Nature is a healer. Talking about hiking Nepal is full of flora and fauna which pleases any one’s mind. A research has found that recreated forest like reality with visuals, forest sounds and natural scents it can reduce stress and enhance memory giving the same effect hiking in a forest does to health.
Researchers from the Max Pant Institute for human development and University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf have created a high resolution forest like reality with natural sounds, and scent of Douglas fir essential oils. More than 130 participants were first put actuate stress situation using stress inducing images. The equipped with visual glass they experienced one of the four forest situation bathing variants. The result showed combination of all three sensory stimuli led a significantly greater improvement in mood and stronger feeling of connection with nature compared to when individual in mood and stronger feeling of connection with nature compared to when individual sensory stimuli when presented.
The digital nature experiences can absolutely produce emotional effect even if they do not replace actual nature. With this virtual forest it can benefit places with limited access to nature such as clinics, waiting areas. The images, sounds, and scents of nature offer another potential for such virtual forests and if implemented it can provide another dimension to reducing stress and improving moods. With this effect there can be forest in a home or a room which can be utilized to improving health.
