At first glance, one may think that there is an obvious conclusion to be made

about my findings, and that it is trivial to look deeper at the material. However, I
believe that the effects that water can make on people is due to a multitude of
different reasons. Think back to the last time you were near a waterfront. How
did you feel? Calm? Happy? Upset? Psychologically speaking, why do you think
this is so? I believe that on top of my idea that personal experiences by the water
vary between people, there is also a deeper psychological reason as to why this is
so. With SciShow’s example of the mammalian dive reflex, it shows that there is
always the possibility of our own body subconsciously interfering with our
experiences, be it positively, or negatively. Without knowing all of the factors that
affect us while being by a waterfront it will always be hard to pinpoint the specific
reasons behind things. Among the content of my findings hides many
connections available through a more thorough investigation of the material.

Thinking back to Nichols’ description of the two different types of attention, it's
involuntary attention that heavily affects the feelings of one being close to the
water. When I go to a waterfront, I often don’t think about this type of attention,
it's always directed attention that is in my mind constantly. I think that because
of this, it is harder to realize how important involuntary attention can be in any
given moment, especially around the water. I also think that not knowing how
much involuntary attention actually affects one is an important part of its
existence. If we really knew how much it can affect someone while being by water,
it wouldn’t hold as much power as it would without knowing.

Through combining both of these sources together, it becomes evident how

important the subconscious effects water can create is. The last time I went to the
waterfront, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, and it even boosted my mood for
the rest of the day. Before going, I was not very excited to go, and even debated
on not going. I wasn’t in the best of moods while driving there. But once I finally
got there, it was golden hour. The nostalgic salty smell of the water immediately
wafted to my nose. The view was spectacular, and after spending some time there
messing around on the beach and taking pictures with friends, I didn't want to
leave. To me, my favorite part of the water is how it can effortlessly lift me up
even in the worst of moods.

I believe that all of these positive experiences can be connected back to simpler,
calmer, and happier times. This could explain why I feel a specific ethereal way
while being by the water, my brain is tricked into thinking I’ve gone back in time.
For example, if you’re on a boat, the rocking of the waves can correlate to the
rocking of a crib as a baby. The calming factor being in the quiet underwater
could be that of once happily being inside your mothers womb. As weird as this
sounds, I believe it to be a big factor of the water’s power. I also believe it can go
the other way too. Instead of being in a calmer younger time, what about thinking
beyond one’s existence? Being at the ocean, or even a large waterfront, often
makes me think a lot about my future as a human being. Earlier this year I coined
a term for this feeling, I call it, being “poetic”. Seeing the infinitely sprawling
water spanning miles upon miles makes me not only think about the present, but
also the future. My mind often spirals as I contemplate many things; it feels like I
could write a poem with everything happening inside my brain, hence the name.
As subjective as the effects that water fronts can be, I believe that these effects are
some of the most important tools in helping people better understand and mend
their issues in life.