Here’s a short video of one of my favorite little streams. You may have seen it in my posts, but you likely never heard it (unless you are a neighbor). Make sure that your speakers are on when viewing this, because the sound of a “babbling brook” is the point of this post.
Research indicates that the sounds of a babbling brook and a few other “natural” sounds (e.g., ocean waves coming ashore, rain, some bird songs) are “mind-altering” to many humans – they have been seen to reduce stress, induce calm, and lower our body’s fight-or-flight instinct with a nonthreatening attraction.
Such sounds reportedly have been used, among other places, in hospitals to reduce stress and promote healing, in at-home treatments to aid sleep and reduce discomfort, and in workplaces to see if they improve employees’ moods and productivity.
There seem to be a number of theories as to why humans respond positively to babbling brooks and other sounds of nature. Some think that our response is a behavioral reaction that has been baked into us since we’ve evolved. Others think that focusing on the sounds is a form of meditation that alters the neural wave patterns in our overstimulated brains. And there are more complicated theories.
However, thinking about this research seems counter-productive when you have an opportunity to try to focus completely on a stream’s delicate song and momentarily let go of the worries our pathetic psyches force us to carry about. (Image taken in Brooklin, Maine, on September 27, 2022.) Click on it.