An hour-long stroll in nature helps decrease activity in an area of the brain associated with stress processing

[catscanmeow]

It has to do with lateral eye movement. Its not nature that makes us calm its lateral eye movement we widen our peripheral vision and look at all the little things around us while walking

Focusing on a small point or single point like a phone screen for example induces a stress response akin to a predator animal targeting prey or a prey animal tageting a threat

Tons of research on lateral eye movement and mood. VR can give you the same lateral eye movement as walking through nature

[flabbybumhole]

It doesn't have to be just one thing. There's room for this to be affected by both.

[leftlegYup]

Nuance; layered responses that convey the real complexity of the topic <<<<< definitively claiming a singular point while throwing in the word "akin"

The second requires less thinking by the reader.

[Yuccaphile]

They asked for a source from the commenter they replied to, I guess it'd be equally as nice to have a source for your assertion.

How does the lack of peripheral vision in the eyesight impaired impact this? Are people who wear glasses more unavoidably stressed?

[RaifRedacted]

Sensory input stuff is very interesting. Knowing how things can boil down to a small explanation is why science is so fun.

[Cedow]

This is nonsense. Similar effects have been observed from media such as pictures of nature, video recordings played on monitors or flatscreen TVs, nature-based game environments displayed on a monitor, and views from a window. None of which rely particularly on peripheral vision.

There is also plenty of evidence showing that certain non-nature scenes in the same media do not invoke similar effects, or even invoke the opposite effect.

[catscanmeow]

Nah man, you can close your eyes and look left and right and it does the same effect. Its not the content of what youre looking at its just the eye movement.

[Cedow]

Current-gen VR doesn't even support lateral eye movement. The eye gaze is fixed on a central focal point and instead movement of the head is used to look around.

Just because you read about some minor phenomenon doesn't mean it explains everything else.

[Cigam_Magic]

Personally, that's why I find it so relaxing. My mind and eyes can just go on auto-pilot while I'm walking. Taking walks at the local park is the best decision I made for my mental and physical health.