Your Brain on Art

What is art? Many of us think of the arts as a luxury. This book will show you how arts are essential and can deliver potent, accessible, and proven solutions for the well-being of everyone.

Magsamen and Ross offer compelling research that shows how engaging in an art project for as little as forty-five minutes reduces the stress hormone cortisol, no matter your skill level, and just one art experience per month can extend your life by ten years. They expand our understanding of how playing music builds cognitive skills and enhances learning:

The vibrations of a tuning fork create sound waves to counteract stress.
Virtual reality can provide cutting-edge therapeutic benefit.
Interactive exhibits dissolve the boundaries between art and viewers, engaging all of our senses and strengthening memory.
Doctors have even been prescribing museum visits to address loneliness, dementia, and many other physical and mental health concerns.

Featuring conversations with artists such as David Byrne, Renée Fleming, and evolutionary biologist E. O. Wilson, Your Brain on Art is an authoritative guide to how neuroaesthetics can help us transform traditional medicine, build healthier communities, and mend an aching planet. The book weaves a tapestry of breakthrough research, insights from multidisciplinary pioneers, and compelling stories from people who are using the arts to enhance their lives.