There’s nothing quite like relaxing in front of a crackling fire on a cold winter night. The warmth, the soft glow, and even the sounds can evoke feelings of nostalgia and comfort. But why is this experience so comforting? It’s not just that fire proves physical warmth.
Cosiness experts, gr8fires, have sought the insights of Dr Gurpreet Kaur, a Chartered Clinical Psychologist & EMDR Practitioner to explore why many of us find fires so comforting.
Safety, Security and Building Bonds
From an Evolutionary Psychology perspective, humans have gathered around fires for millennia. Originally, fires offered essential benefits: protection, warmth, and a way to ward off predators.
Dr Kaur explained “Sitting by the fire is an enjoyable experience for many. We can link this to our hunter-gatherer ancestors who used fire for cooking, safety and warmth.
A safe well controlled fire has a positive association in terms of our human evolution as it provided safety and protection through light, warding off predictors and, in this way, led to an innate fear reduction response for humans over time. It also provided comfort and warmth during colder climates.
Beyond survival, fire gatherings fostered social connections. Dr Kaur noted “another historical association would be the fostering of social bonding as groups would have sat around fire together, sharing stories, singing songs or sharing the peace.”
The Calming Effect of Watching Fires
Research supports the soothing effects of firelight, with a noticeable psychological impact on lowering blood pressure. Dr Kaur cites research by Lynn (2014) which found that even “watching a simulated fire could reduce blood pressure and aid relaxation. It was also found that firelight encourages pro-sociality, like storytelling and shared activities. The dim, flickering glow of firelight creates a setting that encourages social interaction and relaxation.”
Hypnotic Movement of Dancing Flames
Researchers have noted the effect on brain waves comparing the effect as almost hypnotic.
Dr Kaur explained “Interestingly, when we look at how humans respond to repetitive, low-frequency visual rhythms (such as firelight or ocean waves) we see the promotion of alpha brain waves, associated with relaxed, wakeful states in the brain. This in turn can create a soothing effect with similar benefits to meditation.”
Symbolic of Family and Comfort
Christine Matthew, a representative of gr8fires, discusses the emotional and symbolic associations that people naturally have with watching flames . “Many of us will have personal memories of family gatherings, cosy evenings, and even romantic moments spent around the fire . Beyond our own memories, they have appeared in books, films and TV shows as the backdrops to some of life’s most meaningful moments. These associations foster a sense of nostalgia and reinforce the idea of home and togetherness”
Christine added that “Modern ranges, such as the Ezee Glow range, offer different mood lighting settings allowing you to enhance the atmosphere to suit different occasions. For example, warm, soft orange hues help create a cosy and inviting ambiance for a relaxing evening at home, while more vibrant tones might help energize a social gathering.”
Ecotherapy: Connecting with Nature
Dr Kaur added that “a flame or even simulated flame can create a sort of connection to nature, with fire being one of the four key natural elements. Providing you are safe and you are comfortable in terms of the amount of heat and smells of natural wood burning flames, it can be a place where we can feel relaxed, at ease, comfortable and soothed”.
Supporting Relaxation
Dr Kaur concluded that changing our behaviour when being near a fire is similar to actively relaxing similar to mindfulness. “Being by a fire is a nice way to promote mental well-being and practice being present and soothed in a world that is becoming increasingly busy, stressful and demanding.
