I was listening to On Being with Krista Tippett as she interviewed Immunologist Esther Sternberg about "the scientific research revealing how physical spaces create stress and make us sick — and how good design can trigger our "brain’s internal pharmacies" and help heal us." Ms. Sternberg doesn't like to use the word placebo since it is more associated with a sham treatment than as being a control in medical experiments for the act of testing a medicine. The positive meaning of the word is that effect that amplifies the healing pathways in the brain. Life is a constant process of healing so this positive quality can be used to enhance the processes that are constantly going on in our body. Our bodies are constantly repairing themselves (both physically and emotionally) against the insults they are subjected to. Disease is when the repair can not keep up with the damage.
Ms. Sternberg said "things like meditation and yoga and prayer ... help amplify these pathways in the brain that we know ultimately can help the immune system do its job to heal." I have heard this elsewhere and have found a measurable difference in my well being with yoga. The natural and built environment also has an effect. They mentioned cathedrals and labyrinths in contrast to a stressful maze. One local hospital is a good example of how the various additions have turned the building into a giant maze with confusing passage ways where monster machines might be lurking. I have thought that if I had to spend time in a hospital, I would want to be able to look out a window and if I was able, to walk in a garden area. Modern hospitals are realizing the importance of this and attempting to design in a way that helps patients heal as they are treated with medicines and procedures.
There was a little bit about the role of religious structures and scenic views. I have heard comparisons regarding the inside of cathedrals and other churches being being designed to give the same sense as being in the midst of a forest of tall trees. Certainly that is the feeling I get walking through the redwoods. The following part of the interview provided some perspective on that feeling of transcendence that I treasure.
Ms. Tippett: There is a phrase that especially occurs in Celtic spirituality: thin places. I don't know if you've ever heard that.
Ms. Sternberg: Yes.
Ms. Tippett: The idea is, well, a lot of people would think of cathedrals as thin places or, you know, green pastures, still waters. Um, being in a place where — and this is the way some people will say it — it feels like the veil between heaven and earth has worn thin, where there's a sense of being, you know, planted in the earth and yet also having some kind of almost physical sense of transcendence. I just wonder how you react to that, knowing what you know.
Ms. Sternberg: Well, I react to that. I have heard of that notion and I am actually very interested in exploring what is it about such places, about beautiful vistas of mountains, about the infinite horizon of the ocean. What is it that makes you feel that way about a cathedral? There are certainly physiological and neuroscientific bases to that feeling, that sense of awe. And I am convinced — I know — that these things can be measured and that's the exciting new frontier for me, to ask exactly that question: What is it that makes one feel transcendent and is the environment something that we can consciously manipulate to find those feelings of transcendence? You know, if we're so grounded in clay is there a way to at times, by simply going to a different place, achieve that sense of awe and transcendence?They also discussed how people can go to an internal place to assist their healing and well-being as well as the importance of social support in healing. So my Big Idea today is how I can see this theme throughout my life. In other words, many of my desires and actions can be explained as sensing this need, seeking a way to experience a healing environment, and in some, perhaps small way, finding a measure of fulfillment.
I smile at the last sentence since I can't help thinking how I failed in many of those attempts, let other people down, or wandered off the path. That is the human journey though, so I forgive myself with the understanding that this realization will make me less likely to make the same mistakes in the future. I will also be more aware of healthy ways of responding to this desire and avoiding negative consequences for myself and others.
What are some examples? Gardening both edible and attempts at making beautiful landscapes. Riding my bicycle on long meandering trips. Rambling walks while exploring both the natural and the built environment (a forest trail or a path within a city). Visiting places of natural beauty such as national and state parks (nature walks and hikes with overnight camping). Riding trains and public transit (exploring by looking out the window while traveling). Reading, especially books about nature, spirituality, or biographies. I would also include religious retreats of various kinds with time for reflection: Christian and Buddhist including a week-long with Matthew Fox.
I would love my backyard garden to be a place of retreat and hospitality. I can see this as being a life-long quest that I was only vaguely aware of. My early desire to live in a rural area always imagined the happy farmer having a peaceful life amidst plants. This Utopian vision was very strong in my years after college. I can see the roots of that early quest.
The emphasis in this post has been on the visual but they also mentioned smell. They talk about the value in the ancient world of aromatic resins; myrrh and frankincense. The word for the latter apparently coming from the ancient french for incense of the highest quality.
That is my inspiration and insight for today.
