Human beings have an innate preference for nature environments because of its survival value provided to our ancestors.

This includes water and food obtained from plants and animals, as well as the protection from natural disasters and wars provided by landscapes.  Humans tend to feel safe and satisfied in nature because of this history.

Scholars have proposed that conscious processes are not necessary or required to soothe emotions in nature. Thus, affective reactions to environments may occur at a preconscious level and may subsequently impact cognitive processes without tapping into an individual’s conscious knowledge or thinking.

Directed attention

Human attention can be divided into directed attention and spontaneous attention. Directed attention is activated when the individual is required to concentrate and focus on a specific stimulus.

This intentional process requires a conscious effort.  Under prolonged use, attention may be depleted and can cause directed attention fatigue.  This directed attention is analogous to the top-down attention system, which contrasts greatly with the bottom-up attention system

Spontaneous Attention

In nature our attention is captured by soft fascination while our executive functioning is inactive.  That’s why exposure to nature helps reduce attentional fatigue and enhances cognitive functioning and positive affect.

Excessive external information exhausted us

Modern society is dense, highly mobile, and high-tech.  Human are required to multi-task, which can be fast and complicated.  Our brains and physiological systems have an evolutionary lag compared to our technology, resulting in excessive external demands that easily exhaust us.

Nature makes us relax

Biochemicals in nature also help us to relax in nature. 

Phytoncides with antibacterial and antifungal qualities released by plants can reduce the release of cortisol and can activate the parasympathetic system.  This, in turn, slows down our breathing, relaxes our muscles, and lowers our heart rate, kicking off a relaxation of our bodily state. 

The negative ions that result from photosynthesis and the rubbing of water molecules (such as rain, running water, and waterfalls) improve production of serotonin and improves mood.  Vitamin D deficiencies that result in depressed moods can be restored by sunbathing in nature