The popularity of beaches

[Sculptor1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPhpJuraz14

[Sculptor1]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFVHaus_pjI

[Haicoway]

The three types of water bodies express three fundamental unconscious archetypes. Lakes symbolize the underworld, or one’s own unconscious psyche. It is the eye through which the underworld watches us.

Rivers and streams symbolize journey, going somewhere and winding up there. As Swinburne said: Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea.

Oceans symbolize universal connection. From the beach you can go everywhere and meet everyone on the planet.

[Sy Borg]

The three types of water bodies express three fundamental unconscious archetypes. Lakes symbolize the underworld, or one’s own unconscious psyche. It is the eye through which the underworld watches us.

Rivers and streams symbolize journey, going somewhere and winding up there. As Swinburne said: Even the weariest river winds somewhere safe to sea.

Oceans symbolize universal connection. From the beach you can go everywhere and meet everyone on the planet.

I like it. Beaches are at the edge of three worlds - land, sea and sky. I suppose the situation is a bit like the Middle East in ancient times, where people thronged at the juncture between East and West. I find boundary regions interesting generally; they have unique power and influence. Life emerged at the boundary of land and sea. Most of the activities that matter to us pertain to the activity of electrons, which lie at the boundary of atomic nuclei and the atom's environment. And conscious awareness lies between inside and outside, the subjective and objective.

[Angel Trismegistus]

...What is it about beaches that draws humans to this day....

We seem to stand at the edge of the world, and the roar of the surf whispers of eternity.

[Jack D Ripper]

There are articles online about this topic, such as:

What the beach does to your brain
Science says the surf and sand does the mind (and body) good. Here’s how to reap the benefits of all that 'vitamin sea.'

https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/w ... ncna787231


Within that article are links to various things, like a study on the psychological and health effects of living near the coast, and links to more frivolous things. Some of what is stated about it reminds me of how I feel when hiking in the woods along a river or other body of water.

Here is a bit from one of the links:

Coastal proximity, health and well-being: Results from a longitudinal panel survey

...

1. Introduction
A growing body of research suggests that the physical health and mental well-being of people in developed countries is better when they have access to “natural” green space environments such as woodlands, parks and gardens (deVries et al., 2003, Maas et al., 2006, Maas et al., 2009a, Mitchell and Popham, 2007, Mitchell and Popham, 2008). A recent investigation using English Census data extended these findings to coastal proximity. Specifically, it reported that the rate of self-reported good health in communities was higher for those communities located nearer the coast, after controlling for a range of variables such as employment levels, crime rates and, crucially, green space (Wheeler et al., 2012). ...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9213000816


One sees in the study quoted a comparison with green spaces, which fits well with my thoughts about hiking in the woods and how I feel when doing that.

I think a major reason why people love beaches is that going to the beach tends to make one feel better.