# data[].attributes.body
In this article, scientists reveal how envolving yourself with nature can lead to eternal peace. This is Transcendence again. Putting yourself with nature and temporarily putting your mind in a peaceful state is what Transcendentalism is all about. This means that you can put others before yourself, since you are spiritually aware of your surroundings after conjoining yourself with nature.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Humans have long intuited that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous adolescents completing rites of passage in the wild, to modern East Asian cultures taking "forest baths," many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth.

Why nature? No one knows for sure; but one hypothesis derived from evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson's " biophilia" theory suggests that there are evolutionary reasons people seek out nature experiences. We may have preferences to be in beautiful, natural spaces because they are resource-rich environments-ones that provide optimal food, shelter, and comfort. These evolutionary needs may explain why children are drawn to natural environments and why we prefer nature to be part of our architecture.

Now, a large body of research is documenting the positive impacts of nature on human flourishing-our social, psychological, and emotional life. Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature in paintings and videos can have positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes, and social interactions. In particular, viewing nature seems to be inherently rewarding, producing a cascade of position emotions and calming our nervous systems. These in turn help us to cultivate greater openness, creativity, connection, generosity, and resilience.

In other words, science suggests we may seek out nature not only for our physical survival, but because it's good for our social and personal well-being.

How nature helps us feel good and do good

The naturalist John Muir once wrote about the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California: "We are now in the mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling every pore and cell of us." Clearly, he found nature's awe-inspiring imagery a positive, emotive experience.

But what does the science say? Several studies have looked at how viewing awe-inspiring nature imagery in photos and videos impacts emotions and behavior. For example, in one study participants either viewed a few minutes of the inspiring documentary Planet Earth, a neutral video from a news program, or funny footage from Walk on the Wild Side. Watching a few minutes of Planet Earth led people to feel 46 percent more awe and 31 percent more gratitude than those in the other groups. This study and others like it tell us that even brief nature videos are a powerful way to feel awe, wonder, gratitude, and reverence-all positive emotions known to lead to increased well-being and physical health.

Positive emotions have beneficial effects upon social processes, too-like increasing trust, cooperation, and closeness with others. Since viewing nature appears to trigger positive emotions, it follows that nature likely has favorable effects on our social well-being.

This has been robustly confirmed in research on the benefits of living near green spaces. Most notably, the work of Frances Kuo and her colleagues finds that in poorer neighborhoods of Chicago people who live near green spaces-lawns, parks, trees-show reductions in ADHD symptoms and greater calm, as well as a stronger sense of connection to neighbors, more civility, and less violence in their neighborhoods. A later analysis confirmed that green spaces tend to have less crime.

Viewing nature in images and videos seems to shift our sense of self, diminishing the boundaries between self and others, which has implications for social interactions. In one study, participants who spent a minute looking up into a beautiful stand of eucalyptus trees reported feeling less entitled and self-important. Even simply viewing Planet Earth for five minutes led participants to report a greater sense that their concerns were insignificant and that they themselves were part of something larger compared with groups who had watched neutral or funny clips.

Several studies have also found that viewing nature in images or videos leads to greater "prosocial" tendencies-generosity, cooperation, and kindness. One illustrative study found that people who simply viewed 10 slides of really beautiful nature (as opposed to less beautiful nature) gave more money to a stranger in an economic game widely used to measure trust.

All of these findings raise the intriguing possibility that, by increasing positive emotions, experiencing nature even in brief doses leads to more kind and altruistic behavior.

How nature helps our health

Besides boosting happiness, positive emotion, and kindness, exposure to nature may also have physical and mental health benefits.

The benefits of nature on health and well-being have been well-documented in different European and Asian cultures. While Kuo's evidence suggests a particular benefit for those from nature-deprived communities in the United States, the health and wellness benefits of immersion in nature seem to generalize across all different class and ethnic backgrounds.

