BY PATRICIA VARGA

THE GROWING BODY OF RESEARCH known as neuroaesthetics , or neuroarts , convincingly makes the case that engaging in arts activities , whether as a consumer or as a hands-on participant , confers significant benefits in disease prevention , faster healing and even longevity .

A bestselling book published earlier this year , Your Brain on Art , provides a comprehensive survey of this research . Written by Susan Magsamen , founder and director of International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine ’ s Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics , and Ivy Ross , vice president of design for hardware products at Google , the book aims to educate audiences about the numerous benefits of incorporating the arts into their lives .

Whether you participate or view art , the results are the same : The creativity of art gets you out of your head and into your heart , where healing occurs .

How does art help you heal ? Art is a language that gives voice to how we feel . It is a safe way to experience and also express our feelings . Art goes beyond words and tells a story

visually . It also helps us to delve into our true selves .

Viewing art can help you tune into yourself , shift perspectives , befriend what you are thinking about or troubled by and defuse the power something has over you — releasing you from anything negative . Art is uplifting , inspirational , meditative . How ? Viewing or creating art suspends the thinking , critical mind and allows the observer or participant to tap into other parts of the brain : imagination , creativity . Art provides the medium through which we stop thinking and start a more direct form of expression : sensations , emotions . Art helps us to feel and heal .

Art is also a way of being present and mindful : Viewing or participating can capture your imagination and helps you to experience the “ here and now .”

You can ’ t heal what you don ’ t understand ; art helps you to better understand yourself and what you are going through .

Art and stress reduction Consider these risk factors of stress from Dr . George Slavich , director of the Stress Lab at UCLA ’ s department of behavioral sciences and psychiatry : l Stress increases inflammation levels in the body . l Stress also weakens the immune system , leading to disease . l Stress contributes to the six most prevalent major diseases — cancer , heart disease , Alzheimer ’ s , diabetes , depression and obesity — that account for 75 percent of all medical costs and 70 percent of deaths in the Unites States .

How to defuse stress ? Art and creativity . Neuroaesthetics suggests that engaging with aesthetically pleasing artwork can activate the brain ’ s reward pathways and reduce stress , promoting relaxation , peace and calm . The specific impact may vary from person to person , but overall , art can have a positive influence on stress reduction , health and wellness . n

PATRICIA VARGA is a communicator , author ( Create to Heal : A Pathway to Insight , A Journey to Peace ), artist , transformational therapist and founder of Women with Wings who uses art as a tool to inspire creativity , healing , self-expression and leadership for patients and clients . Her signature program , Create to Heal , is being taught in domestic violence shelters worldwide and in hospitals and cancer centers across the country . womenwwings . org / wellness-resorts-spas /

28 PULSE n NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2023