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Background. Research shows that people benefit from the mere presence of and direct interactions with nature. Paradoxically, it is now known that many contemporary environmental problems are caused by humans. This is why psychological research concerned with sustainability matters often focuses on the omnipresent gap between knowledge and practice. As contact with nature decreases, the psychological separation between humans and the rest of the world seems to intensify. Therefore, global change not only requires technical solutions but also approaches that are capable of facilitating behaviour change and internal psychological changes. This will require a new consideration of the human-nature relationship, based on experiential first-person exploration.
Aim. The present study seeks to illuminate the human-nature relationship by exploring immersive experiences in wild nature. The catalyst for such experiences is a 24-hour, so-called Solo time in nature. The goal of the present research project is to explore the phenomenology and common features of such an experience and to evaluate its impact in relation to personal development and behavioural change in a longitudinal study. By researching concrete practices and programmes the present research aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Furthermore, by probing new methods, approaches and instruments the present work aspires to tackle and extend the limitations of common research methodology.
Samples. The study involved participants from two distinct programmes: Butterfly and Solo-only. While the Butterfly programme represented a 14-day experiential outdoor programme involving community and nature experiences, the Solo-only programme lasted 7 days and solely focused on the Solo. The quantitative Butterfly data are based on 26 participants at pretest and 19 at posttest while the qualitative data rely on 9 interviewees at posttest and 8 at follow-up. The age of the Butterfly study participants ranged between 18 and 31. The quantitative Solo-only data are based on 11 study participants and the qualitative sample consists of four interviewees. Age in the Solo-only sample ranged between 18 and 26.
Methods. A mixed methods approach was applied by integrating quantitative survey data, qualitative interview data, qualitative-intuitive dream data and reflexive first-person data concerning the author’s research process. A convergent parallel design was used within multiple phases of the project. The Butterfly programme was researched in a longitudinal study up to one and a half years after the programme ended. Assessed changes included the participants’ relationship with nature, self, others and the world as well as their proenvironmental behaviour and community engagement. Furthermore, the Butterfly participants’ experience of the Solo in nature was assessed via the Phenomenology of Consciousness Inventory (PCI) and via interviews. The qualitative and quantitative data of the Solo-only programme were collected at one point in time and served as comparative data for the Butterfly participants’ Solo experience. Like in the Butterfly study the Solo-only participants’ immersive experience in nature was assessed via the PCI as well as via interviews.
Results. The present research revealed that immersing in nature evoked profound experiences of interconnectedness with it and altered the participants’ perceptual state and attitude. Experiences of interconnectedness facilitated self-reflection and insight and thereby helped participants to make sense of themselves and the world. The longitudinal research further showed that the participants’ nature experience sustainably altered their perception of and way of attending to nature and resulted in an enduring sense of interconnectedness with it. Interviewees designated their nature experience and positive role models as the main triggers for their enhanced practical and proenvironmental engagement.
The dream enquiry disclosed significant negatively connoted themes thereby possibly revealing the challenging effects of the programme, which may have been concealed in the interviews. On a meta-level, the complementary research approach brought to the surface a fundamental tension between interconnectedness and separateness which is immanent in human experience today.
Conclusion. Outcomes of the multi-method driven triangulation provide a detailed understanding of the Solo experience itself and speak for the depth and impact that it can have on the individual. The present work suggests that experiences of interconnectedness are powerful facilitators for introspection, insight and activism. It further shows that sustainable activism was not only inspired by a deepened connection with nature but also by the social environment, which framed the experience. Thus, this research may serve as a reference point for future research on promising triggers for change and simultaneously highlights valuable elements for future programmes. However, it should be noted that, due to the small sample size and lack of control group, the statistical results, on their own, should be regarded as rather descriptive and only apply to the particular investigated group(s).
From a methodological point of view, the outcomes of the applied participatory research approach prove to be extremely enriching for the additional information they provide.