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We live in a world where spirituality and the sacred seem to be experiencing a revival. There are some high-profile examples: A U.S. president evokes God in an inauguration speech thanking him for saving his life. Winning quarterbacks of football teams credit God for their successes. There is simultaneously an increasing unease about the state of our natural environment coupled with a greater awareness of the benefits of being in nature. These two topics, spirituality and nature, dovetail nicely. Have you wanted to teach a topic that can inspire coping, well-being, and hope, while engaging even the most languid student? The topic of ecospirituality may be just what you need.
Ecospirituality is the perception of nature as a spiritual resource (Billet et al., 2025). Studies on people from diverse nations and cultural backgrounds show high levels of ecospirituality, and even atheists score above the midpoint on common measures of the construct. Though it may seem similar to proenvironmental attitudes, ecospirituality has been found to be distinct from concern for nature and its preservation. Ecospiritualists report a moral obligation to care for nature and express gratitude for nature, viewing it as a “gift-giving spiritual agent” (White & Billet, 2024).
Nature is a major stimulant of the experience of awe. When seeing a majestic sunset, a rich verdant vista, mountain ranges, or unblemished coastlines, one is often struck by deep feelings associated with a host of positive outcomes (Keltner, 2024). When that awe leads to an experience of being in the presence of something sacred, one may feel a sense of absorption that transcends just the appreciation of the beauty of the physical world. Scientific research may not have evidence of the sacred, but there is a large body of work that shows the positive effects of belief in the sacred and religious participation (DeSteno, 2021). Of note, measures of ecospirituality are only weakly correlated to measures of religiosity.
Ecospirituality has implications for both well-being and environmental conservation. The documented positive emotions resulting from immersion in nature may increase when people feel connected to their natural surroundings, and ecospiritualism may accentuate this absorption. Ecospiritualism can also be discussed as a population-level construct and related to environmental preservation, as it seems to be a bipartisan experience showing no significant correlation with where one sits on the political spectrum (Billet et al., 2025). There are also ways to discuss ecospiritualism in terms of scientific literacy, especially in examining the data on climate change (Sinatra & Hofer, 2023). Although ecospiritualism urges a focus on what influences the natural world, ironically it may also be associated with caring less about issues such as water pollution if a person believes the water (e.g., the river Ganges in India) is sacred.
The following student activities push the experience of nature by having students “touch grass” and be mindful, which relates to better well-being (Keltner, 2024) and sets up a discussion of ecospiritualism.
Activity #1
Take your students outside for this 5–10-minute mindfulness exercise. Then ask students to reflect on their experiences by answering the questions below. Instruct them to sit on the ground, on a bench, or whatever works for the space and follow these steps:
- Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Put your attention on the sounds around you, seeing if you can focus on the calls and movements of birds or any other natural sounds within earshot.
- Feel the sun and air on your skin. Keep your attention on where you can feel the sun, being reminded that all the life and energy on Earth comes from the power of the sun.
- Keep your attention focused on any part of the body that is touching the Earth. Try to connect with the Earth and feel it supporting you.
- See if you can focus on your breath for 1–2 minutes, paying close attention to each inhalation and exhalation. Keep your focus on each breath, thinking of how the air passing in and out of your lungs comes from the trees.
- Open your eyes and envision your favorite place or thing from the natural world or focus on the natural beauty around you. Be grateful to this place or element of the natural world, and be reminded of how special it is to have this part of the natural world in your life.
Reflection: Which part of this exercise did you connect with the best? What did this feel like? (Modified activity courtesy of Dr. Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges).
Activity #2
Have students complete a short measure of ecospiritualism using a 7-point Likert scale with 1 being “Strongly Disagree” and 7 being “Strongly Agree.” Discuss the findings (Billet et al., 2023).
- There is a spiritual connection between human beings and the natural environment.
- There is sacredness in nature.
- Everything in the natural world is spiritually interconnected.
- Nature is a spiritual resource.
- I feel intense wonder toward nature.
- When I am in nature, I feel a sense of awe.
- Sometimes I am overcome with the beauty of nature.
- There is nothing like the feeling of being in nature.
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Additional References
Billet, M. I., Baimel, A., Sahakari, S. S., Schaller, M., & Norenzayan, A. (2023). Ecospirituality: The psychology of moral concern for nature. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 87, 102001.
DeSteno, D. (2021). How God works: The science behind the benefits of religion. Simon and Schuster.
Keltner, D. (2024). Awe: The new science of everyday wonder and how it can transform your life. Penguin.
Sinatra, G., & Hofer, B. K. (2023). Science denial: Why it happens and what to do about it. Oxford University Press.
White, C. J. M, & Billet, M. I. (2024). The roles of anthropomorphism, spirituality, and gratitude in pro-environmental attitudes. Religion, Brain, & Behavior. 1–19. Brain, & Behavior. 1–19.
This article was written by APS Staff from www.psychologicalscience.org
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