- published: 27 Sep 2009
- views: 9388691
Tranquillity (also spelt tranquility) is the quality or state of being tranquil; calmness; serenity n. The word tranquillity appears in numerous texts ranging from the religious writings of Buddhism, where the term passaddhi refers to tranquillity of the body, thoughts and consciousness on the path to enlightenment, to an assortment of policy and planning guidance documents, where interpretation of the word is typically linked to engagement with the natural environment.
Psychological Being in a tranquil or ‘restorative’ environment allows individuals to take respite from the periods of sustained ‘directed attention’ that characterise modern living. In developing their Attention Restoration Theory (ART), Kaplan and Kaplan proposed that recovery from cognitive overload could most effectively be achieved by engaging with natural restorative environments, that are away from daily distractions and have the extent and mystery that allows the imagination to wander, thereby enabling individuals to engage effortlessly with their surroundings. The theory works on the principle that the amount of reflection possible within such an environment depends upon the type of cognitive engagement, i.e. fascination; that the environment holds. ‘Soft fascination’ is deemed to occur when there is enough interest in the surroundings to hold attention but not so much that it compromises the ability to reflect. In essence, soft fascination, which has been taken by Herzog and Pheasant as a reasonable term to describe tranquillity, provides a pleasing level of sensory input that involves no cognitive effort other than removing oneself from an overcrowded mental space.
I heard about Maria, she hated the rat race
And she escaped to a beautiful place
Birds of neo-paradise groove in the trees
The name of her town is Tranquility
Protected by her mantra
Following the formula
In the sun thy will be done
Chasing her rainbows
Talking with the animals
Who say "You see, it's Tranquility"
Under shifting dimensions horizon returns
Smoke in the distance as Babylon burns
Summer in the river scattering the net
Long to remember that hasn't happened yet
Protected by her mantra
Following the orchestra
In the sun thy will be done
Chasing her rainbows
Talking with the animals
Who say "You see, it's Tranquility"
Protected by her mantra
Following the nebula
In the sun thy will be done
Chasing her rainbows
Talking with the animals
Who say "You see, it's Tranquility"
Boys I've had enough
There's no more smooth just rough
Don't go looking for me
Leave me