Blue Mind

A friend recently told me about dreaming of water and waking up blissfully refreshed. Now, you should know that I am a committed desert rat and landlubber who doesn’t trust big bodies of water and prefers not to be wet. And yet I have spent many a rainy day in the desert sitting mesmerized and deeply calmed by the sight and sound of water running down a temporary waterfall or crashing over boulders in a raging seasonal stream. I have sat at beaches watching waves rolling in and out, feeling completely at peace. I wanted to understand this effect of water on the brain, and that is how I learned about “Blue Mind”.

“Blue Mind Theory” is the idea that being in or near water puts us into a semi-meditative state positively affecting our minds and bodies, “characterized by a sense of general happiness and satisfaction with life in the moment”. Marine biologist Dr. Wallace Nichols popularized the theory in his 2014 book, Blue Mind. It is thought that being around bodies of water taps into two things our brains respond well to – predictability and novelty. A body of

Regions active in DMN

water is largely the same from moment to moment in its visual and auditory manifestation, unlike busy city streets or highways for example, and that soothing sameness signals lack of threat and allows the brain to relax. Against that consistent background, the calmed brain notices disturbances, like a wave breaking or an animal surfacing, with a stimulating sense of novelty and surprise that is accompanied by a pleasurable release of dopamine. This kind of regularity without monotony is perfect for creating a mind state of relaxed attention essential to creativity and problem solving. In fact, limited fMRI data do show that viewing

pictures of natural environments, especially bodies of water like the ocean, leads to increased functional connectivity in brain networks related to attention and the default mode network (DMN) -  a network of several interconnected brain areas active during daydreaming, mind-wandering and introspection.

Several psychology studies have examined human responses to water. In studies in the late 1980s, scientists suggested that pictures of landscape scenes with water would enhance the living experiences of astronauts in the International Space Station. Studies conducted at UC Davis have shown that gazing at bodies of water can help lower heart rate and blood pressure, and increase feelings of relaxation. They compared measurements in participants looking at a swimming pool vs. viewing a tree or a street sign, or when subjects looked at a waterway compared with viewing the adjacent ground. Another study done at the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth, England, monitored the blood pressure, heart rate, relaxation level and mood of 112 people who spent a minimum of 10 minutes observing aquarium tanks. Blood pressure dropped substantially within the first five minutes, and positive changes in heart rate, relaxation, and mood were seen in all those who viewed the tanks. Perhaps that’s why my dentist keeps an aquarium in the lobby!

Beyond just looking at water, interacting with it by going fishing, swimming, surfing, taking a bath or trying float therapy have all been shown to have effects on reducing stress and anxiety and promoting relaxed states of mind. And, if you can’t get to water or, like me, are not a fan of immersion, just being near a fountain or running water may help. It turns out that even recorded sights and sounds of water can quiet our minds and provide stress relief. In one study, cancer patients who had chronic pain and watched a video that included 15 minutes of the sounds of ocean waves, waterfalls, and splashing creeks, experienced up to 30 percent reduction in levels of the stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol, and had improvements in pain.

 The good news is that you can access “Blue Mind” without having to book an expensive beach vacation, although that has its own attractions obviously. For me, all this is another reminder that our brains are products of, and intricately responsive to the natural environment wherein they evolved. And I think, as Dr. Nichols often wrote, that understanding how good it is for us to be by water makes a powerful argument for keeping our world’s waters clean and healthy. So, get thee to water!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Post by: Nadia Fike

Read more: 1. Chun Tang, Yu-Ping Tsai et al. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to analyze brain region activity when viewing landscapes. Landscape and Urban Planning. Volume 162, June 2017, Pages 137-144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landurbplan.2017.02.007 2. Nichols, W. J., & Cousteau, C. (2014). Blue mind. New York: Little, Brown and Company.