Summary: Spending time in nature isn’t just a pleasant pastime; it triggers a measurable physiological and neurological “reset” in the brain. A comprehensive review of over 100 brain-imaging studies demonstrates that connecting with the natural world shifts brain activity toward restoration and relaxation.
By synthesizing decades of research, scientists identified a cascading pattern—from eased sensory processing to quieted mental rumination—that explains why even brief encounters with nature are so effective at combating stress and restoring attention.
Key Facts
- The Three-Minute Threshold: As little as three minutes in a natural environment can lead to measurable changes in brain activity, though longer immersion yields stronger, more lasting effects.
- Amygdala Deactivation: Nature exposure moves the body out of “fight-or-flight” mode, specifically reducing activity in the amygdala (the brain’s threat-detection center).
- Sensory Ease: Fractal patterns found in nature (like leaves or waves) are easier for the brain to process than the dense, fast-paced stimuli of urban or digital environments.
- Restorative Attention: Nature allows task-driven attention to rest, shifting the brain into a restorative mode where focus is gently guided by the environment.
- Quieting Rumination: Brain networks linked to repetitive, self-focused thinking become less active in nature, helping to settle “mental clutter.”
Source: McGill University
Spending time in nature, even briefly, triggers changes in the brain that calm stress, restore attention and quiet mental clutter, a new study has found.
Researchers at McGill University and colleagues at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile have examined more than 100 brain-imaging studies from various disciplines. The result is one of the most comprehensive reviews to date of how the brain responds to nature.
The findings add neuroscientific weight to the emerging field of nature connectedness, which seeks to better understand how humans relate to the natural world, an experience long recognized across cultures as central to well-being.
“We know intuitively that nature feels good, but neuroscience gives us a language that lends credibility to shaping decisions about how nature is considered in health policy and the spaces we build,” said co-lead author Mar Estarellas, a postdoctoral researcher in the Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University.
Four signs of a more settled brain
By synthesizing results from a wide range of studies, the researchers identified what they call a cascading pattern in how the brain responds to nature:
- Shift in sensory processing: Fractal patterns in nature are easier for the brain to process and require less mental effort than the fast-paced and visually dense stimuli found in cities or online.
- Stress systems settle: As sensory load eases, the body shifts out of fight-or-flight mode. Heart rate slows, breathing deepens and brain regions involved in threat detection, such as the amygdala, show reduced activity.
- Attention restores itself: With stress reduced, the task-driven attention used in everyday life gives way to a more restorative mode of attention guided by the environment.
- Mental rumination quiets: Brain networks linked to repetitive self-focused thinking become less active, supporting a calmer sense of self.
What counts as ‘being in nature’?
Nature exposure exists along a spectrum, from time spent in parks or near water to full immersion in forests or waterfalls. It also extends to smaller encounters, such as keeping plants at home or looking at pictures of nature.
“As little as three minutes in a natural environment can lead to measurable changes, but more immersive, real-world experiences and longer exposure are generally associated with stronger and longer-lasting effects,” Estarellas said.
Nature as a mental reset
With concerns mounting about excessive screen time, Estarellas said the findings suggest nature offers a kind of mental reset that a digital detox alone can’t provide.
The evidence also supports movements toward green urban design and “social prescribing,” where doctors recommend time in nature.
“There’s also a broader societal impact,” said Estarellas. “Research shows people who feel more connected to nature tend to show more pro-environmental behaviour. Caring for nature and caring for ourselves aren’t separate, they reinforce each other.”
Funding: The study was supported by a grant from Mind & Life Institute.
Key Questions Answered:
A: Exposure exists on a spectrum. While looking at pictures or keeping houseplants can trigger minor positive changes, the study found that full, real-world immersion (like walking in a park or sitting by water) provides the most significant and long-lasting neurological benefits.
A: It’s an powerful tool in the kit. More doctors are now “prescribing” nature as a mental reset. The research shows that nature provides a specific kind of recovery from screen-induced fatigue that a simple digital detox cannot achieve on its own.
A: Because of fractals. Nature is filled with repeating, complex patterns that our brains are evolutionarily designed to process with minimal effort. Urban environments and screens, by contrast, are visually “loud” and force the brain into a constant state of high-alert processing.
Editorial Notes:
- This article was edited by a Neuroscience News editor.
- Journal paper reviewed in full.
- Additional context added by our staff.
About this neuroscience research news
Author: Aurelie Boucher
Source: McGill University
Contact: Aurelie Boucher – McGill University
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of nature exposure” by Constanza Baquedano, Antonia Olguín, Luis Sebastian Contreras-Huerta, Fernando E. Rosas, and Mar Estarellas. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
DOI:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2026.106565
Abstract
Your brain on nature: A scoping review of the neuroscience of nature exposure
The relationship between natural environments and human cognition has gathered increasing attention across disciplines, including neuroscience, environmental psychology, and public health.
An expanding body of empirical evidence supports the notion that exposure to nature consistently promotes psychological and physiological well-being. However, our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying these benefits remains limited.
This scoping review synthesizes experimental findings from neuroimaging studies that have examined the effects of natural stimuli on brain function and cognitive-affective processing.
Across real-world settings, controlled laboratory environments, and virtual reality, convergent neuroimaging findings from EEG, fMRI, fNIRS, and structural MRI indicate that exposure to natural stimuli is reliably associated with (i) acute reductions in activity within stress-related and self-referential circuits, (ii) shifts toward alpha/theta-dominated and more integrated large-scale network states consistent with attentional restoration, and (iii) longer-term macrostructural and white-matter advantages linked to cognition.
While acknowledging heterogeneity, potential confounding, and predominantly correlational designs, these results are starting to delineate candidate neural mechanisms and moderators, which future research should test in preregistered, longitudinal, and mechanistic trials.
These results highlight the potential role of natural environments for promoting mental health, with implications for neuroscience and public policy aimed at cultivating human well-being.
