Written by Lana Popovic

We are well aware of the massive positive impact that planting trees has both on our environment and our physical well-being. So, I’d like to talk about less commonly explored side effects – the impact of planting trees on our mind, our mental health, and even on our perception of reality.

Our immediate surroundings directly impact our inner state, just as our mental state affects our physical domain. When we are emotionally depleted or depressed, our living space is likely to be cluttered and disorganized. It is pretty clear that our physical environment is an extension of ourselves. Additionally, phenomena we witness in our world correspond to events taking place within our own minds.

It is no coincidence that growing reports of global mental health deterioration in modern times reflect the increasing and alarming destruction of our natural habitat and its wildlife.

Deforestation continues to increase year by year, being a serious threat to wildlife and local communities, and aggravating climate change.

In this article, I will attempt to demonstrate this interconnectedness of individual and collective consciousness and external reality using the age-old philosophical axiom, while also supporting the same with scientific findings in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and physics. But first, let us look at the results of some studies regarding the positive psychological effects of spending time in nature.

ENVIRONMENT AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING

It is common knowledge that spending time in nature is an easy way to decompress, heal, and get uplifted. Studies have shown that spending time in green spaces with trees can reduce blood pressure and lower stress hormone (cortisol) levels, thereby reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, it can improve mood and concentration, increase productivity, and enhance cognitive functioning. A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that individuals who spent time in natural settings reported feelings of positivity and a more optimistic outlook compared to those who spent time in urban settings.

Gardening is benefitial in a myriad of ways; apart from connecting us to natural elements , it can bring us closer to our community.

In 1980s Japan, a new concept emerged called Shinrin-yoku, translated as “Forest Bathing”. It is defined as making contact with and taking in the atmosphere of the forest. It is a physiological and psychological practice that was developed to accomplish two goals: to create an antidote to tech burnout and to inspire people to connect with and protect the country’s green spaces.

Forest bathing is an open-ended practice, wherein practitioners tune into the sensory experience in the present moment while engaging with the sights, smells, sounds, and sensations in their environment. The experience always varies depending on location. For example, in Hawaii, it might involve enjoying the abundance of exotic aromatic flowers, while taking in the salty breeze of the ocean, while in Kenya the focus might be on its indigenous plants and wild orchids, while observing unique animal life, such as elephants and monkeys.

Through Forest Bathing, participants shift from being mere observers to suddenly becoming one with the natural habitat, automatically bringing them into equilibrium and yielding substantial benefits to the body-mind.

Witnessing oneself as being directly embedded into the ecosystem places the person in tune with reality, perceiving that which is true and valid, which automatically gives rise to wholesome, balanced and optimal state of being.

Even if we don’t realise this, human beings are just another natural element. As such, we need to connect and be in touch with Nature in order to be healthy and happy.

“AS WITHIN, SO WITHOUT. AS ABOVE, SO BELOW”

The concept that there is a connection between the inner state and outer reality is also expressed in an age-old philosophical axiom attributed to Hermes Trismegistus (“Hermes Trice-Great”), a legendary Hellenistic figure, a syncretism of the Greek god Hermes and Ancient Egyptian God Thoth, both associated with wisdom, writing, and esoteric knowledge. In reality, rather than a single individual, Hermes Trismegistus might have been a pseudonym for several different authors and philosophers, which was common practice throughout history, such as was the case also with Lao Tzu, Homer, and others.

The axiom in question states: “As above, so below. As within, so without.” and it is a portion of the Hermetic text known as The Emerald Tablet believed to have originated between the 1st and 3rd century AD. This text was highly regarded by medieval and Renaissance alchemists whose aim was the so-called “transmutation of lead into gold”, a symbolical reference for transforming the mind of ignorance into spiritual potential.

The phrase suggests a correspondence between the microcosm – the small, individual, or internal (referring to humans) and the macrocosm – the large, universal, or external (referring to the Universe). The phrase implies that what happens on a small scale necessarily mirrors that which takes place on a large scale; and that whatever happens internally in the body-mind of individuals, necessarily reflects phenomena in nature – and vice versa.

For instance, nature’s changing seasons are reflected in our own inner seasons – psychological shifts. “Winter blues” and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) are terms used to describe seasonal mood variations that some people experience during winter months, characterized by feelings of sadness, lethargy, and general lack of energy, thus reflecting withering, death, and dormancy in nature among plants and animals during winter months.

On the physical level, if we observe an iris of the human eye, we can see that it closely resembles Nebulas in outer space. Similarly, the network of neurons in our brain reflects a network of galaxies. This, however, is not just a curious coincidence. The astrophysicist Franco Vazza and neurosurgeon Alberto Feletti, published a study in “Frontiers in Physics”, showing that the human brain and the structure of the universe are two most complex systems in nature that actually share structural similarities.

PSYCHOLOGY OF PERCEPTION

Psychology further supports the idea that what is witnessed externally is necessarily a reflection of that which resides within the mind of an observer. On some level, we already know this, as indicated by the old and common idiom “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” which emphasizes that perception of beauty is not objective, as it may seem, but is rather completely subjective and usually influenced by cultural, social, individual and other factors.

