Blue Mind by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols

Water makes up majority of our planet and of our individual bodies. However, we seldom look deeper to understand our innate social and psychological connection with water. The book, Blue Mind by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols addresses the social, economic and psychological benefits of interacting with water. Blue Mind is just the book we need to encourage people, businesses, economies, and the world as a whole to holistically appreciate a part of our environment that is in such abundance.

http://www.wallacejnichols.org/122/blue-mind.html

Individuals in the field of art and literature have transferred the ‘awe of the ocean’ onto inland people. Movies and real estate alike have cashed on the grandeur of the oceans. However, the field of science has still not tapped into the interdisciplinary nature of water and human beings. In his book, Dr. Wallace combines disparate fields of public health, neuroscience, and economics to help us better understand the multifaceted way in which we connect with water. Such a comprehensive understanding subsequently leads to a better understanding of ourselves and our blue minds.

Although the book is rooted in scientific findings it is a surprisingly simple read. The simplicity with which scientific data is explained allows readers to understand the neuroscience behind our innate connection with water. Unlike most scientific literature, which disregards emotions, Blue Mind focuses on using scientific data to provide support for the emotional relationship we have when we are in or near water.

The book is not only an informative text about water but fulfills its purpose of resonating with the reader on an individual level. The social benefit of presenting individuals and groups of individuals with fun, privacy and solitude, creativity, nostalgia, romance, happiness, and love, allows water to tap into the psychological and cognitive sensibilities of humans.

While at the Blue Mind presentation, as I heard Dr. Wallace speak about love and nostalgia, I thought about when my parents taught me how to swim. To get to my father I had to swim to him, but every time I got close, he would move further away. Although water was gushing through my ears, nose and mouth, there was nothing frustrating about the challenge of swimming that extra distance. Being in water allowed me to open my blue mind, an area of ‘calm and centeredness.’ On land we would have disagreements but in water all three of us were in sync.  The book is of particular interest to me as it allows me to understand how that “touchy feely” stuff led me to eventually become a state-level swimmer.

At STH/STB we understand the “touchy-feely” stuff when in water. Through our free Youth Environmental Education Programs we connect youth and teens to Boston Harbor and the islands. To learn more, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org

Like the book, Blue Mind, STH/STB connects with people by educating them about the physical and social benefits of water. In doing so, we at STH/STB create an environment that is the driving force of bringing the emotional connection we have with water ‘out of the bathrooms and the boat houses and into the boardrooms and the Whitehouse.’ In doing so, city planners and various public health professionals can better incorporate water into our daily lives. Consciously integrating with water will help us move away from our red and gray minds and access our blue minds, thereby becoming calmer and more centered individuals, societies and economies.

- Mehar Kaur

Interning at Save The Harbor/ Save the Bay !

Hi! I am Mehar Kaur, the Environmental/Policy intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay (STH/STB). I am an international student from India and have only recently moved to Boston to pursue a master’s in environmental heath engineering at Tufts University, Medford.

I learnt about STH/STB through my roomate with whom I went on STH/STB's Spectacle Island Cruise. As a nature enthusiast and a previous intern at the Center for Environmental Education, New Delhi, India, I provided literature on the use of biomimicry to gain access to clean drinking water. At Tufts, I reviewed literature for interventions to help overcome diarrheal-linked malnutrition in children.

To better integrate with Boston city and to continue my interest in environmental health and education, I have become part of STH/STB. As an intern, I am modeling tidal data to more accurately represent the level of Enterococcus in the Boston beaches. Currently beach flagging depends on previous days Enterococcus data, which is not an accurate representation of the water quality. By understanding the relationship between variables including rain, wind and tidal height and the level of Enterococcus, I aim to present a real-time model of water quality testing and subsequent beach flagging.

At STH/STB I am able to further my interest in volunteer work by helping organize various free programs for underprivileged communities in Boston. This is a personally fulfilling experience as I am able to help diverse groups have an educationally enriched experience. In return I get to connect with the city by learning about the diverse communities that make up Boston.     

Here at STH/STB, I have the opportunity to meet with various professionals and learn about their field of work and their contribution to our environment. Last week I attended a presentation by Dr. Wallace J. Nichols on his book, Blue Mind. This presentation resonated with me on various levels and has steered me towards a more holistic view of science. As a future scientist, if my work does not connect with individuals, various societies and/or with policy makers, it is of very little value. At the presentation Dr. Wallace related to all of us at a personal level by helping us understand our emotional connection to water and why increasing scientific data should be focused on explaining our innate relationship with water. Such findings will subsequently allow individuals and societies to better understand themselves.

After the presentation, I was eager to read the book and learn about all the different emotional, social and economic ways in which we connect with water. I will further elaborate on Dr. Wallace’s presentation and his book, Blue Mind in my next blog. Until then, in Dr. Wallace’s words, I Wish You Water!

- Mehar Kaur