Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

It is said, the common characteristics of individuals who live in mountains, near rivers or oceans, in the wilderness and love to spend time in nature overlap with the traits of those who call themselves spiritual. These traits are kindness, peacefulness, compassion, and contentment with what is. These folks do not criticize or judge. They have motivating and kind words for others, and operate with an intention of making the world a better place. 

One may ask, why is this so? What has nature to do with spirituality?

Spirituality relates to people’s emotions and beliefs rather than their thinking or physical self and surroundings. Upon closer analysis six spiritual themes emerge: feeling of connection with something more than oneself, inner vibrancy, presence, joy, gratitude, and compassion. The data shows that those who live in natural settings are impacted significantly because they feel strong connection with the place they live in and feelings of awe and wonderment is eternally present in them.

Awe is an emotion that combines magic, delight and dread. The emotions of terror and  enchantment are integral to nature and religion (and art). When we have aesthetic or spiritual experience three emotions trigger simultaneously—joyfulness, holiness, terror. 

If we are stuck in a daily rut, we rarely experience the sacred; creativity does not stir; original ideas do not emerge. Our ego likes us to stay put and is ready to say no to anything different or audacious. For us to have an awe-some and wonderous experience, something has to shake us up, shatter our unexamined values, question our unanalyzed beliefs. Only when walls of our ego stretch thin, when we die to ourselves and are reborn in the sacred silence of our being, in the stillness of our meditation do we feel delight as well as dread. Then spaciousness surrounds us and kindness stirs within.

Many individuals report feeling connected to the sacred through nature and simultaneously to their inner divinity. Many tell of having intense spiritual experience while in natural beauty. Were you aware that regions with higher levels of natural amenities have lower rates of adherence to religious organizations? Mountains, hills, lakes, beaches, coastlines, forests, with pleasant weather all contribute to the powerful spiritual effects on people’s behavior who live midst them.