Neuroaesthetics: your brain on art.
Human beings from every culture have always sought out various experiences that we call “aesthetic.” For example, looking at paintings, reading novels, or listening to music, — are all hedonic experiences in which humans consistently choose to engage and that are in some ways emotional & rewarding without having any practical reason.
The power of art has always been with us, but a deeper awareness of its effects on the brain is relatively new.
Neuroaesthetics is a new, expanding field that studies the neural bases for the contemplation and creation of a work of art, particularly in visual arts. It thus sheds new light on fascinating questions about the nature of art.
Recall a time before screens shaped our daily lives and notifications marked our day. Do you remember being free to explore the world through all your senses? To stop and notice a butterfly? When we think of that time of simplicity and wonder, some of us recall our childhood memories as the best moments. When I was a little kid, I enjoyed exploring and creating, making collages from flowers and leaves, inhaling the smell of the sea, and writing stories of my dreams. That push to behold art permeated my existence and has enriched and shaped my life. And probably, it was the same for you. The truth is that arts — are a core part of our life.
Is art written in our DNA?
Going back to the DNA of our earliest ancestors, we could assume that art is hard-wired in our genes. Evolutionary sociobiologist E.O. Wilson said that how arts are linked to our brain — through reward, pleasure, and fear circuitry — confirms their link to our survival as a species.
Throughout the ages, humans used the arts as healing or communication tools; think of cave paintings, the chanting of monks, and the dancing rituals of Native Americans.
We could consider that as human instinct, such as talking, socializing, working, exercising, playing, and learning. But let’s not commit the error of reducing all aspects of art to innate behavior. Instead, researchers acknowledge that great works of art set us above the instincts that make them possible. Paradoxically, it is evolution — most significantly, the evolution of imagination and intellect — that enables us to transcend our animal selves.
Today, art still serves the same fundamental function — helping us to reflect and relate — much as it did in our evolutionary past.
Your brain on art.
Aesthetic experiences, and their impact on our brains, are complex, and still, more research has to be done in this field. Susan Magmasen, the founder of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, has been a significant player in the field. She explains that among the core neural mechanisms at play is the process of perception: we make meaning through exploration and cognition of our feelings, which means that each of us can perceive differently the same piece of art.
How we see art can help us discover our genuine beliefs and deepest inclinations. Psychiatrist Jung’s work also showed that art is a tool to look at our unconscious and to notice some conditions of our life in the present, past, or future. Neuroaesthetic scientists are also researching the activation of reward systems and the default mode network when beholding art. When we engage with art, our brain’s pleasure centers light up, the reward system is activated, and the brain releases an increased amount of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin, sparking positive emotions. The default mode network, once associated solely with daydreaming, is now linked to many different functions core to human well-being and life purpose. These include personal identity, imagination, empathy, and creativity, as well as embodied cognition, which allows us to place ourselves in an artwork and make us feel what the artist was feeling.
The Neuroaesthetics movement.
Today, cutting-edge brain research reveals in greater detail how visual arts, music, and poetry, enter the brain through the portal of the senses and — whether aware of it or not — deeply impact us. Indeed, the field of neuroaesthetics offers research-based evidence that various arts-based approaches may improve our well-being and sociality. Such methods could potentially lower the cost and burden of neurological disorders and mental health issues for millions of people. Several pioneering research-to-practice initiatives have been launched worldwide, opening the way for a shift from theory to application. More recently, more doctors in the UK, USA, and Canada have joined the movement, prescribing museum visits for their patients.
So, What’s Limiting the Use of the Arts?
In the age of integration where we live, arts, technology, and sciences are coming together to develop innovative solutions to complex problems. As the broad trace of evidence grows, the impact of the arts is becoming more evident, and we need to take note. But while we all know the use of the arts could make us healthier, happier, and more intelligent, art in our society is still seen as something optional. But why? What’s keeping us from realizing art’s actual impact on our lives? First, there is the misconception that the arts are either a mere ruff compared to the hard sciences or a hobby reserved for leisure time. The stigma blocks many people from getting closer to art seriously.
Until now, the many neuroscientists, social scientists, clinicians, and artists working in neuroaesthetics have primarily operated in isolation and without much media impact. The result is that most people are not yet aware of how art can unlock their full potential. We are responsible for building a community of researchers, practitioners, and companies who consistently research art’s role in addressing complex issues.
To move forward collectively, MÆ is creating a hyper-personalized social art experience that brings together ultra-contemporary artists and art lovers, facilitating new ways to relate to art and connect with people. MÆ use neuroaesthetics-based paths to help people to tap into their unconscious through art and identify the related emotions. It’s a tool to experience art deeply and connect with people on an emotional and intellectual level. Our vision is to elevate human consciousness through the power of art.
