Selected studies
01
Images of nature reduce sympathetic nervous activity and increase parasympathetic activity (e.g., Gladwell et al., 2012; Brown et al., 2013).
02
Already 30 years ago, Roger S. Ulrich (1979) established that even unspectacular nature scenes have a positive effect on the mood of their viewers. While urban scenes tend to intensify negative emotions, images of nature reduce stress and feelings of fear and induce friendly feelings. (according to Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994).
03
The psychological and physical effects of green scenery indicate stress reduction, even if it is only when looking through a window, viewing slides or posters (Cackowski/Nasar 2003).
04
According to Roger S. Ulrich, even unspectacular nature scenes have a positive effect on the mood of their viewers. Images of beautiful natural landscapes in particular have a calming and relaxing effect (Ulrich 1979 after Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994). Using slide series, Ulrich (Environment and Behavior 1981, p. 523) found that beautiful landscape scenery can lower pulse and blood pressure and, according to EEG measurements, strengthen alpha waves in the human brain, which signal an increased level of relaxation and balance (according to Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994).
05
According to Ulrich et al. (1991), people showed a particularly rapid and complete recovery in terms of skin conductance, muscle tension, blood pressure and pulse after watching nature videos for ten minutes (Health Council 2004, p. 85).
06
According to Roger S. Ulrich, even unspectacular nature scenes have a positive effect on the mood of their viewers. Images of beautiful natural landscapes in particular have a calming and relaxing effect (Ulrich 1979 after Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994). Using slide series, Ulrich (Environment and Behavior 1981, p. 523) found that beautiful landscape scenery can lower the pulse and blood pressure and, according to EEG measurements, strengthen alpha waves in the human brain, which signal an increased level of relaxation and balance (according to Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994).
07
Ulrich et al. (1998) conducted a similar study in Sweden with patients who had undergone open heart surgery. The patients were randomly allocated to three types of hospital rooms: with pictures of water and trees, with abstract art, and with no pictures on the walls. The patients with pictures of nature had less anxiety and less desire for strong painkillers. The highest stress level was associated with abstract art. In another study with Swedish psychiatric patients, Ulrich confronted them with abstract art on the one hand and with images of nature (flowers, beautiful landscapes) on the other. The latter produced more positive effects, the former more negative effects—some normally non-aggressive patients even attacked the pictures (Kellert 2007, Health Council 2004, p. 197).
08
Ulrich et al. (1991) showed in a group of US students who were shown natural and urban landscape views after watching a stressful film that participants who viewed natural landscapes recovered more quickly from stress than those who viewed urban landscapes. They exhibited lower physiological arousal (heart activity, muscle tension, skin conductance) and lower emotional arousal (anxiety, aggression/anger, sadness). Viewing nature also reduces stress in blood donors, drivers, and after strenuous tasks: Ulrich et al. (2003) showed this in 872 blood donors who were shown either a natural or urban landscape video in the waiting room. Those who watched nature had lower pulse rates (Abraham et al. 2007).
09
Based on the effects of different natural scenes on the human psyche, Karmazin-Kakowski (1981) developed the concept of a neuro-somatic sanatorium for the treatment of various illnesses (primarily neuroses). Nature is used as a medium of vision and movement with both stimulating and sedative objectives. This can be seen as a generalisation of the previously unsystematic attempts to use landscape as a therapeutic factor, a step toward independent landscape therapy alongside physiotherapy and climatotherapy (according to Greschkowitz 1991).
10
After viewing slides with different nature scenes, Ulrich (1979) found a reduction in negative feelings in favour of positive ones. In contrast, feelings of sadness were significantly increased by slides with urban scenes (Health Council 2004, p. 842). Hartig et al. (1996) observed a similar effect, but also a parallel increase in sadness. In a second study, all viewers of nature slides showed positive values in all subscales of a “Mood Adjective Checklist” (Health Council 2004, p. 79).
