Spirituality and Well-Being: Theory, Science, and the Nature Connection

Ryff, Carol D.

doi:10.3390/rel12110914

Cited by 18 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Connecting to nature has well-established therapeutic benefits. For instance, exercising in the countryside improves mood [ 9 ], gardening promotes stress recovery [ 10 ], and immersing oneself in nature through activities such as “forest bathing” offers benefits to both mind and body [ 11 ] and can promote feelings of awe, wonder, and spiritual well-being [ 11 , 12 ]. Notably, studies have shown that exposure to specific elements of nature (eg, auditory and visual cues) can also be beneficial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Investigation of Virtual Reality Nature Experiences in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Chin¹,

Cavadino²,

Akroyd³

et al. 2022

JMIR Cancer

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Background Connection with nature has well-established physical and psychological benefits. However, women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) are often unable to access nature because of physical limitations, psychological barriers, and treatment demands. Virtual reality (VR) nature experiences offer an alternative means of connecting with nature and may be of particular benefit to patients with cancer who are house- or hospital-bound. Objective This study aims to explore whether VR nature experiences are associated with physical and psychological benefits for women with MBC who are disconnected with nature. Methods This secondary analysis of a previous randomized controlled crossover trial recruited participants from the emailing lists of breast cancer support organizations. Participants were provided VR headsets for daily use in their homes for over 3 weeks. In the first week, participants used 1 of 2 VR nature experiences (Ripple or Happy Place) daily, followed by a 1-week washout period, before using the other VR experience every day for the final week. Outcomes assessed changes between baseline and postintervention scores in quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), pain (Brief Pain Inventory Short Form), fatigue (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-fatigue), depression (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-depression), anxiety (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-anxiety), and spiritual well-being (Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy- Spiritual Well-being) and investigated whether benefits were greater in participants who were not strongly connected with nature at baseline. Results A total of 38 women with MBC completed the VR interventions and were included in the analyses. Participants reported significantly less fatigue (P=.001), less depression (P<.001), and greater quality of life (P=.02) following the interventions than at baseline. Women with a weaker connection to nature reported greater fatigue (P=.03), depression (P=.006), and anxiety (P=.001), and poorer spirituality (P=.004) than their strongly connected counterparts. Only those with a weaker baseline connection with nature showed improvements in depression following the intervention (P=.03), with similar trends observed in fatigue (P=.07) and quality of life (P=.10). Conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that feeling connected with nature is associated with better physical and psychological status in patients with MBC and that VR nature interventions might be beneficial for this clinical population. Future studies should focus on activities that encourage connection with nature (rather than simply exposure to nature) and investigate the aspects of VR nature interventions that have the greatest therapeutic potential. Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12619001480178; https://tinyurl.com/et6z3vac

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Investigation of Virtual Reality Nature Experiences in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Chin¹,

Cavadino²,

Akroyd³

et al. 2022

JMIR Cancer

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“…Here, a change toward new ways of being self-aware and aware of developing values takes place in the subthemes of spirituality, virtues, personal growth, relation to nature, and holism. The findings add empiric knowledge to the value of wilderness experiences for the development of spiritual well-being ( Ryff, 2021 ). These findings also make sense to earlier research on aesthetic nature experience, where a two-factor model suggested a difference between beauty and the sublime ( Graves et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Following Ryff (2021) , the centrality of nature in understanding deeper meanings for what our souls need is critical for our individual and planet’s well-being. Thus, studies of spirituality within wilderness experiences are at the heart of understanding eudaimonia.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is a deep connection between spirituality and well-being, which is only rarely discussed in the well-being literature. Referring to Ryff (2013 , p. 2), a fundamental question is whether spirituality is best formulated as something that constitutes part of what defines well-being or is better construed as a separate realm that influences aspects of well-being. Living a life of purpose and experiencing personal growth in the wilderness over time could be investigated as well-being and spiritual matters.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Awe experiences, the sublime, and spiritual well-being in Arctic wilderness

Løvoll

Sæther

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Experiences of awe can carry the potential for life-transforming experiences and foster awareness of nature as a lifelong value. How these experiences emerge was investigated empirically in a pristine natural environment and analyzed informed by a bottom-up perspective with an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental aesthetics and positive psychology. A group of Arctic nature guide students (n = 34) was followed on an 8-day advanced glacier course with additional learning topics related to the Arctic landscape and history, wildlife, and how to protect a wilderness camp from polar bear attacks. After this experience, students were invited to participate in the research project and were asked to reflect on their experiences immediately after their return to civilization. Two narratives each from 27 participants were collected, which provided 54 quotations for interpretation. Reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) surfaced three main themes: context, human response to encounters with nature, and transformation. The study of awe brings the tension between spirituality and well-being closer. The findings add empirical knowledge to the understanding of the contexts for these highly affective and complex feelings. The findings also add refined knowledge about the relationship between awe and the sublime. In transformation for human well-being, the role of self-knowledge or self-transcendence surfaced by wilderness experiences should not be underestimated.

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“…Nature is powerfully present in the visual arts and music as well and has been throughout human history. I have recently covered these topics elsewhere, including nature’s role in nurturing the human spirit ( Ryff, 2021b ) and here highlight some of that work. My overall messages are that those interested in understanding influences that nurture good lives as well as a concern for our planet need to bring encounters with nature into their scientific studies, including interventions designed to promote diverse aspects of well-being and health.…”

Section: Looking Forward: Suggested New Directions For Positive Psych...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive Psychology: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Ryff

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Envisioning the future of positive psychology (PP) requires looking at its past. To that end, I first review prior critiques of PP to underscore that certain early problems have persisted over time. I then selectively examine recent research to illustrate progress in certain areas as well as draw attention to recurrent problems. Key among them is promulgation of poorly constructed measures of well-being and reliance on homogeneous, privileged research samples. Another concern is the commercialization of PP, which points to the need for greater oversight and quality control in profit-seeking endeavors. Looking ahead, I advocate for future science tied to contemporary challenges, particularly ever-widening inequality and the pandemic. These constitute intersecting catastrophes that need scientific attention. Such problems bring into focus “neglected negatives” that may be fueling current difficulties, including greed, indifference, and stupidity. Anger, which defies easy characterization as positive or negative, also warrants greater scientific study. Going forward I advocate for greater study of domains that likely nurture good lives and just societies – namely, participation in the arts and encounters with nature, both currently under study. Overall, my entreaty to PP is to reckon with persistent problems from its past, while striving toward a future that is societally relevant and virtuous.

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Spirituality and Well-Being: Theory, Science, and the Nature Connection

Cited by 18 publications

References 56 publications

An Investigation of Virtual Reality Nature Experiences in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

An Investigation of Virtual Reality Nature Experiences in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Awe experiences, the sublime, and spiritual well-being in Arctic wilderness

Positive Psychology: Looking Back and Looking Forward

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