Sunday, May 15, 2016

Neuroscience in Art

Image result for neuroscienceThis week's topic of neuroscience is one that offers limitless boundaries.  As Frazzetto and Anker mentioned, this field of study dives into an area that appeals to the curiosity of much of society.  It is a study that deals with the identity of the individual which includes consciousness, and emotions.  I thought that this weeks topic was extremely interesting simply because although knowledge of the brain has grown exponentially over the course of history, questions about its functionality continue to arise.



Image result for consciousnessOne topic that was heavily talked about this week has to do with consciousness.  Carl Jung, in his work titled The Spiritual Problem of the Modern Man states that consciousness is a virtue that allows individuals that are spiritually invested in it to enjoy a lifestyle superior to those who are not.  He goes on to say that although staying conscious is important, being unconscious can lead to creativity.  Carl  believes that the modern man who is heavily aware of the present is far from average stating that he sits on a mountain nearly touching heaven.  This idea of consciousness vs unconsciousness shows how the brain functions and presents the idea that it can be trained to function more efficiently.




An additional but similar area of neuroscience is present in Sigmund Freud's studies of dreams.  In On Dreams, Freud talks about how dreams are sort of an alternate language that mind speaks in.  He talks about how, although brains have relative content, the content and importance is shifted.  This work is closely related to Jung's work on conscious.  Freud draws parallels between one's consciousness and the content of their dreams.  As one can see in the works of Freud and Jung, neuroscience is a broad topic that will most likely never cease.





Works:

Bell, Vaughan. Anesthesia May Leave Patients Consciousness. Digital image. Discover. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/crux/2012/01/04/surgical-anesthetics-may-leave-patients-conscious-and-show-more-precisely-what-consciousness-is/#.VzjWDZErLIU>.
Bouma, Ryan. What Is Neuroscience. Digital image. McGill. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016. <https://www.mcgill.ca/neuroscience/neuroscience>.
Freud, Sigmund. On Dreams. New York: Norton, 1952. Print.
Jung, Carl. "The Spiritual Problem of the Modern Man." N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016. <file:///C:/Users/Brian/Downloads/50653831-C-G-Jung-The-Spiritual-Problem-of-Modern-Man-1928.pdf>.
Jung, Carl. "The Spiritual Problem of the Modern Man." N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016. <file:///C:/Users/Brian/Downloads/50653831-C-G-Jung-The-Spiritual-Problem-of-Modern-Man-1928.pdf>.
"Neuroculture." Perspectives. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016. <file:///C:/Users/Brian/Downloads/Neuroculture.pdf>.
Vesna, Victoria. "Neuroscience + Art." Desma 9. 15 May 2016. Lecture.
"Vienna and Art Design." N.p., n.d. Web. 15 May 2016. <http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/vienna/sexuality/sigmund-freud.html>.

2 comments:

  1. Brian,

    I too was extremely interested in this topic, as it deals with the way the mind works in the realm of conscious and unconscious. Within your post, I believe that the relationship between Jung and Freud is quite significant and one that is imperative when studying this concept. You stated that Jung claims that "being unconscious can lead to creativity". This is an idea that I believe would allow the brain to think more freely, almost in a developmental manner, leading to advancements within individuals, ultimately creating a greater society. While you also touched on Freud and his findings, I believe Jung's notion of creativity is most important when discussing conscious and unconscious realms of the brain. Additionally, I agree with you when you say that neuroscience is a broad topic that will never cease.

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  2. I really enjoyed the section on dreams and how Freud believed them to be some sort of a different language. I agree that neuroscience is a huge world of study that has yet to be fully explored. Overall, you brought up a few topics that I had yet to discover and now I feel as though I should look into this topic some more.

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