The purpose of this study was to investigate the motivation, healing purpose, healing process and healing effect of forest through experiential essays. These essays of 34 forest experience were collected from 2014 to 2015 at Forestry Administration Office. Five steps of analysis were used including self-observation, self-description, selfdiscovery, equality and differentiation, and verification. The results of the study are as follows. First, there were psychological instability factors such as depression, bipolar disorder, helplessness, social phobia, and social maladjustment, and these factors were related to physical illness or family history of patients. Second, the process of self-discovering by self-observation and self-description in forest experience was expressed, and this experience is interpreted to strongly support the effects of various forest healing proved empirically in previous studies. Third, the patients experienced similar sufferings such as depression, anxiety, and frustration, but they described as experiencing the process optimized for each unique characteristic in the motivation, necessity, accessibility, and program utilization of each experience. Ultimately, the participants felt positive change in senses and emotions such as refreshing, comfort, relaxation, and euphoria through the natural vitality of forests that is inhaled through the five senses. They learnt to reflect on themselves and shame, and they could rediscover the value and meaning of life while meaningfully recognizing the problems attributed to them.

• Ok Hee Park(Department of Forest Therapy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, South Korea)
• Jae Yong Lee(Department of Education, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, South Korea) Corresponding author
• Myung Hee Hong(Department of Forest Therapy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, South Korea)