11
According to Roger S. Ulrich, even unspectacular nature scenes have a positive effect on the mood of their viewers. Above all, pictures of beautiful natural landscapes have a calming and relaxing effect (Ulrich 1979 after Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994). Using slide series, Ulrich (Environment and Behavior 1981, p. 523) found that beautiful landscape scenery can lower pulse and blood pressure and, according to EEG measurements, increase alpha waves in the human brain, which signal an increased level of relaxation and balance (according to Knopf 1987, Saum-Aldehoff 1993, Gebhard 1994).
Browning, M. H. E. M., et al. (2020). An actual natural setting improves mood better than its virtual counterpart: A meta-analysis of experimental data. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2200.
Frost, S., et al. (2022). Virtual immersion in nature and psychological well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 81, 101795.
Spano, G., et al. (2023). Virtual nature, psychological and psychophysiological outcomes: A systematic review. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 87, 101974.
Hubbard, G., et al. (2025). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of virtual nature and mental health. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 17(2), e70060.
McMahan, E. A., & Estes, D. (2015). The effect of contact with natural environments on positive and negative affect: A meta-analysis. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 10(6), 507–519.
Ohly, H., et al. (2016). Attention Restoration Theory: A systematic review. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 19(7), 305–343.
Fan, L., et al. (2024). The effects of digital nature and actual nature on stress reduction: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Health Psychology Open.
Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental Research, 166, 628–637. (context: nature contact in general)
Roberts, H., et al. (2019). The effect of short-term exposure to the natural environment on depressive mood: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preprint.
Ulrich, R. S. (1984). View through a window may influence recovery from surgery. Science, 224(4647), 420–421.
Nanda, U., Eisen, S., Zadeh, R. S., & Owen, D. (2011). Effect of visual art on patient anxiety and agitation in a mental health facility. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 18(5), 386–393.
Nanda, U., Chanaud, C., Nelson, M., Zhu, X., Bajema, R., & Jansen, B. H. (2012). Impact of visual art on patient behavior in the emergency department waiting room. Journal of Emergency Medicine, 43(1), 172–181.
Monti, F., et al. (2012). Pictorial intervention in a pediatric hospital environment. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 32(2), 158–169.
Fudickar, A. (2021). Evidence-based art in the hospital. (overview article, in German).
Ulrich, R. S., et al. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11, 201–230.
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212. (Study 2: photographs)
Brown, D. K., et al. (2013). Viewing nature scenes positively affects recovery of autonomic function following a stressor. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(10), 3757–3771.
Grassini, S., et al. (2019). Processing of natural scenery is associated with lower EEG alpha activity than urban scenes. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 64, 54–63.
Grassini, S., et al. (2022). Watching nature videos promotes physiological restoration (including EEG/HRV). Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 866213.
Rhee, J.-H., et al. (2023). Effects of nature on restorative and cognitive benefits in indoor environments (including EEG). Scientific Reports, 13, 14738.
Benz, A. B. E., et al. (2022). Nature-based relaxation videos and heart rate variability. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 866682.
Kumpulainen, S., et al. (2024). VR nature increases HRV and reduces heart rate (cross-over). Journal of Environmental Psychology, 90, 102146.
McDonnell, A. S., et al. (2025). Nature images are more visually engaging than urban images (EEG). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 19, 1575102.
Mizumoto, T., et al. (2025). Physiological adjustment effects of viewing natural images on HRV in depression/anxiety (RCT/secondary analysis). Scientific Reports, 15, 681– (online).
Koivisto, M., et al. (2024). The restorative effects of mental imagery of nature (including HRV). Journal of Environmental Psychology, 89, 102132.
Steininger, M. O., et al. (2025). Nature exposure induces analgesic effects by acting on nociception-related neural processing. Nature Communications, 16, 2037. (fMRI; reduced pain and decreased somatosensory activation when viewing nature videos)
Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The Experience of Nature: A Psychological Perspective. Cambridge University Press.
Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 15(3), 169–182.
Ulrich, R. S. (1983). Aesthetic and affective response to natural environment. In I. Altman & J. F. Wohlwill (Eds.), Human Behavior and Environment, Vol. 6 (pp. 85–125). Plenum.