Why is nature so healing? One possibility is that having access to nature-either by living near it or viewing it-reduces stress. In a study by Catharine Ward Thompson and her colleagues, the people who lived near larger areas of green space reported less stress and showed greater declines in cortisol levels over the course of the day.

In another study, participants who viewed a one-minute video of awesome nature rather than a video that made them feel happy reported feeling as though they had enough time "to get things done" and did not feel that "their lives were slipping away." And studies have found that people who report feeling a good deal of awe and wonder and an awareness of the natural beauty around them actually show lower levels of a biomarker (IL-6) that could lead to a decreased likelihood of cardiovascular disease, depression, and autoimmune disease.

Though the research is less well-documented in this area than in some others, the results to date are promising. One early study by Roger Ulrich found that patients recovered faster from cardiovascular surgery when they had a view of nature out of a window, for example.

A more recent review of studies looking at different kinds of nature immersion-natural landscapes during a walk, views from a window, pictures and videos, and flora and fauna around residential or work environments-showed that nature experiences led to reduced stress, easier recovery from illness, better physical well-being in elderly people, and behavioral changes that improve mood and general well-being.

Why we need nature

All of these findings converge on one conclusion: Being close to nature or viewing nature improves our well-being. The question still remains...how?

There is no question that being in nature-or even viewing nature pictures-reduces the physiological symptoms of stress in our bodies. What this means is that we are less likely to be anxious and fearful in nature, and thereby we can be more open to other people and to creative patterns of thought.

Also, nature often induces awe, wonder, and reverence, all emotions known to have a variety of benefits, promoting everything from well-being and altruism to humility to health.

There is also some evidence that exposure to nature impacts the brain. Viewing natural beauty (in the form of landscape paintings and video, at least) activates specific reward circuits in the brain associated with dopamine release that give us a sense of purpose, joy, and energy to pursue our goals.

But, regrettably, people seem to be spending less time outdoors and less time immersed in nature than before. It is also clear that, in the past 30 years, people's levels of stress and sense of "busyness" have risen dramatically. These converging forces have led environmental writer Richard Louv to coin the term " nature deficit disorder "-a form of suffering that comes from a sense of disconnection from nature and its powers.

Perhaps we should take note and try a course corrective. The 19th century philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote about nature, "There I feel that nothing can befall me in life-no disgrace, no calamity (leaving me my eyes), which nature cannot repair." The science speaks to Emerson's intuition. It's time to realize nature is more than just a material resource. It's also a pathway to human health and happiness.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Happens When We Reconnect With Nature

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Humans have long intuited that being in nature is good for the mind and body. From indigenous adolescents completing rites of passage in the wild, to modern East Asian cultures taking "forest baths," many have looked to nature as a place for healing and personal growth. Why nature?

# data[].attributes.body
This article describes events that you can do during the year in order to make yourself happier. One is to let go of your wants and look at what you already have. This is the idea of Transcendence.  The article helps describe that leaving your wants will help you become focused on a more spiritual point of view on life rather than the reality of society.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
For many people around the world, the New Year is supposed to be a time of celebration, connection, reflection, and goal-setting.

That's a tall, anxiety-inducing order, isn't it? But it doesn't have to be, if you understand that the point of all this frenetic activity is to generate meaning.

Our library of research-tested practices, Greater Good in Action, contains many ways to help you to find meaning in the events of your life; some of them are embedded throughout this article.

Of course, making meaning is something that people do instinctively, and our efforts are supported by a great deal of tradition. At the New Year, we look back on the previous year in order to find the significance and consequences of our actions-and we look ahead for purpose.

This might be why we seem to almost unwillingly try to connect with other people on New Year's Eve and Day, for the research into meaning and purpose reveals a paradox: They come from within, but meaning and purpose often develop from our relationships with other people. When I polled my own friends about their New Year's rituals, I heard about many activities that are centered around friends and family. For example, Amy Cranch writes:

One of my favorites is selecting 2-4 movies and posting an open call on Facebook for anyone who wants to join. Then we meet before or after for drinks and nibbles. It's a great way to connect with friends in a low-cost, easy way (vs. planning a party), and you never know who's going to show up.

