Doing nothing productive is the point, not a waste of time
What we won't claim
- Do not prescribe, rank, or endorse any specific religion, deity, faith tradition, or belief system
- Do not claim these practices cure, treat, reverse, or prevent any disease or mental illness
- Do not make claims about an afterlife, the soul, the supernatural, or any metaphysical truth
- Do not present correlational or observational findings as proof that the practice causes health outcomes
- Do not position these practices as a substitute for medical care or psychological treatment
12 sources: 1 crossover trial, 6 meta-analyses, 4 randomised controlled trials, 1 systematic review
- Agreement
- Direction recorded for 0 of 12 sources; not yet recorded for the rest.
- The claim's outcome
- Outcome not yet recorded
- Certainty
- No source states a certainty rating.
- How the sources were read
- Some sources are based on abstracts, not full texts.
What each source measured and concluded (12)
meta-analysis · 2024
Zhu et al. (2024) — Effects of natural sound exposure on health recovery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- What it measured
- Health recovery (emotional, physiological, cognitive)
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=15 studies; 1285 participants
meta-analysis · 2010
Barton et al. (2010) — What is the best dose of nature and green exercise for improving mental health? A multi-study analysis.
- What it measured
- Self-esteem and mood (mental health indicators)
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
- What the review says it includes
- Multi-study analysis / meta-analysis
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 10 UK studies; 1252 participants
crossover trial · 2025
Laezza et al. (2025) — Evaluating the Benefits of Green Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Natural and Built Environments Assessed for their Restorative Properties.
- What it measured
- Restorative effects: psychological outcomes (perceived restorativeness, restoration, emotions, enjoyment, intentions) and physiological measures (cortisol, heart rate, HRV) across natural, urban, indoor 1-hour walks
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
randomised controlled trial · 2020
Roe et al. (2020) — The Urban Built Environment, Walking and Mental Health Outcomes Among Older Adults: A Pilot Study
- What it measured
- Cognitive reaction time and emotional well-being.
- How it measured it
- Deary-Liewald computer-based simple reaction time test (SRT) and mood scale.
- How it was read
- read in full text
randomised controlled trial · 2020
Choe et al. (2020) — Does a natural environment enhance the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)? Examining the mental health and wellbeing, and nature connectedness benefits
- What it measured
- Mental health and wellbeing outcomes.
- How it was read
- read in full text
randomised controlled trial · 2025
Harries et al. (2025) — Noticing nature: The role of environmental awareness in promoting well‐being
- What it measured
- State well-being.
- How it measured it
- Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (validated).
- How it was read
- read in full text
meta-analysis · 2026
Wang et al. (2026) — Effects of green exercise on mental health in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- What it measured
- Mental health.
- How it measured it
- Profile of Mood States (POMS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12).
- How it was read
- read in full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 26 studies
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=1,468 participants across 26 studies
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- Residual heterogeneity
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- Measurement heterogeneity
randomised controlled trial · 2014
Brown et al. (2014) — Walks4Work: assessing the role of the natural environment in a workplace physical activity intervention.
- What it measured
- Resting autonomic function (HR and lnHF).
- How it measured it
- HR monitors and eMotion sensor (objective).
- How it was read
- read in full text
meta-analysis · 2021
Yao et al. (2021) — Impact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- What it measured
- Positive and negative affect.
- How it measured it
- Positive and Negative Affective Schedule (PANAS) (self-report).
- Its conclusion, in its own words
- “The findings will help convince the health professionals and policymakers to encourage the residents to increase their time spent in the natural environment.”
- How it was read
- read in full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- Extreme heterogeneity among studies
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- Low credibility of evidence due to high heterogeneity and inconsistent results
meta-analysis · 2023
Siah et al. (2023) — The effects of forest bathing on psychological well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
- What it measured
- Anxiety, Depression, Mood, Quality of Life.
- How it measured it
- Validated instruments such as Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Profile of Mood States, General Health Questionnaire.
- Its conclusion, in its own words
- “Our meta-analysis suggested that forest bathing can significantly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
- How it was read
- read in full text
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 studies
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=3554 participants across 36 studies
meta-analysis · 2024
Fan et al. (2024) — The effect of exposure to natural sounds on stress reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- What it measured
- Stress reduction (heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, MAP, perceived stress, SPO2)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
systematic review · 2020
Browning et al. (2020) — The Role of Methodological Choices in the Effects of Experimental Exposure to Simulated Natural Landscapes on Human Health and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review
- What it measured
- Human health and cognitive performance; methodological moderators of study findings
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review (of experiments)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 175 experiments in 148 research articles
Key sources (12)
Every source below is shown with its study design and links to the original study. This is the audit trail.
meta-analysisEffects of natural sound exposure on health recovery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
meta-analysisWhat is the best dose of nature and green exercise for improving mental health? A multi-study analysis.
crossover trialEvaluating the Benefits of Green Exercise: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Natural and Built Environments Assessed for their Restorative Properties.
randomised controlled trialThe Urban Built Environment, Walking and Mental Health Outcomes Among Older Adults: A Pilot Study
randomised controlled trialDoes a natural environment enhance the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)? Examining the mental health and wellbeing, and nature connectedness benefits
randomised controlled trialNoticing nature: The role of environmental awareness in promoting well‐being
meta-analysisEffects of green exercise on mental health in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis
randomised controlled trialWalks4Work: assessing the role of the natural environment in a workplace physical activity intervention.
meta-analysisImpact of Exposure to Natural and Built Environments on Positive and Negative Affect: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
meta-analysisThe effects of forest bathing on psychological well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
meta-analysisThe effect of exposure to natural sounds on stress reduction: a systematic review and meta-analysis
systematic reviewThe Role of Methodological Choices in the Effects of Experimental Exposure to Simulated Natural Landscapes on Human Health and Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review
“Abstract only” means the review read that paper’s abstract, not its full text; “screened only” means it was included at re-screening and not extracted. Both stay in the trail with their DOI, because how a source was read is part of the audit.
Explore all 299 studies in Spiritual →
The full evidence base this focus area draws on, every study with its design and DOI.What it is for
Be more presentFeel connected to something largerSpend more time in nature