This week's topic of the connection between neuroscience and art has been the most interesting subject to me because of how strange the relationship seems to be. I had never before considered how these two fields could be even remotely related to one another.
One of the most intriguing relationships involved meditation and its affects on the brain. Eileen Luders, a research fellow at UCLA, conducted research regarding the brains of those that meditate regularly and how they compare to the brains of those that do not. Luders and her research partners relied on MRI technology to make these comparisons. Forty four people were analyzed in this study, half of them having participated in meditation before. At the conclusion of this study, it was found that the regions used for controlling emotions were larger in the participants that had experience with meditation. However, it is uncertain if these variations are caused by meditation practices or if these were characteristics of their brain since birth, possibly gearing them towards meditation in the first place.
This possible connection is very interesting for future implications. If there was, in fact, a direct relationship between meditation and the size of these emotion regulating parts of the brain, meditation could be recommended for certain disorders or conditions. It could be suggested to help with things such as anxiety. In my opinion, this is a very useful application of the practice. While there is, surprisingly, a plethora of ways that neuroscience relates to the artistic realm, meditation was one of the most fascinating to me.
"Harvard Unveils MRI Study Proving Meditation Literally Rebuilds The Brain’s Gray Matter In 8 Weeks." FEELguide. N.p., 19 Nov. 2014. Web. 20 May 2017.
Wheeler, Mark. "How to Build a Bigger Brain." UCLA Newsroom. N.p., 12 May 2009. Web. 18 May 2017.
Learning, Lumen. "The Brain and Spinal Cord." The Brain and Spinal Cord | Introduction to Psychology. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 May 2017.
"The Neuroscience of Mindfulness Meditation." The Chopra Center. N.p., 24 Feb. 2017. Web. 20 May 2017.
Sean Thompson, Director of Treatment at Natural BodyWorks Follow. "Mindfulness and Meditation." LinkedIn SlideShare. N.p., 08 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 May 2017.
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