Why Nature Is Great For The Brain + How To Reap Its Mental Benefits, From A Neuroscientist

It's not hard to convince most people that spending time in nature is good for them. Stepping outside after a long day and feeling your shoulders drop, your mind relax, and your breath steady is proof enough.

Beyond giving us space to move, helping us produce vitamin D, and serving as a respite from emails and devices, Willeumier says that nature is healing because of its unique charge.

"The Earth has its own frequency, called a Schumann Resonance, which is about 7.8 Hertz," she said on the podcast.

NASA refers to this frequency, discovered by its namesake physicist Winfried Otto Schumann in the 1950s, as the planet's "atmospheric heartbeat." Caused by the electric currents of lightning interacting with the Earth's atmosphere, there's some early evidence to show that the Schumann Resonance is soothing to the human body.

Proponents of "earthing"—the practice of standing barefoot outside—claim that connecting to this frequency can do everything from ease pain and inflammation1 to lessen cardiovascular risks. 

The mainstream medical field isn't convinced just yet: "Most research is done within the alternative medical world and is not regularly discussed among traditional doctors," Ilene Ruhoy, M.D., Ph.D., previously told mbg. "The consensus is that it's not curative but can be recommended within an integrative plan for mostly preventive but also therapeutic health management."

From a neurological perspective, Willeumier thinks it shows promise for relaxing the fatigued mind. "[Schumann Resonance] puts us into the theta brainwave state," she said. By helping the body ease into this relaxed state, which we also enter when we dream, she believes that nature and its charge can support brain health throughout life.

As for what kind of nature is best for the aging brain, Willeumier said, "It's all created equal." Landscape preference is largely personal, so seeking out whatever environment you have access to—be it a sandy beach, a cactus-clad desert, or a lush forest—will be beneficial.