Encroachment. (in progress)

Art for the Mind and Body

In his recent column in the New York Times, “The Power of Art in a Political Age”, David Brooks’ spoke of art as a balancing power to the ever “shallowization” (his wonderful word) driven by technology, and “politicization of everything”. His column celebrated art’s power to stimulate the depths, feel our feelings and see into the mind of another, enlarging our range of experience. The science supports what he writes. Two new books to support what he writes. How Art can change your life by art historian Susie Hodge emphasizes the emotional connection we make to art. The just released Your Brain on Art is based on neuroscience specifically devoted to how all of the arts are processed and what that reveals about their importance that is the focus of the new science of of neuroaesthetics. The authors Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross cover all the arts and the sensory structures associated with experiencing them, how the arts improve health and recognition of deeper layers of feeling. The importance of feelings should not be underestimated. New research in neuroscience shows that emotions are the organizing force for all areas of cognition. Brain scans reveal that emotions have interconnections with multiple areas in the brain, demonstrating the breadth of their influence. As an indicator of how much something matters, emotions are a register of what we care about and how much. That extra concern is what shows in the emotional signals picked up by lie detectors. All emotions are laced with personal significance. Being able to recognize emotions is key to best use of the mind. Otherwise, they can run the show. Art is an outstanding tool for building the capacity to see what you’re feeling. What we’re drawn to in art shows something about the current state of our feelings that we might not have noticed. The thoughts that arise could add important information about unrecognized underlying feelings. Those shadow feelings, hiding in the depths, need to be put somewhere. Life on the technological surface puts too much emphasis on the surface differences, the labels, and categories that translate easily into posts. Social media becomes a habit, even an obligation. Personal feelings not consciously acknowledged are projected onto an easily identified target. More awareness of the feelings below the surface would allow empathy to surface. Connecting to art, music and performance of all kinds resonates in a place without surfaces. Art can soften the rigid boundaries of too much reliance on the separating effects of words. What seems very different on the surface can touch the heart and show how artificial the surface distinctions are. Art connects to the deepest part of us.