It is well known that our brain is constantly changing, even when we fall asleep or when we think our mind is blank.
This is what is known as brain plasticity: everything we experience causes our brain (and our nervous system) to change in real time. That means There is no moment in which our mind remains as it was some time ago
However, there are certain experiences that modify our mental life more consistently than others. That is, the type of changes they introduce in our brain are more recognizable and uniform This is the case of what happens during meditation or, for example, when we feel that we are facing the sea or the ocean
There are many poets for whom the sea has been an element of clear inspiration; Pablo Neruda, for example, always made reference to this gigantic mass of water in his poems. And that is not by chance: the sea causes a great impact when seen, and staying on its shores or waters for a while causes our brain activity to change a lot.
Let’s see how it influences us.
1. Gets us to relax and get out of the state of alert
The sea transmits a feeling of tranquility that extends through all parts of the body. The continuous and soft sound of the waves and the omnipresence of the color blue (which not only appears in the water, but also in a sky that in the sea is not obscured by mountains or buildings) make us relax deeply.
Furthermore, near the sea it is difficult to have blind spots where possible dangers can hide, because almost everything is flat and visible. The consequence of this is that we can allow ourselves to move away from the state of alert into which our sympathetic nervous system introduces us when we detect sources of stress.
2. Facilitates meditation
The visual and sound stimuli related to the sea and the sound of the waves are very characteristic, and they alter the activity of our brain. Specifically, enhance the appearance of alpha waves related to a state of relaxation and low effort in which, however, the ability to manage the focus of attention does not disappear something that does not occur during sleep.
When neurons start firing following the pattern of alpha waves, the ease of carrying out activities such as meditation and mindfulness is enhanced; That is why secluded beaches are a place where normal meditation or tai chi is frequently practiced
3. Allows you to break rumination
Rumination is that vicious circle that follows our thinking when a worry obsesses us Natural environments such as forests have proven to be good locations to walk through so that rumination disappears, and the same goes for the sea.
This is because both the sea and the forests are places in which there are hardly any elements that can be interpreted as references to our daily lives, which is why our thinking can disengage from these obsessions, since nothing we see, touch or hear reminds us of our problems
Experiencing the immensity of the sea produces a curious form of well-being that comes from something as simple as paying attention to the stimuli related to this type of natural landscape. It is a kind of hypnotic effect in which we can stay for a long time and in which, surely, our cultural heritage plays an important role.
5. Boost creativity
It has been proven that contexts that induce attention to be directed outwards quickly and obsessively for a long time produce stress and negatively affect the solution of novel problems This is because our brain adapts to detect specific external stimuli very quickly, instead of dedicating resources to connecting ideas together.
The sea, by facilitating relaxation and providing a simple environment composed of few elements, makes it easier for our creativity to be released making ideas that have never been related before connect with each other.
