This paper takes initial steps towards developing a theoretical framework of contemplative neuroaesthetics through sensorimotor dynamics.We first argue that this new area has been largely omitted from the contemporary...This paper takes initial steps towards developing a theoretical framework of contemplative neuroaesthetics through sensorimotor dynamics.We first argue that this new area has been largely omitted from the contemporary research agenda in neuroaesthetics and thus remains a domain of untapped potential.We seek to define this domain to foster a clear and focused investigation of the capacity of the arts and architecture to induce phenomenological states of a contemplative kind.By proposing a sensorimotor account of the experience of architecture,we operationalize how being attuned to architecture can lead to contemplative states.In contrasting the externally-induced methods with internally-induced methods for eliciting a contemplative state of mind,we argue that architecture may spontaneously and effortlessly lead to such states as certain built features naturally resonate with our sensorimotor system.We suggest that becoming sensible of the resonance and attunement process between internal and external states is what creates an occasion for an externallyinduced contemplative state.Finally,we review neuroscientific studies of architecture,elaborate on the brain regions involved in such aesthetic contemplative responses,provide architectural examples,and point at the contributions that this new area of inquiry may have in fields such as the evidence-based design movement in architecture.展开更多
Built environments can induce contemplative states, but direct evidence for their impact on the brain is lacking. This exploratory work investigated brain correlates of internal states elicited by architecture designe...Built environments can induce contemplative states, but direct evidence for their impact on the brain is lacking. This exploratory work investigated brain correlates of internal states elicited by architecture designed for contemplative experience. Functional MRI and self-reports of 12 architects were assessed to study their responses to photographs of ordinary and contemplative architectures. Images of contemplative buildings： （1） induced attentive, receptive, and absorbing experiences and diminished internal dialogue; （2） involved decreased engagement of prefrontal cortex; and （3） activated the occipital lobe, precentra[ gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule. They suggest that viewing buildings designed for contemplation may evoke experiential and brain signatures that consistently differ from those induced by buildings that serve everyday functions. The depth of such externally induced states was inversely correlated with the engagement of the Default Mode Network. Our study points toward a novel avenue for investigating how contemplation can be cultivated in the human brain/mind.展开更多
文摘This paper takes initial steps towards developing a theoretical framework of contemplative neuroaesthetics through sensorimotor dynamics.We first argue that this new area has been largely omitted from the contemporary research agenda in neuroaesthetics and thus remains a domain of untapped potential.We seek to define this domain to foster a clear and focused investigation of the capacity of the arts and architecture to induce phenomenological states of a contemplative kind.By proposing a sensorimotor account of the experience of architecture,we operationalize how being attuned to architecture can lead to contemplative states.In contrasting the externally-induced methods with internally-induced methods for eliciting a contemplative state of mind,we argue that architecture may spontaneously and effortlessly lead to such states as certain built features naturally resonate with our sensorimotor system.We suggest that becoming sensible of the resonance and attunement process between internal and external states is what creates an occasion for an externallyinduced contemplative state.Finally,we review neuroscientific studies of architecture,elaborate on the brain regions involved in such aesthetic contemplative responses,provide architectural examples,and point at the contributions that this new area of inquiry may have in fields such as the evidence-based design movement in architecture.
文摘Built environments can induce contemplative states, but direct evidence for their impact on the brain is lacking. This exploratory work investigated brain correlates of internal states elicited by architecture designed for contemplative experience. Functional MRI and self-reports of 12 architects were assessed to study their responses to photographs of ordinary and contemplative architectures. Images of contemplative buildings： （1） induced attentive, receptive, and absorbing experiences and diminished internal dialogue; （2） involved decreased engagement of prefrontal cortex; and （3） activated the occipital lobe, precentra[ gyrus, and inferior parietal lobule. They suggest that viewing buildings designed for contemplation may evoke experiential and brain signatures that consistently differ from those induced by buildings that serve everyday functions. The depth of such externally induced states was inversely correlated with the engagement of the Default Mode Network. Our study points toward a novel avenue for investigating how contemplation can be cultivated in the human brain/mind.
