The Science of Dance, Art and Music On The Brain
It is incredible to me how underestimated dance, art and music are in the context of therapeutic healing.
In a fantastic article by the Washington Post in 2017, the term ‘neuroaesthetics’ was introduced in an attempt to convey the relationship between art and the brain.
Social connection is at the very heart of us as a mammalian species, which in turn makes us attuned to the facial expressions, energy and felt sense of those around us. The cues of others helps us to understand context, environment, perceived safety or danger - particularly in a crowd or unfamiliar setting.
Social connection is key in the healing process; which brings us to interpreting the movement and feelings of others. The beauty of art is the way that a narrative is translated to allow us to be connected with others through various states. An example is through dance; we become transfixed through the sequence of movement from others and in some way, feel this in our own bodies. Think of a dance between two people that you were able to witness; Did you feel the sadness, excitement, or joy of others? Pair this with music which allows us to feel emotions more intensely.
When we engage our senses and the parts of our brain (parietal junction, medial prefrontal cortex) to translate what we are engaging in the external world to our internal world, we ignite the senses and become immersed in an experience - similar to imagery re-scripting during an EMDR reprocessing phase, or an exercise of compassion and/or gratitude.
Pair this all together and we as Therapists have an opportunity rich in an imaginal setting to not only introduce a new concept or experience for a client, but offer the opportunity to embody it. Imagine a client with a history of depression, allowing their body to move in a way that expresses freedom and joy, or a client who feels disconnected from their world to listen a song that takes them back to a time where they felt connected and loved?
Our limitations of what we can introduce to a client is only limited by our curiosity and courage.
Interested in knowing more? Credit to The Washington Post for this engaging and interactive article piece: