In 2013 a Norwegian television company broadcast a crackling fire for 12 hours. The head of programming at the station called it "slow but noble television". In these busy times it's quite easy to see the appeal of this and I sit quite often in front of the fire with nothing more than the dancing flames for entertainment.
Of course, these days even the simplest things are being scientifically researched - click here - and the health benefits of gazing into an open flame are no exception. Dr Christopher Lynn, a psychological and medical anthropologist, carried out tests on hundreds of volunteers for the research to see how they would respond to virtual fires. "Hearth and campfires are widely held to influence a relaxation effect. Although the importance of controlled fires in human evolution is indisputable, the relaxation aspect had remained uninvestigated", he told a newspaper at the time. "Fires are multisensory experiences that have numerous unexplored dimensions when considering human evolution."
"Watching a naked flame connects us with nature, which reduces stress, helping us to feel more relaxed and calm ... The heat from the flame also increases blood flow, providing anti-inflammatory effects and generally contributes to a feeling of warmth and comfort, both physically and emotionally. Its hypnotic effects also mean that it’s the perfect way to stimulate deeper relaxation through meditation."
It's early Friday morning. I've just wheeled in the empty garbage bin, fed the possum in his possum penthouse, gave the wild ducks by the pond their chook pellets, and opened up the vents on the fireplace to rekindle the dormant fire, and now, bowl of porridge in hand, I'm ready for another 'multisensory experience'. It's better than television.
There is more to life than making it go faster. Join me by clicking here - but don't get back to me until you've watched it right to the end! 😀
