Neurosci + Art

(LSD poster)

From a distance it may seem as though there is not much of a relationship between art and neuroscience. This is because most people think of art as abstract and imaginative, whereas neuroscience and the science spectrum are considered logical and straightforward. While the two share their differences, they also share the main goal of unlocking visual concepts of the mind. Art has a way of making the mind aware of unique images. However, the mind is what perceives these images and becomes conscious of them. 

(Image of art and neuroscience)

Conscious is defined in the neuroscience lecture: part 1 as “A sense of one’s personal or collective identity, including the attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities held by or considered characteristic of an individual or group: Love of freedom runs deep in the national consciousness.” By allowing attitudes, beliefs, and sensitivities to be formed around a piece of art it lets the art piece take on a new form in each person’s mind. This is accentuated when the mind is on drugs. Hallucinogenic drugs specifically affect the regions of the brain that regulate arousal. 

(Normal brain (top) versus brain on LSD (bottom))

This heightened arousal works with serotonin released in the brain to alter perceptions of art and create images in the mind that are most likely not even visible to the average human eye. The mind and its ability to perceive art in so many different ways is a truly wondrous thing.

(Conscientiousness)

Works Cited

"How Do Hallucinogens (LSD, Psilocybin, Peyote, DMT, and Ayahuasca) Affect the Brain and Body?" National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2016.

"The Neuroscience of Creativity." Comic Art, Creativity and the Law (n.d.): 7-11. Web.

Vesna, Victoria. " Neuroscience-pt1.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 May.

Vesna, Victoria. " Neuroscience-pt2.mov." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 May. 2

Vesna, Victoria. " Neuroscience pt3." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 13 May. 2