Table of Contents
Foreword to the English Edition Marc Bekoff, Phd ix
Foreword Ruediger Dahlke xiii
Introduction: The Biophilia Effect: "We have roots, and they definitely did not grow in cement." 1
Chapter 1 What Hildegard von Bingen Could Not Have Known: How Plants Keep Us Healthy by Communicating with Our Immune System 5
Whispering Leaves: Can Plants Communicate? 6
Plants' Impact on the Immune System: More Killer Cells and Anticancer Protection 10
Practical Tips: How to Strengthen Your Immune System in a Forest 17
The Wild Card: Fantasy Meets Forest Atmosphere 20
Chapter 2 Nature and the Human Unconscious Mind: How Plants and Landscapes Communicate with Our Unconscious, Reduce Stress, and Boost Concentration 29
From Archaic Brain Structures 34
The Evolution Wild Card: Relieving Stress in the Reptilian Brain 37
The Savanna Effect 43
The Forest as a Space for Souls 48
Holistic Relaxation in the Lap of Nature 50
Fascination with Nature: Switching the Brain into a New Mode 54
Nature Meditation: Concentration and Attention 61
Chapter 3 Nature as a Doctor and Psychotherapist: The Rediscovery of the Healing Power of Nature 69
Ecopsychosomatics 70
How Woods Help Against Diabetes 72
How Nature Alleviates Pain and Helps Us Recuperate Faster 73
Stress Reduction Through Experiencing Nature 75
Trees, Hearts, and Blood Pressure: Nature as a Cardiologist 78
The Lessons of Wilderness: About Therapeutic Nature 79
Nature as a Time-Out from Society: Healing by "Being Away" 82
When the Mountains and the Moon Taught Me a Lesson 86
Experiencing the Healing Wilderness with Others 90
Sex and Earth: Nature as a Sex Therapist 105
A "Green Couch" 118
Spontaneous Cure at a River 120
The Biophilia Effect in Your Own Home 124
Chapter 4 Your Garden, Your Healer: The Healing Power of Yards and Gardens 129
Gardens: Sources of Inspiration, Happiness, and Health 130
Trading a Career for a Garden: How One Woman Changed Her Life 134
Humans and Garden Plants: A Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Relationship 136
Gardens as Homes and Playgrounds for Children 143
Methuselah's Oasis: A Garden for the Elderly 150
The Anticancer Garden: A Healing Forest at Home 153
The Garden as a Bridge to Another World: Passing Away in a Garden 167
Acknowledgments 173
Notes 175
About the Author 183