Closer to the water. Amazing Facts About How Water Can Change Your Life, Wallace Nichols

WALLACE J. NICHOLS

THE SURPRISING SCIENCE THAT SHOWS HOW BEING NEAR, IN, ON, OR UNDER WATER CAN MAKE YOU HAPPIER, HEALTHIER, MORE CONNECTED, AND BETTER AT WHAT YOU DO

Scientific editor Oleg Martsinkovsky

Published with permission of Little, Brown, and Company, New York, US, and the literature agency Andrew Nurnberg

Legal support for the publisher is provided by the Vegas-Lex Law Firm.

My parents - relatives and adoptive brothers and sisters, daughters, and my beloved.

I wish you clean water

Foreword

Of the many famous sayings of my grandfather, most often I hear, meet in texts or read on the city walls and Internet pages the following two:

Once bewitched, the sea keeps you in its bewitching nets forever.

People protect what they love.

What did he mean by that? Of course, I can only speculate - you won’t ask your grandfather anymore - but, I think, it’s not worth complicating anything. In the first case, it speaks of the enchanting magic of water. In the second, it is about survival, because to protect what we love is one of the basic human instincts (any parent will confirm this). These two ideas together explain the life of many scientists whose activities are related to water. Her world attracts them, they fall in love with him and devote themselves to his defense. However, in order to remain as objective as possible, they do not try to understand what is hidden behind the passion that governs their work. The same applies to millions of ordinary people who prefer to spend holidays by the water. Most of them do not think about why it is there, on the shore, that they are best able to regain strength and relax, do not wonder what they get by settling down on the beach with a book in their hands. They just know that they like to relax by the water and from time to time need it.

And I am no exception. I was born in a family closely connected with the ocean. Thanks to television, grandfather Jacques introduced millions of people to the wonders of the underwater world. Water has become an integral part of my life, an important line in my DNA. True, there is another side to me - one that does not want to know why I love water so much, but prefers to see something magical, unknown, truly unknowable and deeply personal in its influence.

Actually, I don’t think that everything in life needs an explanation. But, considering what is at stake this time, I have to agree with my dear friend Wallace “Jay” Nichols: the time has come to talk about the magic of water. After all, if we want to improve the world's water resources, we need to convince people to change their position, and the state - a policy towards them.

In many other situations it would be more useful to turn to human feelings, but in this case it is necessary to appeal not to the heart, but to the intellect. In addition, we need to convey our thoughts to different audiences. You will have to speak different languages \u200b\u200bwith the legislator, fisherman, surfer, real estate agent or woman mother, and from time to time, reinforcing your emotions with accurate figures and facts from the field of biology and neurochemistry.

As shown in the book, today neuroscientists and psychologists give us this opportunity. Thanks to their research, we learn that a person is naturally programmed to respond positively to water, and staying in it and next to it can calm him down, strengthen his connection with others, strengthen his creative potential, intuition and even heal from diseases. Pure water is extremely important for the physical and mental health of a person, as well as for the economy and ecology of our planet. Each of us has a so-called Blue mind, which can make us happy in a variety of ways that go far beyond the pleasure of riding a surfboard, enjoying the sounds of a babbling brook, or swimming in a pool.

Our love of water is so comprehensive and constant that the question of why this is so seems rhetorical. However, as soon as you begin to delve into it (this is not a pun!), You realize that everything is not so simple. People like the rhythmic sound of waves crashing on the seashore, but why this does sound best soothe and relax them? How is the attractiveness for a modern person of a flat and flat surface of a lake connected with the hunting of prehistoric ancestors? How does understanding the mechanism of somatic tension help explain the pleasure experienced by deep diving? Well, and so on in the same vein. After reading this book, you will see that the list of questions goes on and on. And the answers to them give not only understanding, but also inspiration. Here we can draw an analogy with the force of gravity: we know that it exist, but if our curiosity stopped on the recognition of the fact that an object thrown into the air would certainly fall to the earth, man would never fly to the moon. And the effect of water also deserves a closer look.