For Rachel Calabia Epp, connecting with family also means following traditions that come through her family:

My family followed a bunch of Filipino and Chinese traditions when we were kids: we would eat a lot of round fruit (like oranges) which supposedly bring good luck. My mom would wear something with polka dots, which symbolizes money. Oh, we'd also jump up and down right at midnight since it was supposed to make us grow taller. (This was an obvious fail given my family's average height.)

Annie Nogales Chandler draws on her Cuban and Spanish heritage for traditions: "Eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight-one for each month of the New year, for good luck."

People also offered different ways for measuring the significance of the past year's events, which were often very private. Kristin Wojkowski reviews the things she's done-"happy feelings and the things that left me unsatisfied"-and reminds herself "of the lessons I learned from the not-so-great things," while still basking in the good things. For her part, Alexandra Nicolas writes:

A few years ago I switched from a day planner to a notebook with one page per day. Since then, every year on my Christmas break, I sit down for a few hours with a library stamp and my notebook(s) for next year, and stamp each page. Then I review that last year's notebook to see what needs to be copied over, ruminate on what goals were met, and in what ways. Usually there's a page for notable wins and struggles for the year, plus lots of little lists. Recipes we liked. Coffee blends tried. Things we disagreed on and how we resolved them, etc. Plus lots of notes to future me on specific dates: "You went through three bags of Halloween candy last year." "Start paying attention now to tomatoes at the farmers' market." Anything that needs to be carried over gets copied, then last year goes on the shelf.

"I like to go back and read my end-of-year reflections from years past," says Dave Pai. "And then write a one-page reflection after I have a couple of weeks to digest my thoughts and actions for the past year." Heather Henderson's family takes a more direct, negative approach: "We write all of the shitty things that went wrong on pieces of paper and burn them before midnight on December 31st so we don't drag that baggage into the new year." (She also mentions tossing out all the unmatched socks her family creates every year!) Annie throws "a bucket of water out the door-to get rid of bad vibes."

In these ways, people find meaning in the previous year. That meaning can become the foundation of a purpose for the next year.

But how do you find that purpose? We at the Greater Good Science Center have published many articles and exercises to help you think about what you want, who you want to be, and what kind of impact you want to have on the world. Here are a few for you to consider.

Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For many people around the world, the New Year is supposed to be a time of celebration, connection, reflection, and goal-setting. That's a tall, anxiety-inducing order, isn't it? But it doesn't have to be, if you understand that the point of all this frenetic activity is to generate meaning.

# data[].attributes.body
This is an original photo I took of a stand-alone tree in front of the sunset. It describes the simplicity of what life could be if we as individuals take our time to appreciate what we have. This photo describes that because if we take the time to see past our obstacles (the tree) and see only the bare necessities of life then we will reach eternal peace (the sun).

# data[].attributes.body
I made this painting in 2nd grade for school. It is of the sunrise between two mountains with one road going down it. I used water color paint and the splash painting method to create this. This is transcendentalism because it depicts the single path (individualism) to the true meaning of what life is supposed to be. The oversoul (the sun) is watching over the single path (the road) and is making sure the individual is following it correctly the whole way.

# data[].attributes.body
Poems of Sentiment describes man's one self in individualism. It describes the scenes of nature such as "starts that gem the sky." However, there is a reason behind why he talks about the scenes of nature. It is because nature helps an individual think more clearly, rather than trying to think critically in a city or town. Individualizing oneself and thinking critically in a peaceful place such as the woods can allow you to achieve peace or happiness.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
thought. christopher pearse cranch (1813-1892). poems of sentiment: iv. thought: poetry: books. bliss carman

