There is a lot of scientific evidence to prove that art enhances the functioning of the brain. Art, directly and indirectly, affects brain wave patterns, nervous systems, emotions, and also raises serotonin levels. It can easily change the way people experience the world and even change their outlook.

Years of research now provide enough information proving that art education can impact almost all parts of human life, from their academic performance/achievement to their emotional and social development. We also know now that art helps develop the neural systems responsible for producing a broad spectrum of benefits that range from creativity to fine motor skills, better emotional balance, and much more. In one sentence, art is essential to the proper functioning both individually and collectively as a society.

According to evidence gathered from numerous brain research, engaging in fine art greatly benefits the human educational process. Fine art also flourishes systems in the body, such as the integrated sensory system, emotional, cognitive, attentional, and motor capacities. And all of these are the major driving forces behind the different forms of human learning.

Art Changes in Consciousness

As Jacob Devaney rightly puts it in one of his articles, when a person observes a piece of art, they are potentially working the same neurons performed in the artist while they were creating the art. This creates new neural pathways in the beholder and also stimulates a sense of inspiration in them. The feeling of being drawn to artwork or painting is known as embodied cognition.

Art Increases the Flow of Blood to the Brain

In one of the numerous experiments carried out to understand the impact of art on the brain, Professor Semir Zeki, University College London, he tried to understand the brain's activities or what's happening in the mind when we view beautiful paintings.

According to the experiment, when we look at artwork – be it still life, landscape, a portrait of an abstract – there are powerful activities in the brain that deal with pleasure. During the experiments, the participants were made to undergo brain scans while looking at a series of paintings drawn by significant artists. When the participants look at arts that they thought were very beautiful, the flow of blood in some parts of the brain increased by up to 10%, and this is equal to the same reaction when looking at one's lover. The paintings that produced the most pleasure response were those from artists such as Ingres, Claude Monet, and Constable.

Beauty, Wonder, and Awe Promote Healing

According to Psychologist Dr. Keltner Dacher, beauty, wonder, and awe help to promote healing, and a healthy level of cytokine suggests that the activities that we carry out to experience some of these emotions such as listening to music deeply, beholding art, viewing the scenery while taking a walk, etc. directly affect our life expectancy and health. Appreciating creative artworks does help in fighting off diseases.

The experiences that we have while we view awesome art positively affect our mental state and physical body. The feeling of 'awe' carries some tremendous implications for human well-being. Among this is the feeling of fulfillment and the sense of hope that comes with experiencing awe.

Art Reduces Stress

In one of the publications on the NIH website, it was revealed that engaging in creative activities can reduce depression and stress levels. This can be leveraged to alleviate the heavy burdens that come with chronic diseases. Also, imagination and creativity are ways by which we discover our identity and the depth of our healing. The more understanding we have about the relationship between healing and creative expression, the more knowledge we get on art's power to heal.

Art Allows For Deeper Focus

The process of creating art induces something in the artist that is called 'flow' in the science community. 'Flow' is a state of mind, a zone in which you feel that you are losing all awareness. It's like you are losing yourself. You're very much in the present, and at that moment, you don't feel any sense of space and time.

When you are in the state of flow, activities are going on in your brain. That flow states activate different networks such as a sense of pleasure, focused attention to what you are doing, and a relaxed reflective state. A significant characteristic of the flow state is that you experience a rise in theta wave activity with your brain's frontal areas. And the central and frontal regions also experience alpha wave activities moderately.

Conclusion

Art has many benefits to us humans, and it is majorly in how it affects our brain. With some of these impacts mentioned in this article, the next time you view art, know that you are more than just viewing it.

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