1，Plato, in his philosophy of Forms, once stated that the senses rooted in the core of human nature are “truth, virtue, and beauty.”
In the field of neuroaesthetics, a type of brain science, the mental processes related to various arts and aesthetic sensibilities are studied using psychological experiments and MRI. The purpose of this research is to understand the psychological impact on people when they encounter beautiful art and how that has social repercussions. What research has revealed so far is that when people recognize both concrete beauty such as beautiful music, visual arts, and architecture, and abstract beauty such as moral ethics, mathematics, and gestures, the same area at the base of the frontal lobe becomes active. In other words, it is possible that Plato’s “truth, virtue, and beauty,” as mentioned at the beginning, exist as having the same value within the brain.
Furthermore, there is also negative beauty, such as awe and sadness. For example, when a person feels sublimity or reverence towards the vastness of nature, a part of the brain that mixes aesthetic pleasure and fear reacts. When faced with an overwhelmingly powerful object, a person’s self shrinks, and they begin to yearn for connection with others. Fascism, for example, once applied this principle, using grand spectacle to strengthen in-group ties and exclude out-groups. However, it can also be used conversely to alleviate social divisions.
When people perceive the beauty of sorrow, it is a state of mixed positive and negative emotions. The more conflicting emotions one feels simultaneously, the more aesthetically valuable the object of their perception becomes. This is seen in tragic plays and sad music, for example. We also find beauty in altruism and acts of self-sacrifice. At this time, the prefrontal cortex (aesthetics) and the middle cingulate cortex (sociality) are active in the brain. In other words, the beauty of sorrow is related to empathy for the sorrow and pain of others, and to understanding others.
Recently, there is art that evokes a sense of “ugliness.” When a person perceives intense ugliness, the amygdala, which controls feelings of disgust and fear, and the motor cortex, which controls arm movement, become active simultaneously. This is a kind of defense mechanism occurring in the brain, a desire to distance oneself from the ugly object.
The above information was adapted from a research report by Professor Tomohiro Ishizu of Kansai University.
2, In the research of American psychiatrist Dr. Hawking, stages of human consciousness were quantified and mapped using muscle reflex testing. According to his research, when most people are in a neutral state, their average level of consciousness remains at “pride.” People with a neutral level of pride tend to try to find superiority over others. This low level of respect for others leads to interpersonal conflicts. Small conflicts at the individual level mirror the scale of wars between nations on a macro level. He says that when the average level of human consciousness surpasses pride and becomes “courage,” the way human society functions will change. Incidentally, human consciousness changes temporarily due to internal or external factors, but when a person is exposed to beautiful music or art, their level of consciousness temporarily rises to “joy” or “peace.” In other words, beauty has a very significant influence on human consciousness, and this influence has the potential to change the way society functions.
3,Summary
Now, what can be found in common from these two studies is the importance of “beauty” to human beings. As mentioned earlier, there are many kinds of beauty, both positive and negative, and both are indispensable in seeking mutual understanding among people and a better way of life for society. In my personal opinion, “beauty” is a tool for humanity to explore the truth of human nature, and it is something we instinctively seek.
In today’s world, information is abundant, society is complex, and the definition of beauty is diversifying. Amidst all this, as an artist, I pursue a pure beauty where only joy exists. This is because I am interested in the origin of beauty, and the fact that I may never find the answer even in a lifetime is what motivates me to continue creating art.
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