Research in Art and HealingJust in this past decade, art and healing has began to spread it's wings. More research has been done than ever before in the healing art realm. We have long forgotten the ways of our ancestors and how they once utilized art for healing, but now we are going back to or roots and using the best technologies to discover just how art heals. Research has been done tremendously in regards to the medical field in seeing how we may use art in medical-type settings. We have found that every type/form of art has healing qualities and that art can help anyone. Over the years there have been ground-breaking studies and discoveries in art and healing, and we are now able to focus in on different aspects, treatments, and environments for healing with the arts. Listed below art just a few of the results and discoveries that research has brought to light.
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Cytokines, Boosting Immunity |
Art has been proven to boost our immune systems. Just looking at works of art can actually help fight off disease. Art boosts the immune system by lowering levels of chemicals that cause heart attacks, inflammation, trigger diabetes, and other illnesses. Two separate experiments were done on over two-hundred young adults who would report on a given day the extent to which they experienced positive emotions like joy, love, awe, and amusement. Samples of cheek and gum tissue showed that those who experienced more of these emotions (amazement and wonder in particular) had the lowest levels of cytokine Interleukin 6, which is a marker of inflammation. Beauty, wonder, and awe promote healthier levels of cytokines and the things we do to experience these emotions like listening/playing music, beholding art, and going on a nature walk have a a direct influence upon life expectancy and health, suggests psychologist Dr. Dacher Keltner from the California University of Berkeley. Cytokines are chemicals that are necessary for herding cells to our bodies’ battlegrounds to fight infections, trauma, and diseases. Too many of these chemicals however, are linked to disorders like arthritis, heart disease, type two diabetes, and even Alzheimer’s. In addition to autoimmune diseases, cytokines have been linked to depression. It is believed by signaling the brain to produce inflammatory molecules cytokines can block neurotransmitters and hormones like dopamine and serotonin, of which controls sleep, memory, appetite, and mood. Dr. Jennifer Stellar from Toronto University states that awe is associated with curiosity and a desire to explore, which could counter inflammation where people typically withdrawal from others in their environments. It has been established that things such as lots of sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet bolster the body’s defenses against illness, but only recent studies with art and healing have looked at the role of positive emotions in this arsenal. Findings have demonstrated that positive emotions are indeed associated with the markers of good health (Agency 1).
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Patients, MusicArt in Hospitals, Patient RecoveryReduce StressCreative ThinkingSelf-EsteemBrain PlasticityStart Art YoungEmpathy, love |
Joshua Smith, a psychologist from Syracuse University found that by engaging in various forms of art, humans are likely to initiate the processes that reduce mood states, manage stress, and change behaviors that impact cardiovascular risk and recovery. A study in New Zealand asked patients with congestive heart failure to draw pictures showing what they thought their hearts looked like. The study revealed that those who portrayed their hearts with more damage turned out to have worse outcomes. This raised the possibility of doctors utilizing drawings to help change patients’ views of their diseases/illnesses and in turn alter their outcome and course for the better. In Italy, researchers reported that blood pressure and respiratory rates can synchronize with music, like increasing during crescendos and decreasing during decrescendos or paused for an example. These findings may aid therapists in the future of music therapy. Other research has shown that music also helps prolong exercise by distracting patients/participants from their pain (Winslow 1).
"If an art installation gets a patient out of his room or paintings take a person's mind off their pain and lower their stress levels, the art isn't just decorative anymore. It's part of the entire model of care," said Harris, who oversees a $1.5 million art program, funded entirely by philanthropic donors. More and more hosipitals are beginning to decorate their facilities with art. Hospitals that display art have had a positive impact on patients. Patients seem to improve and heal up to 5 days faster than those who are not surrounded by art. Looking at art distracts them from their surroundings, gets their minds off of their pain, illness, and problems, makes them “forget” where they are and their situation, and puts them in a more relaxed and meditative state. Not only these things, but art in hospitals get patients up and moving, increasing their recovery rate. Art and sculptures displayed in hallways and rooms draws patients to them, making them want to get up and observe (Urist 1).
Creating and looking at art can relieve and/or lower stress levels, leaving you felling calm and mentally clear. Making, looking, listening, and watching different types of art all provide a means of distraction, providing our brains with a break from our usual thoughts. On average, a person has around 60,000 thoughts per day, 95% of which are exactly the same day in and day out. When we get immersed in a creative activity, we may find ourselves in what is known as “the zone” or in a state of flow. This meditative-like state focuses our minds and temporarily pushes aside all worries. Art trains one to concentrate on details and pay better attention to our environment. In this way, art acts like meditation.
Dr. Lawrence Katz, an internationally recognized pioneer n neuron regeneration research, found that mental decline was not from the death of brain cells themselves, but rather was due primarily to the loss of communication between brain cells. Dr. Katz encourages “neurobics”, a phrase he coined to describe brain exercises that use our sense in new and novel ways. Creating art does just that, and enhances our problem-solving skills. Art encourages creative thinking, and allows one to come up with their own unique solutions. Unlike subjects such as math, there is no one correct answer in art. Thinking out-of-the-box also stimulates the brain to grow new neurons. Contrary to popular belief, creative thinking does not mean only using the right side of the brain; it involves getting both sides of the brain to communicate with one another.
Art can provide a sense of accomplishment and boost self-esteem. Hanging up or displaying your latest artwork can instill accomplished feelings. Making art increases the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is the “feel good” neurotransmitter. It has also been called the “motivation molecule”. Dopamine boosts focus, drive, and concentration. It enables you to resist impulses and plan ahead so we are better fit and equipped to achieve our goals. Dopamine stimulates the creation of new neurons, preparing your brain for learning. Artistic and crafting hobbies of all kinds – sewing, knitting, drawing, taking pictures, woodworking, gardening, home repair – increase our production of dopamine to help ward off depression and protect our brains from aging.
Art has been proven to increase brain connectivity and plasticity. Every time we engage in complex or new activities, our brains create new connections between brain cells. Our brains’ ability to grow connections and change throughout our lives is known as brain plasticity and/or neuroplasticity. Making art stimulates communication between different parts of the brain. Creating art, in this way, has been proven to increase resistance to stress and psychological resilience. Intelligence depends more on the number of brain connections than on the size of your brain, which has been proven to have no connection with intelligence.
Studies have shown that children with artistic training such as music perform better in reading, language, and math. Artistic lessons early on increase blood flow to the brain and enhance brain plasticity. There is now evidence that the brain-enhancing benefits of art lessons received during an early age could follow out through adulthood and last all our lives. Art lessons also increase IQ, attention, fluid intelligence, and reduce impulsiveness and improve overall behavior.
A study of over 100,000 students found that art increases tolerance, empathy, and feelings of love. The study shown that a 1 hour trip to an art museum changed the way every student felt and thought. The participants not only increased critical thinking skills, but they also expressed greater tolerance towards people that were different than themselves, and exhibited greater empathy towards the way peopled lived in the past. The study discovered that simply the act of viewing are provides people with feelings of pleasure, much like falling in love. Brain scans that were taken of the participants revealed that looking at artworks trigger surges of dopamine into the same area of the brain that registers romantic love.
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Important Findings in Art and Healing Research
Here are additional links with further information on stories and discoveries and studies on art and healing
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