Outside Reading- Healing Landscapes -- Jessica Schwier

Carl Hild, in "Places and States of Mind for Healing," writes about looking at sacred places from a research perspective. The experiment discovered that people detect differences in our environment and that these landscapes can evoke specific feelings for them. These places evoke a sense of calmness and tranquility for patients, and can be used to help improve health and well-being. These people reported having spiritual experiences at these places and would continue to return in order to feel better about themselves. These places allowed them to clear their minds and to meditate on feelings they had been having. The author discusses how this is similar to ancient times when certain religious groups would worship in particular places because they evoked similar feelings. They would return every year and practice the same rituals in order to keep traditions alive. This was a very interesting article and it helped me again to see how people react to different landscapes. It also proves how different people enjoy experiences at different landscapes. For example, one person may favor a particular spot over another's sacred place.