Thus, the Hermetic axiom reflects psychological findings about human perception of phenomena, which are also consistent with Tibetan Buddhist philosophy – that the manner in which the world and reality appear to us is completely dependent upon who we are inside. In other words, it is based on our personal interpretation, which, while valid for us, is not at all objective, but is rather pre-programmed by countless causes, such as our history, upbringing, biases, culture, background, times we live in, etc., as well as our day-to-day choices – such as the kinds of thoughts we actively cultivate, how we choose to act, speak and relate to others. All of these factors, coupled with our unconscious tendencies, compel us to interpret and give meaning to raw data collected by our sense organs.

It is helpful to note that we can never see something in others that is not already, on some level and to some extent, present in ourselves. This concept comes from many different sources and theories relating to perception and cognition.

For instance, in the work of Carl Gustav Jung, a well-known psychotherapist and psychoanalyst, we learn about the Shadow – a collection of human traits, tendencies, and attributes, existing in each of us, that are at odds with acceptable norms of our family, society and culture. As a result, our self-protective Ego mechanism banishes these aspects of ourselves from our conscious awareness and ships them off into the darkness of the unconscious. This however does not make them go away. Rather, these parts and unfulfilled needs continue to exert hidden influence, affecting our perceptions and beliefs, hijacking our motivations, actions, etc.

One of the things Shadow causes us to do is negatively fixate on problematic tendencies and behaviors of others, which also exist in ourselves (usually to a much lesser extent), but that we are not consciously aware of. This causes us then to condemn and judge others, and usually get angry and righteous, which enables us to distance ourselves from such traits, meanwhile freeing us from the burden of taking any responsibility for what we see. All this makes us blissfully unaware that other humans, as well as situations, are mirrors reflecting aspects of our mind back to ourselves.

This is one example of how projections work. We project our internal reality onto external phenomena and then believe that what we see is separate from us and objective, rather than interconnected and subjective.

Whenever we behold objects of our senses – sounds, sights, tastes, smells, sensations – this data goes through countless filters before making a final impression on our consciousness. A simple proof of projection is that a hundred people can witness a single phenomenon and have a hundred uniquely different impressions. Or, one and the same individual may dislike something or someone that, just a year before, appeared appealing. Our perception changes from moment to moment, based on so many factors, such as context, mood, passage of time, physical and social environment, etc.

Another example to support the claim of the Hermetic axiom, and the concept of mind-environment interdependence, is the double-slit experiment in the field of modern physics, which demonstrates that the mere act of observing affects the outcome of that which is observed.

Virtually every discipline, from philosophy and spirituality to psychology and physics, demonstrates the multi-level interconnectedness between the mental/energetic/non-physical and the material. Pondering all of the above-stated examples, the relationship between the mind and matter is pretty much indisputable.

CONCLUSION

Considering this connection between the state of human beings within, and the nature without, between microcosm and macrocosm, it becomes obvious that taking the initiative to care for our external environment and invest in the health of the planet ripples through our being, immediately affecting not only our physical health but our mind and perception.

Studies show that women who described their living spaces as cluttered and disorganized were more likely to be depressed and fatigued, as opposed to those who described their homes as restful and restorative. Cleaning and organizing has been shown to be highly therapeutic, alleviating stress, improving mood, and contributing to overall happiness.

In the same way, taking care of our environment, our home on a greater scale, along with its trees and forests which are in fact our external lungs, is not any different from taking care of our own well-being.

It is extremely easy to spot the problems “out there”, to pinpoint the trouble-makers who actively participate in environmental destruction, and to get caught up in disempowerment and blame. But in reality, we are not free from responsibility if we ourselves don’t take the initiative to do whatever is in our power to tip the scales in the other direction. Certainly, we would be considered silly if we, upon getting news of lung cancer, were to spend our precious time and energy blaming tobacco companies, or remain frozen in apathy due to fear and anxiety of what’s to come. Of course, we would take the initiative to go to a doctor and seek help. In the same way, it is then logical for us to step up to heal our macrocosm, our external domain, the very extension of not only our own mind and body, but also that of our children, parents, friends, and other fellow sentient beings. And of course, that includes encouraging others to join in our efforts.

Witnessing ourselves take action to improve what appears to be a very distressing ecological reality will make us feel empowered while joining a community and uniting to make a difference will most certainly bring a more optimistic visage of what is possible. It is most inspiring to witness how one person’s vision and initiative resulted in 3.5 million trees being planted within 5 years, empowering and uniting hearts and minds across the globe. This single accomplishment speaks volumes to me about the content and quality of Ösel Hita’s mind.

Planting trees is no different from planting seeds in our own mind-stream, which will inevitably ripen as effects, bearing fruit of love, optimism, empowerment, and growth.

I wish to express heartfelt gratitude to our founder Ösel Hita and the entire GTI family for all of your offerings of service, resources, time, and energy. It is through our combined efforts that we can collectively change both our inner and outer reality.

Ocean of Love,

Lana Popovic

“In the same way, taking care of our environment, our home on a greater scale, along with its trees and forests which are in fact our external lungs, is not any different from taking care of our own well-being.”