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
eds. 1904. the world's best poetry. vi. fancy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Thought. Christopher Pearse Cranch (1813-1892). Poems of Sentiment: IV. Thought: Poetry: Books. Bliss Carman, et al., eds. 1904. The World's Best Poetry. VI. Fancy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thought. Christopher Pearse Cranch (1813-1892). Poems of Sentiment: IV. Thought: Poetry: Books. Bliss Carman, et al., eds. 1904. The World's Best Poetry. VI. Fancy

# data[].attributes.body
The video describes a Summary about the life of Waldo Emerson. It explains the meaning of his essay called self reliance, and all of the concepts of transcendentalism in it. Such as, individualism, nonconformity, and intuition. After looking at his essay, the video describes how the original group of transcendentalists came up with their idea. It explains the meaning of transcendentalism and how it unites oneself with the oversoul.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ralph Waldo Emerson's Self-Reliance

Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American and poet, was a central figure in the transcendental movement of the mid-19th century. Published in 1841, his essay 'Self-Reliance' introduced the core ideas of transcendentalism to the American public. In many ways, 'Self-Reliance' was a call to arms, inviting Americans to use their personal strengths and talents to foster change. In this lesson, we'll analyze Emerson's essay 'Self-Reliance' for characteristics of transcendental ideas, including individualism, nonconformity, and intuition.

Review of Transcendentalism

In 1836, a small group of New England writers and intellectuals founded a literary and philosophical movement known as transcendentalism. The group rejected organized religion; they believed one should develop a personal, intuitive relationship with god and nature. By contemplating nature, one could transcend the physical world and unite with the 'Over-Soul,' the true energy of the universe. Along with Emerson, transcendentalism influenced the work of writers Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, and Emily Dickinson.

The transcendentalists championed individualism, which is the practice of independence in thought and action based on the premise that individual character and personality are of the utmost importance. Accordingly, individuals are free to pursue their goals and private desires without taking into consideration the interests of society. This idea greatly shaped America's identity.

From the lone cowboy who seeks vengeance without any regard for the long arm of the law, to someone like Lady Gaga, who pursues success while staying true to her unique creativity and personal style, Emerson believed that diversity enriched society. He encouraged American artists to develop distinctive styles rather than looking to the European past masters of literature, art, and architecture.

Within 'Self-Reliance,' Emerson urged readers to 'trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.' Emerson also suggested children as models of authentic behavior in 'Self-Reliance.' While man was 'clapped into jail by his consciousness,' children were still free with themselves, always genuine and natural. Children were too young to be hesitant. In contrast, adults often became wary of following their true nature.

Emerson encouraged readers of 'Self-Reliance' to resist conforming to societal expectations. He wrote, 'Whoso would be a man, must be a nonconformist.' Emerson believed that man needed to act independently, regardless of if his impulses were deemed good or bad. In fact, he believed it was better to live a true life in obscurity than to be praised for abiding society's standards.

To be clear, Emerson's intent was not for people to become hermits, fenced off from their community with their unique ideas kept in solitude. Unlike his contemporary, Emily Dickinson, who was known for her reclusive tendencies, Emerson argued that independent energy and creativity were essential contributions to society. The transcendentalists stressed the importance of thinking for one's self rather than timidly accepting the common opinion.

Emerson believed that truth was found within, and that this internal truth transcended the knowledge gained from one's senses. In 'Self-Reliance,' he stressed the importance of intuition, which is the ability to understand something from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning.

'Self-Reliance' argued that intuition is the 'the essence of genius, of virtue, of life.' The transcendentalists believed that the universe was guided by an all-encompassing and vital energy called the 'Over-Soul.' When man felt the spark of intuition, he tapped into this 'Over-Soul.' His sudden knowledge had been sent straight from the source. Intuition was the only direct knowledge, according to Emerson. All other knowledge was secondhand.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
self-reliance: ralph waldo emerson's transcendental essay - video & lesson transcript | study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Self-Reliance: Ralph Waldo Emerson's Transcendental Essay - Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ralph Waldo Emerson, an American and poet, was a central figure in the transcendental movement of the mid-19th century. Published in 1841, his essay 'Self-Reliance' introduced the core ideas of transcendentalism to the American public. In many ways, 'Self-Reliance' was a call to arms, inviting Americans to use their personal strengths and talents to foster change.

