Earlier quoted context omitted.
I own 4.2 acres in the Sierras north of US-50 between Kyburz and South Lake Tahoe at 5,600ft elevation. It was not easy to find, but there is a seasonal creek that runs through it fed by snowmelt. I had to drill a well 600ft down to find water year round, there are no utilities so I had to dig out for septic, get propane storage for generator power, and I have a gravel path via an easement into an adjacent property t…
It would be interesting to figure out scientifically why places like the one you mentioned cause this kind of effect on the human brain.
I only have anecdata, but I have identified two factors: isolation and vulnerability, or rather the sudden change in how isolated or vulnerable we feel. We become accustomed to the sounds of our own neighborhood and city in general, so if you stop all these sounds and introduce new ones, in addition to literally being isolated and unable to read others’ emotions on the situation, our brains generate discomfort via anxiety and stress. The vulnerability aspect is due to the fact that we don’t know what’s out there. When we’re walking around in the darkness, our brains are determining that we are in danger and attempts to signal to us that we need to GTFO. Being in terrifying situations will heighten that response.