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Box 10.2: Elements of Nature-Based Recreation and Spirituality
(Heintzman 2009, 2016)
Antecedent Conditions: Person-related factors; things people bring to their
outdoor recreation experience, e.g.
• Personal history (e.g. previous experiences in nature; previous spiritual
experiences)
• Current circumstances (e.g. present-day issues and events)
• Motivation (e.g. seeking or escaping spiritual experience)
• Socio-demographic (e.g. gender, age, income)
• Spiritual tradition and background (e.g. religion)
Setting Components:
• Nature (e.g. wilderness)
• Being away, i.e. physically being away from one’s day-to-day setting
and constraints
• Place processes (e.g. emotional attachment)
Recreation Components:
• Activity, i.e. type of and challenge associated with the recreational
activity (e.g. canoeing, hiking)
• Free time, i.e. availability of unstructured time
• Solitude, i.e. being alone
• Group experiences (e.g. discussion, group effort)
• Facilitation
Spiritual Outcomes:
• Spiritual experience (e.g. awe, wonder, connectedness, heightened
senses, inner calm, peace, happiness, joy, elatedness)
• Spiritual well-being (Hawks 1994)
– Internal Aspects (e.g. sense of purpose/meaning; oneness with
nature; connectedness with others; commitment to something greater
than self; sense of wholeness in life; strong beliefs, principles, ethics
and values that may or may not be grounded in a specific religion;
feelings of love, joy, peace, hope, fulfilment)
– External Manifestation
• Interaction with others is characterised by, e.g., trust, honesty,
integrity, altruism, compassion, service
• Regular community or personal relationship with a higher power
or larger reality that transcends observable physical reality
• Spiritual coping: i.e. “ways that people receive help from spiritual
resources (e.g. higher power, spiritual practices, faith community) during periods of life stress” (Heintzman 2009, p. 84).
10 Biodiversity and Spiritual Well-being
Box 10.2: Elements of Nature-Based Recreation and Spirituality
(Heintzman 2009, 2016)
Antecedent Conditions: Person-related factors; things people bring to their
outdoor recreation experience, e.g.
• Personal history (e.g. previous experiences in nature; previous spiritual
experiences)
• Current circumstances (e.g. present-day issues and events)
• Motivation (e.g. seeking or escaping spiritual experience)
• Socio-demographic (e.g. gender, age, income)
• Spiritual tradition and background (e.g. religion)
Setting Components:
• Nature (e.g. wilderness)
• Being away, i.e. physically being away from one’s day-to-day setting
and constraints
• Place processes (e.g. emotional attachment)
Recreation Components:
• Activity, i.e. type of and challenge associated with the recreational
activity (e.g. canoeing, hiking)
• Free time, i.e. availability of unstructured time
• Solitude, i.e. being alone
• Group experiences (e.g. discussion, group effort)
• Facilitation
Spiritual Outcomes:
• Spiritual experience (e.g. awe, wonder, connectedness, heightened
senses, inner calm, peace, happiness, joy, elatedness)
• Spiritual well-being (Hawks 1994)
– Internal Aspects (e.g. sense of purpose/meaning; oneness with
nature; connectedness with others; commitment to something greater
than self; sense of wholeness in life; strong beliefs, principles, ethics
and values that may or may not be grounded in a specific religion;
feelings of love, joy, peace, hope, fulfilment)
– External Manifestation
• Interaction with others is characterised by, e.g., trust, honesty,
integrity, altruism, compassion, service
• Regular community or personal relationship with a higher power
or larger reality that transcends observable physical reality
• Spiritual coping: i.e. “ways that people receive help from spiritual
resources (e.g. higher power, spiritual practices, faith community) during periods of life stress” (Heintzman 2009, p. 84).
10 Biodiversity and Spiritual Well-being