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Abstract

The increasing urbanization of societies worldwide has led to a growing disconnect between individuals and natural environments, significantly impacting modern people's physical and mental health. The fast-paced lifestyles, particularly among university students, are characterized by extensive assignments and limited access to natural settings. This detachment from nature has been associated with heightened stress levels and a range of negative health outcomes. While there is a well-established body of research documenting the benefits of nature exposure (NE) on human well-being, the challenge remains in providing these benefits to individuals who cannot regularly access natural environments due to their urban lifestyle or accessibility issues. This study investigated the potential benefits of simple activities like meditation in natural environments and assessed whether Simulated Nature Environments (SNEs) could effectively replicate these benefits. The research aims to address: 1). How does outdoor nature meditation (ONM) impact the overall well-being of university students? 2.) Can meditation in SNEs be an effective alternative to ONM for enhancing well-being among urban populations who spend significant time indoors? 3). Among three different SNE settings designed for indoor meditation, which most effectively replicates the physiological and psychological benefits observed in ONM sessions? The study employed a pretest-posttest repeated measures design, where 40 university students participated in three 20-minute guided meditation sessions across different environments: three replicated outdoor settings in a forest and three distinct SNEs in a controlled laboratory. Physiological measures, including heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and salivary amylase (SA), were collected pre- and post-meditation, alongside psychological assessments using the PSS-10 and POMS questionnaires. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, R studio and ANOVA. The results indicate that both ONM and meditation in SNE designs significantly improved participants' physiological and psychological well-being. However, the ONM sessions showed stronger impacts, while the SNEs with comprehensive sensory stimuli provided similar, though slightly less pronounced, benefits. The findings suggest that while SNEs can effectively replicate some benefits of UNM, the full restorative potential of nature exposure is best achieved in authentic natural settings.