The human in the wilderness: “Between every two pine trees there is a door leading to a new way of life.” – John Muir

The human in the wilderness

Bengtsson, Amalie Wærum Hauge

4. term

Psychology, Master

2023

2023-08-07

61

This theoretical thesis examines how existing theories and empirical findings explain the impact of nature on psychological well-being. Well-being is understood through Carol Ryff's multifaceted, eudaimonic concept of human flourishing. Using a critical realist approach, the thesis brings together perspectives across three levels of reality to build a comprehensive understanding. It first reviews the human-nature relationship from evolutionary viewpoints, ecopsychology, environmental psychology, and Cronon's critical approach. These perspectives help account for biological, cognitive, and developmental benefits of nature, such as stress recovery and cognitive restoration, but they can be limited when they rely on simple, essentialist explanations. To address these limits, the thesis explores subjective dimensions emphasized in ecopsychology, including nature connectedness and transpersonal experiences. The review also identifies a gap: the need to consider both positive and negative implications of nature contact for well-being. A concluding discussion compares different definitions of both psychological well-being and nature and reflects on their ontological and epistemological implications. Overall, the relationship between nature and well-being is nuanced and multi-layered. Nature can support restoration and evoke deep sensory, embodied, emotional, and spiritual experiences that strengthen people's felt connection to nature and promote well-being. At the same time, nature is also shaped by social constructions: cultural, societal, economic, and personal factors influence how nature is perceived, preferred, and accessed, which in turn affects its impact on well-being.

Dette teoretiske speciale undersøger, hvordan eksisterende teorier og empiriske fund forklarer, at naturen påvirker psykologisk trivsel. Trivsel forstås med afsæt i Carol Ryffs flerfacetterede, eudaimoniske begreb om menneskelig blomstring. Med en kritisk-realistisk tilgang sammenstilles perspektiver på tværs af tre ontologiske niveauer for at skabe en helhedsforståelse. Specialet gennemgår først forholdet mellem menneske og natur ud fra evolutionsperspektiver, økopsykologi, miljøpsykologi og Cronons kritiske tilgang. Disse perspektiver belyser biologiske, kognitive og udviklingsmæssige gevinster ved natur, såsom stressdæmpning og kognitiv restitution, men forklaringerne bliver begrænsede, når de hviler på enkle, essentialistiske antagelser. For at imødegå disse begrænsninger undersøges subjektive dimensioner, som vægtes i økopsykologien, herunder naturforbundethed og transpersonelle oplevelser. Gennemgangen peger også på et vigtigt hul: behovet for at behandle både positive og negative implikationer af naturkontakt for trivsel. Afslutningsvis sammenlignes forskellige forståelser af både psykologisk trivsel og natur, og deres ontologiske og epistemologiske konsekvenser diskuteres. Overordnet er relationen mellem natur og trivsel nuanceret og flerlaget. Natur kan understøtte restitution og fremkalde dybe sanselige, kropslige, følelsesmæssige og spirituelle erfaringer, der styrker menneskers oplevede forbundethed med naturen og fremmer trivsel. Samtidig er natur også præget af sociale konstruktioner: kulturelle, samfundsmæssige, økonomiske og personlige forhold former, hvordan naturen opfattes, foretrækkes og er tilgængelig, hvilket igen påvirker dens betydning for trivsel.

[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]

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