Bibliography
1. Gwang-Won, Kim, and Jeong Gwang-Woo. "Functional Neuroanatomy Associated with Natural and Urban
Scenic Views in the Human Brain." Korean Journal of Radiology, 11 Oct. 2010, doi:10.3348/
kjr.2010.11.5.507. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016.
This source was about a research study done by the Chonnam National University Hospital Research Institute of Clinical Medicine in Korea. The study took twenty-eight volunteers and presented them with visual photos of natural versus urban settings. Their brain functions were recorded by an fMRI. The results showed what parts of the brain were more active when observing natural or urban settings. These findings were then related to what type of emotion that part of the brain processes. This was an important resource for my inquiry topic because I was really wanting to know what parts of the brain relate to the emotions that nature connects to. I was connecting nature with the study of the brain and body because I am also interested in anatomy and the workings of the body.
2. https://synapse.koreamed.org/ViewImage.php? Type=F&aid=480456&id=F2&afn=68_KJR_11_5_507&fn=kjr-
This is the link for Figure 1 on the Project tab. You can also access the image’s original source by clicking on it in the webpage. This is an fMRI image of the blood flow to the brain during a study in which the participants were shown natural and urban pictures. The right side of the image (B) shows the parts of the brain that were activated when urban images were shown. These parts of the brain are associated with fear and anxiety. The left side of the image (A) portrays brain activity when shown natural images. These parts of the brain process feelings such as empathy and altruism. One large part of my research goal was to find out what parts of the brain were activated by nature, this image was a valuable source.
3. Harper, Steven. "The Way of Wilderness." 1995. Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind,
edited by Theodore Roszak et al., Sierra Club, 1995, pp. 183-200.
This chapter in Ecopsychology is about nature therapy. The author leads wilderness trips that are intended to reconnect the individuals back to the roots of the earth in a therapeutic method. Harper talks about how wilderness is the teacher on these therapy trips and the goal is to create an attentiveness to nature and our world. Harper’s chapter is relevant to my topic because wilderness therapy is another way that nature is used to help the human body. I, myself find nature as therapeutic even without treating it as a type of therapy. A more relaxed and stress-free body means a healthier body.
4. Richardson, Jill. "The Amazing Ways Nature Can Heal You and Make You Feel at Your Best." Alternet, 23 Dec. 2013, www.alternet.org/environment-studies-show-amazing-ways-nature-boon-your-health. Accessed 6 Dec. 2016.
This article was one I read at the beginning of my research process that gave me a springboard for my project. The article touches on many benefits to nature that gave me ideas of things to further explore. Of these topics was about how nature helps with stress. From this, I went and did more research on stress and how it affects our bodies. Depression, self-esteem, attention span, and cognitive power are some of the benefits this article covered. This article also covered how exercising outdoors is more beneficial than exercising indoors. I was surprised to find that “green exercise” is a term to label this. I drew my idea to dance outdoors partially from this idea of “green exercise.”
5. Mantler, Annemarie, and Alan Logan. "Natural Environments and Mental Health." Advances in
Integrative Medicine, vol. 2, no. 1, 15 Apr. 2015, pp. 5-12,
http://dx.doi.org.librarylink.uncc.edu/10.1016/j.aimed.2015.03.002. Accessed 20 Nov. 2016.
This article was about how evolution has influenced the ways nature affects the human brain. It argues that how we, as humans are attracted to nature today connects back to survival instincts such as finding food, shelter, and care. fMRI evidence of brain function activity was talked about in this journal which lead me to further look into that information in the Korean Journal of Radiology. All of this evidence was supporting research I had previously found, or gave me a new side to look into, such as ecopsychology. Ecopsychology deals more with the emotional connection to nature. Nature has been gaining influence as a therapeutic method.
6. Mayo Clinic Staff. "Chronic Stress Puts Your Health at Risk." Mayo Clinic, 21 Apr. 2016,
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress/art-20046037?pg=1.
Accessed 16 Nov. 2016.
Once I discovered repeated evidence supporting the link of nature and reduced stress, I wanted to learn more about stress hormones. Cortisol, a stress hormone was the focus of this article and how it affects your body. This article also differentiated the effects of adrenaline and cortisol in a stressful event. Adrenaline increases heart rate and blood pressure whereas cortisol increases glucose and alters the immune system. If too much cortisol stays in the system too long, there are several long-term health risks. Knowing this information relates to my inquiry because it deepens the understanding of the importance nature has on reducing stress and how that really works inside the body.
7. Williams, Florence. "This Is Your Brain on Nature." National Geographic, Jan. 2016,
ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/call-to-wild-text. Accessed 16 Nov. 2016.
This article talked about various studies done that presented evidence on how nature positively affects our brains. MRI testing showed that people who observed urban scenes, had an increased blood flow in the amygdala. The amygdala is commonly known for processing fear and anxiety. Volunteers who were shown nature scenes had increased activity in the anterior cingulate and insula which often process emotions such as empathy and altruism. This was a good source because it had information that was validated by other sources I read, thus adding to the validity of my research. It was also useful for my inquiry because it talked about the benefits of walks in nature, such as reduced stress which lead me to further investigate that.
8. Wuertz, Rose. “Triple Falls.” 2016. Photograph.
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I look this photograph on a hike at DuPont State Forest this semester to document the beauty of nature. This photograph is an important source for my project because I have done research about how waterfalls are a location of high negative ion volume. Hiking here and breathing deeply by the waterfalls was a personal way to experience the effects of nature that I was reading about. I was so relaxed and refreshed sitting at the base of the falls. Taking pictures of nature is also relevant to my topic because many studies have shown that even pictures of natural scenes can be good for the body.
9. Wuertz, Rose. “Tea-Light Salt Lamp”. 2016. Photograph.
This is a photograph of a tea-light salt lamp that I got when doing my project this semester. Salt lamps came up in much of my research about negative ions. Salt lamps do not necessarily generate negative ions, but salt is hygroscopic. This means that salt attracts water molecules that carry pollutants in the air. The molecules stick to the salt lamp, rather than floating in the air where you can breathe them in. I have been using this lamp while working on my project to try to see if I can observe any effects. I do notice that the salt lamp is relaxing, but it may be because I find candles relaxing.
10. https://pranaviewaustralia.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/the-power-of-negative-ions-the-ocean-and-bodies-of-
water/
This was another article I read towards the beginning of my research process. Negative ions, how they work, and their benefits were the focus of the article. From this article I used negative ions as a focus for research. Reading this article taught me how negative ions were formed in nature through friction such as waterfalls. I also learned that nature has a much higher concentration of negative ions than indoor settings. This website also had several neat NEV (New Energy Vision) images that showed negative ion concentration near the ocean opposed to a still pond.
11. http://www.andatech.com.au/resource/negative-ions/
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This is the link to Figure 2, found on the Project page. You can also click on the image on the webpage to access the original source.
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12. Forest Sounds at Dusk. Produced by Nature's Music, 2011.
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This is the sound track played in the background of the dance video.
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*All images and photos were taken by me, except for Figure 1 and 2 which are cited in the bibliography.
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