A warm cozy fire is a mesmerizing activity whether it's in a fireplace or at a campground,
but seriously…
Watching fire might actually be GOOD for you.
The burning of a yule log is a tradition in some European countries around Christmastime
-- in the States we just pull it up online -- campfires are great for the summertime
and a great way to hold me closer is get a tiny dancing candle-flame…
Stories of when ancient man first harnessed fire come off as even more important than
inventing the wheel!
And now a study published in Evolutionary Psychology hypothesizes humans EVOLVED BENEFITS
by sitting around a fire.
Fire is tied to warmth, light, protection, food and power.
In the ancient world fire could help keep you alive, but also provide some form of beauty
and contemplation.
Researchers from the University of Alabama asked 226 adults to watch a VIDEO of a fireplace,
and report on their experiences.
They used a video of a crackling fire (with sound) and on average blood pressure decreased
five percent!
The longer the participants watched, the lower their blood pressure.
The REASON is tough to test, but evolutionary psychologists believe it might have to do
with social behavior.
Archeologists have determined Homo erectus was the first human to use fire -- and that
was nearly two million years ago.
From an evolutionary perspective, ancient humans who spent time around fire would be
protected and warm, but they could also cook food.
The cooking of food set us apart from the primates, and allowed a larger brain to develop.
Cooking lowers the caloric requirements for digestion, decreases risk of foodborne illness,
increases food preservation and so on…
But what about the not obvious things, for example, a fire is the earliest example of
humans using artificial light to extend their day!
Anthropologists point out, once darkness sets in, most daywalkers go to sleep, letting the
nocturnal creatures take over the land.
But with fire, homo erectus and her offspring could stay up late, fashioning tools, socially
bonding, and facilitating their own betterment!
On top of that, psychologists began to think about how fire affected REM sleep!
Apes and monkeys only spend as much as 15 percent of the night in REM, whereas modern
humans are around 25 percent.
Having a fire nearby meant for uninterrupted sleep, as it warded off predators and let
homo erectus get a better napus.
That allowed ancient man to cement their long-term memories, have vivid dreams and create procedural
memories.
Those long-term memories meant better learning and comprehension, so tools could be manufactured
or complex plans could be hatched.
We banded together around fires and it was a place of safety.
Over time, humans probably evolved a kinship with fire and a tie to home and safety!
This would explain the deep-seated feeling of calm when we hear, see and feel a fire.
The sound and the smell, the warmth and the light were a big part of helping shepherd
us into modernity!
Admittedly, this is a lot of scientific guesswork.
We can't go back in time and observe our own ancient ancestors, so they're using information
gleaned from psychology, archeology, and the theories of evolution -- but it does SEEM
to fit.
What do you think?
Do you hate campfires?
Does the smoke always follow you around too?