WALDEINSAMKEIT: WHY GERMANS WANT TO GET LOST IN THE FOREST?
The Black Forest in Germany. A mysterious place in which sunshine is a rarity. The branches and leaves are literally a fortress that protects the darkness so typical for this strange part of Germany.
And it is the darkness that had frightened the Roman soldiers. Historian Tacitus claims that in this forest he noticed a murderous tribe that wore the heads of wild boars and unicorns. The Grimm brothers, on the other hand, described that there was a creature in the Black Forest that feeds on children.
However, the Germans are not afraid of this place. The relationship between them and this mysterious place is, despite all the creepy legends and myths about something else. It's a romance. Silence. Everything you need to experience the true "Waldeinsamkeit".
Lost in the forest
Waldeinsamkeit is a German word that means "forest loneliness". In this loneliness, the Germans literally found therapy for their mental health.
In fact, there is nothing special about the Black Forest itself, apart from the lack of sunshine. It's just you and your thoughts. Thoughts about whether or not a bear is hidden somewhere. Thoughts about whether you happen to have some insects behind your collar because you felt a little tickle. Thoughts of how many of your ancestors walked in these places. What kind of sound is that? Is there anything behind me?
The beauty of these thoughts is hidden in what these thoughts are not. It's not worrying about what's coming Monday. It's not a distant memory of how you made a fool of yourself at the work meeting. It is not continually analyzing what you could and should have done differently in your last relationship.
The point is that without judging you simply perceive what is happening at that moment. What you hear, what you see and feel.
Escape to nature
Mental health is a serious problem in the fast-paced world. Burnout and depression are on a radical rise. Our salvation is to learn the ability to focus on what is really happening around us. The Germans understood that.
Just feel for a moment without thinking and analyzing. Without the internet, without Facebook. Ideally, in the forest, in the mountains, in nature. It does not have to be the Black Forest in Germany at all. It can be the Alps or the Tatras, but also a forest near the river or a local park.
Nature has tremendous power and is waiting only for us. Come on. It's just you and your perceptions. Your personal Waldeinsamkeit.