Fortunately, when I began to take an active part in my friend's Blue Mind project, I quickly realized that understanding the physical processes that underlie a person’s love for water does not in any way weaken this feeling. As Jay likes to say: "Understanding the scientific foundations of miracle and love does not detract from their magic." For some scientists, such statements can cause a feeling of awkwardness. Many people are afraid of such, as they put it, "sentimental nonsense", which is often accompanied by a study of human emotions. In 2013, when I arrived at the third annual summit on the Blue Mind project, which was held on Block Island, I was surrounded by people from various fields of activity: neuroscientists, psychologists, educators, divers, artists, musicians. We argued a lot, trying in every way to explain common feelings and sensations for all people. I must say, as a regular visitor to a huge number of environmental forums and conferences, I notice that participants, as a rule, leave their personal experiences and experiences with nature outside the door, saving them for final remarks or exchanging face-to-face opinions during breaks. Therefore, speaker neuroscientists have to explain their work in the context of this multidisciplinary event and talk about their connection with human emotions. Many scientists admit that reporting with maps, data, diagrams, brain fMRI and chemical formulas does not cause them the slightest problems, but how to tell popular about their science, they do not know. Nevertheless, their words almost immediately resonate with the audience: those who are usually not too interested in such issues think: “Wow! So this is what really happens. All this is the work of my neurons! My brain was originally, by nature, programmed to love water! ”

In my opinion, the results of all these meetings and studies should be disseminated as widely as possible - until they become the common heritage of mankind. Already today, the old borders are shifting - even being pushed out - into new territories. And more and more people need to be involved in this process. The blue mind is born out of human curiosity, our desire to know ourselves more deeply. If Jay did not have these qualities, we would not have made such progress.

About the book

Who is this book for?

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About the book
This is a landmark book from a famous marine biologist, water advocate and public figure, in which he talks about the effect of water on our health and well-being.

Why are we drawn to the sea every summer? How does being near water affect the brain and body? Wallace Nichols answers these and other questions, revealing all the advantages of staying in water or even around it, using the latest developments in neurology and biology and the experience of a variety of people: leading athletes, top scientists, former military personnel and talented artists.

After reading this book you will learn how proximity to water can improve your productivity at work and in life, make you calmer, reduce anxiety and stress.

Who is this book for?
This book is for those who love the sea and the ocean and want to learn more about how proximity to water affects health.

about the author
Wallace Nichols - author of "Closer to Water"
Marine biologist, conservationist, public figure, author. Creator of many projects aimed at protecting wildlife: oceanrevolution.org, seethewild.org, grupotortuguero.org and others. He explored the ocean and visited expeditions on all continents. He has written over 50 scientific articles, performed on National Geographic, Animal Planet and other channels.

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Available in formats: EPUB | PDF | Fb2

Pages: 288

The year of publishing: 2015

Tongue: Russian

What is this book about? This is a landmark book from a well-known marine biologist, water advocate and public figure, in which he talks about the effect of water on our health and well-being. Why are we drawn to the sea every summer? How does being near water affect the brain and body? Wallace Nichols answers these and other questions, revealing all the advantages of staying in water or even around it, using the latest developments in neurology and biology and the experience of a variety of people: leading athletes, top scientists, former military personnel and talented artists. After reading this book you will learn how proximity to water can improve your productivity at work and in life, make you calmer, reduce anxiety and stress. For whom this book This book is for those who love the sea and the ocean and want to learn more about how proximity to water affects health. Quotes from the book City as a Source of Stress A 2010 study showed that the front of the cingulate gyrus and the islet of the brain (areas responsible for empathy) are activated when subjects examine natural landscapes. And the urban landscape increases activity in the amygdala, which triggers a reaction to danger and as a result often leads to chronic stress. 80% of water. Actually, a person’s ability to find water, feel it, consume its fruits and settle next to it originated 375 million years ago thanks to the first living organisms that developed a new existence for them on land, adapting to the life of fish drawn from water. Favorite color Sounds strange, but it turns out that people are naturally attracted by shades of blue. All over the world this color is most often called the favorite. Although it is extremely rare in nature (only in some plants and the color of a few animals), but every sunny day we can admire the dazzling blue of the clear sky. Love for fishing Even many Japanese fishermen, whose houses and boats were destroyed by the terrible tsunami of 2011, returned to the sea. As one man named Koichi Nagasako said, “I love being in a boat. I love the sea and love fishing.” Far from nature Accusing us of not stopping talking on the phone is tantamount to saying that we ourselves are to blame for our inability to limit ourselves to one pack of chips, one cigarette, one dose of drugs or one orgasm. The shore of the ocean On the shore of the sea, lake or ocean there is something that you will not find more. The touch of water, the smell of the ocean, birds walking on the sand, various curious objects, boats swaying on the surface of the water - all this is unique to this environment. And all this reassures us, rewards, attracts and causes interest.