# data[].attributes.body
The podcast chosen is Walden & the Natural World of Transcendentalism. The podcast is about a tourist visiting the pond where Henry David wrote his first book, will following a dressed up Henry David as his tour guide. Henry David is explaining what Transcendentalism actually is. He tells the tourist to envision transcendentalism as a saw through the sky and the ground. To see it as a split between nature and society. This easily is a great podcast because it implements every form of transcendentalism into one idea.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Walden & the Natural World of Transcendentalism

Henry David Thoreau, our specimen of American genius in nature, wrote famously short, and long. "Simplify," in a one-word sentence of good advice. But then 2- words on 7-thousand pages in his quotable lifetime journal.

It's one of many odd points to notice about Thoreau at his 200 th birthday: that the non-stop writer was equally a man of action, a scientist and a high-flying poet whose imagination saw that "the bluebird carries the sky on his back;" and still a workman with callused hands, at home in the wild, a walker four hours a day on average, in no particular direction. His transcendentalism was all about the blossoming intersection of nature-study introspection, fact idea, detail ideals. In his pine grove, on his river, at his pond, the Thoreau.

N. C. Wyeth (1882-1945) Walden Pond Revisited, 1942

What does a Transcendentalist do, we were asking in the first of three bicentennial Thoreau shows? All the answers are to be found in the canoe trip that became a masterpiece, titled: A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers. What the Transcendentalist does is soar - between water below and sky above; between this day and eternity, between Nature, and human society.

We start our journey at the South Bridge Boat House near Thoreau's house on Main Street in Concord, just upstream from the Concord River itself. A naturalist philosopher in the Thoreau lineage, Alex Strong from Maine, is one of our guides. During our trip down Thoreau's "little Nile", Alex tells us about what the strapping, young 22 year old was learning on his voyage:

He was learning about big-N Nature when he was studying the Perch, studying when flowers bloomed, where the bees were. The notes he took, the meticulous notes, weren't just about the little details; they're about understanding the whole picture and keeping nature sacred while understanding it, in all its finite mundane details.

Next up, the still-water Walden, a pond in Concord, Massachusetts where Henry Thoreau wrote his great book in a cabin by the shore. In 1845 Walden was a woodlot next to the new railway where the 28-year-old poet went to "suck out the marrow of life," whatever it turned out to be. Our guide to the pond and the book, the young philosopher John Kaag had been in and out of the Walden water the other morning before we got there.

Photo by Michael J. Lutch
While we're here, at Walden, we decided to stop and consider the statuesque, very tall, dark-green, almost black, pine trees all around Walden Pond, trees that Thoreau came to consider cousins, virtually human. Richard Higgins, widely traveled in Concord today, has written a book on Thoreau and the Language of Trees, and he has no doubt that Thoreau spoke it fluently, from the heart.

Finally, we conclude with a Thoreauvian meditation on walking. Real walkers are born, not made, Thoreau liked to say. "If you are ready to leave father and mother, and brother and sister, and wife and child and friends, and never see them again, - if you have paid your debts, and made your will, and settled all your affairs, and are a free man, then you are ready for a walk." These days the woods and the bookstores are full of such walkers. e literary traveler Andrew Forsthoefel made his reputation in public radio walking 4000 miles from Philadelphia to San Francisco, with a sign that said "walking to listen" and recording back-road stories. And then there's th Paul Theroux, of Cape Cod and Hawaii, of the Mosquito Coast and The Great Railway Bazaar. He has spent a lifetime on trains, and in kayaks, and a lot of it on his own two feet in China, in our own Deep South and specially in Africa. In our conversation, Theroux extends Thoreau's idea that walking is in-born, into some more than others.
See a full transcript of this show on

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Walden & the Natural World of Transcendentalism

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Henry David Thoreau, our specimen of American genius in nature, wrote famously short, and long. "Simplify," in a one-word sentence of good advice. But then 2- words on 7-thousand pages in his quotable lifetime journal.

