Legacy of World Art Influencing the Psyche of People

Abstract

Scientific evidence suggests that engaging with the arts has positive effects on health and happiness. It is not yet understood how an appreciation of the arts influences our thoughts and feelings to improve our overall health and happiness. Here, we take a look at the theory that aesthetic pleasure improves health and happiness through altering one's state of mind. First, we take a look at the research that links visits to art galleries, hospitals, and schools to improved health and happiness. The second part of this article is a summary of recent neuroimaging research on aesthetic experience & emotional processing. In particular, we used recent developments in neuroaesthetics to test several hypotheses on the factors that contribute to aesthetic enjoyment during art reception in an effort to better understand how exposure to the arts might improve one's state of mind. Finally, we suggest studies of aesthetic experience with psychophysiological stress measurements to encourage the targeted use of art to these ends.