The Healing Power of Nature’s Beauty

“Beauty alone is a sovereign remedy against fear, grief, and melancholic fits.” Robert Burton

When my wife, Phyllis, and I were younger, our hikes were all about distance, pace, and destination. But over time our hikes became a journey and the beauty of nature became our pursuit. Wildflowers we once briskly passed over without a glance now captivated us. Time and again, as Phyllis and I explored terrain unfamiliar to us, we would be overtaken by the joy of finding and photographing a new wildflower or waterfall. I vividly recall holding my camera’s view finder to my eye while scanning the landscape of Dolly Sods in Tucker County, and thinking to myself, “This is more beauty than one soul can drink in!” I was enthralled by what I saw. The beauty of nature profoundly moved me. 

Dolly Sods

Long Lasting

But I found that the power of nature’s beauty ran deeper than a momentary thrill or an emotional rush. The soothing power of beauty in nature was long lasting and could be captured in photographs. I noticed this when I started taking prints of my photographs to business meetings that were likely to be long and stressful. Looking at scenes of nature’s beauty kept me calm before the meetings and refreshed me during them. Often the sight of a photo of nature transported me back to the time and place when the image was taken, which was both calming and refreshing. Peace and a pick-me-up, I learned, were embedded in the sight of nature’s beauty. 

Summit Lake

As I pondered the power of beauty in nature, I wondered if it was limited in scope to a few “nature lovers,” so to speak, or was its appeal more universal. To answer this question I turned to Social media.  The results surprised me in a pleasant way. 

A Facebook Survey

To find out if I wasn’t the only one who found comfort in the beauty of nature, I satisfied my curiosity in a non-scientific way by making the following post on my Facebook page called “Ed Rehbein Photography.” 

“I WOULD LIKE YOUR OPINION . . . about the impact on you when seeing beautiful images of nature. If you care to participate, just say in your own words if viewing beauty in nature has a positive, negative, or neutral impact on you... at the moment you see the image and any effects that linger after that.”
About 45 men and women posted their responses. Their answers were uniformly positive. Five themes emerged as I read all the posts and tried to summarize the reactions. 

Snowshoe Mountain

First, many said that looking at beautiful photographs of nature instilled feelings of peace, calmness, and tranquility. Moreover, the quieting effect was not merely momentary. For some people the effect lasted throughout the day. Others mentioned that to refresh the feeling of peace, they revisited the image in their mind’s eye or on their computer screen. 

Second, the images of the beauty of nature stimulated the senses such that the image depicted was experienced vicariously. One person wrote: “You can just hear the waterfalls, the wind in the trees and smell the clean fresh air.” 

Claypool Falls

Third, some said that the beauty of nature relieved stress. Looking at photographs of nature’s beauty could turn around a bad day or offer a window of relief—a momentary lifting of burdens. 

Fourth, images of the beauty of nature stirred pleasant memories. Since I only post photographs of landscapes, waterfalls, and wildflowers of West Virginia on Facebook and my internet sites, West Virginians living out of state were “carried back” so to speak to their home state by looking at these images. Via the images they were able to reconnect to pleasant times and places of their past. 

Germany Valley

Fifth, respondents reported that images of nature’s beauty help them to connect to the Creator of all things and acknowledge His presence and power. The images also stirred feelings of peace, gratitude, thankfulness, and awe. Observing the order and overall design of nature, many drew comfort that a transcendent power was in charge. The following post summarizes some of the feelings expressed by those who answered my Facebook question:

“My sons and I have always been nature lovers with waterfalls being our favorite. I see the images and feel like I'm there--or wish I were. I can almost smell the forest. The feeling lingers and brightens my day. I give them second and third views during the day and save some for future viewings. They make me want to explore more of WV. They give me a peaceful feeling.”

Blackwater Falls

In West Virginia we are blessed with an abundance of natural beauty. I hope we will take every advantage of it to help us lead more peaceful and healthy lives.