# data[].attributes.body
"It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the crowd keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson.

This quote comes straight from emerson's mind. It explains that the greatest man will not live on what he wants and cannot have. Instead, he will live on the absolute essentials for surviving and living in life. However, the quote talks about solitutde, which is also about simplicity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A quote from The Complete Prose Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion; it is easy in solitude to live after our own; but the great man is he who in the midst of the ...

# data[].attributes.body
"The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence."
-Amos Bronson Alcott

Bronson Alcott is trying to teach us the idea of intuition in transcendentalism. He explains that a teacher must understand what he or she is teaching to their students immediately rather than later. If the teacher accomplishes this goal, he or she can influence their students to take on intuition about their own struggles in life. Learning something immediately is extremely beneficial in the real world because it will make you more reliable in tight and stress-full situations.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"The true teacher defends his pupils against his own personal influence. He inspires self-trust. He guides their eyes from himself to the spirit that quickens him. He will have no disciples." - Amos Bronson Alcott quotes from BrainyQuote.com

# data[].attributes.body
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

This quote is emphasizing the point of nonconformity. It explains how an individual should not be controlled by anyone else but himself. According to Emerson, as long as you live a life not being controlled by everyone, you can forever be happy.

# data[].attributes.body
"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself what a wonderful world"
-Louis Armstrong
The song is about appreciating things as they currently are. This fits the transcendentalism because simplicity is the act of accepting what you already have and not worry about what you want. By explaining what a wonderful place the world is, Louis Armstrong truly appreciates his surroundings and doesn't worry about his wants.

# data[].attributes.body
"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day."
-Henry David Thoreau

This quote exemplifies Thoreau's idea on the pureness of the individual (Self-Reliance). He says this quote because living on the bare necessities in life teaches a person to respect him or herself more. Thats why he says going on a nature walk is the best thing for you.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." - Henry David Thoreau quotes from BrainyQuote.com

# data[].attributes.body
"You see, most people think, great God will come from the skies
Take away everything and make everybody feel high
But if you know what life is worth, you will look for yours on earth
And now you see the light, you stand up for your rights"
-Get up, Stand up By Bob Marley
This song explains again, the Oversoul of the world. In this case, God is taking care of the world and telling everyone to stand up for themselves. This is also what Henry was trying to teach to his students before he was put in jail.

# data[].attributes.body
Little darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun
Here comes the sun, and I say
It's all right

-Here comes the Sun by the Beatles
This song is about how the Sun acts as the Oversoul. As it rises into the sky, it makes everyone in the song smile. It tells transcendentalists not to worry about the future or something that could stress you out. It means take the good things out of the bad outcomes. We read this in the Thoreau book when Henry walked with Edward in the huckleberry field.

# data[].attributes.body
This image shows transcendentalism because the man is using the branches to express how simple life can be by connecting with nature. Its almost as if he is conjoining half of himself with nature, in this case the branches, to become more spiritually aware of simplicity.
Also, he could be represented as the oversoul since he is looking down at the branches and into the deep cloud abyss.

# data[].attributes.body
This image represents transcendentalism in multiple forms. In one scenario, The leaves are the oversoul, looking over the valley watching his creation of nature. The next form of transcendentalism in this picture is simplicity. The tree with the hole in the center could also mean that a person is simplifying himself to focus the simple aspects of life by being more connected with nature, which in this case is the hole in the center of the tree.

# data[].attributes.body
This image completely overhauls the idea of the oversoul. The oversoul in this picture identifies as a form of mother nature watching over her animals and plants. This gives the viewer an extremely accurate idea of what a transcendental Oversoul is and how it portrays itself.