The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological healing process in forest by way of the experience analysis among qualitative research methods. I examined forest healing motive, healing purpose, healing process and healing effect through for...
The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological healing process in forest by way of the experience analysis among qualitative research methods. I examined forest healing motive, healing purpose, healing process and healing effect through forest experience essays. These essays of 34 forest experience were collected from 2014 to 2015 at Forestry Administration Office. Five steps of analysis were used including self-observation, self-description, self-discovery, equality and differentiation, and verification. The results of the study are as follows.
First, there were psychological instability factors such as depression, bipolar disorder, helplessness, interpersonal avoidance and social maladjustment, and they were related to physical illness or family history. Second, the process of discovering oneself through observing and describing oneself through forest experience has appeared, and this experience is interpreted as strongly supporting the effects of various forest healing proved empirically in previous studies. Third, the subjects of this study had cyclic and repetitive experiences of changes in oneself, relations and existence through forest healing. Fourth, the participants experienced similar pain such as depression, anxiety and frustration in general, but they are described as experiencing the process optimized for their own characteristics in the motivation, necessity, accessibility, and program utilization of each experience.
In conclusion, the subjects of the study feel positive change in emotions such as refreshing, comfort, relaxation and euphoria through the vitality of the forest, reflecting their self, while recognizing their problems through enlightenment and insight, and it was found that it was rediscovered.