[aloer]

I've had a theory for some time now based on my own observations:

A big part of why nature is so calming is the absence of repeating patterns. In our artificial life everything follows standardized forms and patterns. It's a sterile world. The most obvious example being rectangles and perfect 90 degree angles everywhere. But I would also count things like uniform colors, evenly spread (artificial) light, predictable sounds etc.

That makes me think that somehow something like this absence of patterns - and the knowledge/assumption for our brain that they are not to be expected in nature - helps us.

The beauty in this is that nature _is_ full of patterns. But on a different level, no two patterns are ever the same. When you look at a green tree you simply won't assume to find two leaves with the same color and shape. That's the difference.

Some years ago I got myself an empty canvas frame and put natural linen fabric (https://www.fabric.com/buy/ff-357/kaufman-antwerp-linen-natu...) on it. No painting, just the linen. For the same reason: It's calming to look at

Or maybe I'm just weird :)

[starpilot]

Nature provides "soft fascination" that stimulates you without burning you out. Many countries are learning this: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2016/01/call-to-...

[patcon]

I feel like this would be up your alley: http://nautil.us/issue/47/consciousness/is-consciousness-fra...

Points toward volatile systems (e.g. cells and animals and humans and cultures and all forms of life) preferring a certain degree of fractal dimension and self-similarity, which to me hints at the right balance of chaos and order that is conducive to life and many self-sustaining systems. And so we intuitively "choose" and have preference for a certain fractal dimension range, which nature also happens to prefer at all sorts of different scales.

If this sort of thinking appeals to you, I also highly recommend looking into complexity science :)

EDIT: fwiw, the gist of this article REALLY struck me when I was in the Juifen market in Taiwan [1] (which the anime Spirited Away was inspired by) -- the chaos of the layered canopy covers and random infrastructural protrusions from the lack of central planning -- it immediately felt comforting, like walking into a shaded forest trail, despite being surrounded by a vibrant economy and commerce! (which I would normally kinda HATE)

[1]: https://www.edreams.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2019...

[imesh]

Sort of off topic: One of the more frustrating things about going out in nature where I live at least, is seeing the pattern of invasive plants over and over again. I can identify every plant in my area, an area that would have been full of thousands of different trees and bushes now has repeating landscape of about two dozen different plants.

[ratacat]

At some point in time, every plant was invasive.

[erikpukinskis]

No, invasiveness is a quantitative measure. A plant can force other plants out, or it can coexist. The amount of net pressure on other species dictates whether a plant is invasive. A Eucalyptus and a Live Oak will both use the same sunlight but the Eucalyptus will lol everything underneath it.

Also, it is true that sunlight is a fixed resource, but the earth is not 100% covered, even in mature forests. There are disturbances everywhere that can be moved into and stengthening the ecosystem.

There are also resources which are not sunlight. The resource competition is so multidimensional and open that you cannot conceive of life as a zero sum game. Not yet anyway. Maybe in another billion years of evolution we will be at the point where every movement is an invasion.

[flycaliguy]

You might be interested in looking at and reading parts of The Grammar of Ornament. In particular some of the “principles” he spells out. I’ll link that page below.

“True beauty results from that repose which the mind feels when the eye, the intellect, and the affections, are satisfied from the absence of any want.”

https://archive.org/details/grammarornament00Jone/page/n13

The book’s evaluation of leaves and nature at the end is also relevant.

[blunte]

What you say regarding patterns is true compared to human-made thubgs, but I'm not sure that is what is the root attraction.

For me it's the practically endless possibility that I will see or hear (or even smell) something new if I'm using my senses (instead of busy thinking about human problems).

There's little difference betweey explanation and yours, but I selfishly think it's all about our experience.

[blunte]

I have no idea what a "thubgs" is, but I suspect it's a garden. Phone typing is clearly an art that not all possess.

[richardw]

U next to I. B next to n. "Things" is my guess.

[blotter_paper]

I feel like walls should be covered in green/blue stochastically transforming patterns meant to elicit the same response that nature does, ideally with feedback from an EEG headset that picks up on what patterns are most calming for a given person.