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About the book
This is a landmark book from a famous marine biologist, water advocate and public figure, in which he talks about the effect of water on our health and well-being.

After reading this book you will learn how proximity to water can improve your productivity at work and in life, make you calmer, reduce anxiety and stress.

Who is this book for?
This book is for those who love the sea and the ocean and want to learn more about how proximity to water affects health.

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QQPLESG user writes:

Tokareva, as always, is on top. In small stories, there are large chunks of life, or even life. Somewhere, with philosophical overtones, somewhere with direct meaning. Tokarev needs to read, because a generation of literate and, as she speaks about herself, “masterfully speaking the language” people, unfortunately, leave forever ... And people who so vividly describe (oh my God!) The last century of the last millennium (yes , they are so "ancient" (c)) that we begin to literally see and feel that long-standing atmosphere ourselves. This is valuable. Highly. Therefore, I advise.
The book is a small format, "pocket" option. Soft smooth binding, newspaper pages. The book contains 8 stories.

There are books that capture from the first page and literally swallow them in a couple of days .... I can’t say such a thing about the book “Closer to Water”. The first hundred pages were boring, the next fifty were just boring, and then .... then I didn’t notice how the book carried away and made me rethink my attitude to water ...

Have you ever wondered why water so attracts people? Why is relaxation definitely associated with water? Why are people so attracted to fountains, waterfalls, lakes, streams, seas and oceans? Why do we like to look at the smooth flow of a river or raindrops, inhale the aroma of salty sea air or the smell of damp earth after rain? ...

How water affects our lives, heals from diseases and addictions, inspires creativity, relaxes after a hard day, relieves stress, makes our thoughts clearer, brings peace and makes us happier ... The author gives a scientific answer to all these amazing facts points of view, based on various scientific studies and the experience of prominent athletes, scientists, and artists.

If you want to broaden your horizons, look at the concept of “water” broader than just “a glass of water” or “daily water treatment”, this book is definitely for you!

On the website of the publishing house "MIF" by tradition, you can read more about the book, as well as chapters from it.

And finally, a few quotes from the book:

“Water gives us energy of various kinds, whether it’s hydraulic energy, hydration, the tonic effect of a handful of cold water splashed out in the face, or the refreshing effect of the soft, rhythmic sound of the waves running ashore ...”

“Water determines many of our decisions - from the choice of seafood that we eat, to the most romantic moments of our lives, from the location of our homes and ways of spending leisure time to the sports that we do”

“... Water simultaneously affects all five human senses with very positive and powerful images and memories. Good memories of days spent on the water help to erase scary pictures ... "

“Mankind honors water from the first days of its history, and for everyone it means something of its own ...”

“Instinct tells us that when we are near the water, we become healthier, happier, less stressed and feel more at peace and in harmony with the surrounding reality.”

“Water sports and a career related to water improve brain function and have a tremendous therapeutic effect on both healthy and sick people. For those of us who are fortunate enough to live and relax near the water or make money thanks to it, this eternal source of health, well-being and healing power can be both obvious, and not too obvious or bringing benefits that are not yet fully understood. One thing is clear: the more we acknowledge and value what we have, the sooner we will increase the benefits obtained through this. ”

“At the water, and especially in it, bodily sensations - touches, blood pressure, temperature, movements, position in space, balance, weight, vibration - seem to come to life”

“... Water is both a mother and a lover, she kills and gives life, she gives and selects. It is this endless changeability, amazingness and suddenness of the constant change of colors and moods that attract artists, musicians, writers, directors and thinkers so much. Water liberates the uninhibited child hidden in us, releasing creativity and curiosity ... ”

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