Resources

Explore a vast array of recommended reading material encompassing books and articles from diverse sources such as research papers, specialised journals, and magazines. Additionally, delve into enriching podcasts, YouTube videos, and TED Talks.

This collection is continually updated to bring you the latest research, insightful opinions, and engaging content from these varied platforms.

Meditation is an ancient practice that has been used for thousands of years.

However, it is only in the past fifty years that extensive research has been undertaken to explore its numerous mental, physical, and emotional benefits, which can enhance our quality of life.

Here you will find details of the most notable research studies and valuable information about meditation.

For thousands of years, humans have walked upright, though not always in the most efficient or effective way. It is only in the past decade that significant research has emerged to truly understand the advantages of walking properly, for both physical and mental health.

Here you will find details of the most notable research studies and information about walking.

  • Books

    • In Praise of Walking: The new science of how we walk and why it’s good for us - Shane O’Mara

    We put one foot in front of the other without thinking - yet how many of us know how we do that, or appreciate the advantages it gives us? In this hymn to walking, neuroscientist Shane O'Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits it confers on our bodies and minds, and urges us to appreciate - and exercise - our miraculous ability

    • In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration - Shane O’Mara

    Neuroscientist Shane O'Mara invites us to marvel at the benefits walking confers on our bodies and brains, and to appreciate the advantages of this uniquely human skill.

    • Walk Yourself Happy - Julia Bradbury

    Bradbury explains the elemental link between our own health - both physical and mental - and the natural world.

    • 52 Ways to Walk - Annabel Streets

    Walking strengthens our bodies, calms our minds and lifts our spirits. But it does so much more than this. Our vision, hearing, respiration, sleep, cognition, memory, blood pressure, sense of smell and balance are all enhanced by how we walk

    • The Vintage book of walking - Duncan Minshull

    The first comprehensive anthology on the subject, delves into why we walk and how we walk; the differences between the country hike and the city stroll; walking and wooing; walking into trouble and marching out. A mix of fiction and non-fiction, poetry and drama.

    • Walking - Henry David Thoreau

    An impassioned essay, which praises the merits of time spent in nature, has become one of the most influential works of the modern environmentalist movement.

    • Walking Contemplations

    The natural restorative power of nature is revealed through a selection of beautiful, evocative quotes transporting the reader to a space of contemplative reflection inspired by the mindful art of walking.

    • The Old Ways - Robert Macfarlane

    Following the vast ancient network of routes criss-crossing the British Isles and beyond, Robert Macfarlane discovers a lost world - a landscape of the feet and the mind, of pilgrimage and ritual, of stories and ghosts; above all of the places and journeys which inspire and inhabit our imaginations.

    • Thoughts on Walking - Walking Tours - A Night Among the Pines - Forest Notes - Robert Louis Stevenson

    • Wanderlust: A History of Walking - Rebecca Solnit

    a cultural history of walking, exploring its role in our lives and its various forms, from pilgrimages to modern-day strolls.

    • The Joy of Walking - Suzy Cripps

    Through the best of classic writing, this inspiring anthology shows how the simple act of walking goes to the heart of life itself

    • Afoot and Lighthearted: A Mindful Walking Log - Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

    Learn how to harness the power of walking to cultivate and nourish attention, inspiration, and determination, as well as to combat distraction, anxiety, and the dreaded creative block.

    • Keep it Moving - Twyla Tharp

    Tharp shares her secrets for harnessing vitality and finding purpose as you age. From insight to action, Keep It Moving is a guidebook for expanding one’s possibilities over the course of a lifetime.

  • Research

    • WalkActive

    The original research carried out by Dr Darren James, London South Bank University department of Sport and Exercise Science

    • Longer Life Within Walking Distance - Dr Michael Greger

    • A Comparative study of the feet of barefooted and shoe-wearing peoples -Journal of bone and joint surgery

    • 5 surprising benefits of walking - Harvard Medical School

    • Walking for Exercise - The Nutrition Source

    • Even a Little Walking May Help You Live Longer - American Cancer Society

    • The multifaceted benefits of walking for healthy aging: from Blue Zones to molecular mechanisms - National Library of Medicine

All cultural forms such as fine arts, crafts, music, and dance, are essential for expressing human experience and shared values.

In a world where technology pervades our daily lives, the spaces we inhabit and the art we engage with are more vital than ever to our mental and physical well-being.

The ConsciousCulture approach, grounded in the science of neuroaesthetics, is an interdisciplinary field that explores the neural mechanisms underlying our appreciation and creation of art and beauty, and allows us to appreciate all art forms in a deeper, more open-minded, and rewarding manner.

Here, you will find detailed insights into some of the most notable research studies on cultural engagement.

  • Books

    These books provide a mix of theoretical foundations, scientific research, and art historical perspectives, offering a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating world of neuroaesthetics.

    • The Aesthetic Brain: How We Evolved to Desire Beauty and Enjoy Art - Anjan Chatterjee

    This book provides an overview of how beauty and art may have evolved, exploring the biological and cognitive underpinnings of aesthetic experience.

    • Vision and Art: The Biology of Seeing - Margaret Livingstone

    Although not exclusively about neuroaesthetics, this book offers insights into how visual perception and art are connected, providing a basis for understanding the neurological aspects of art appreciation.

    • Neuroarthistory: From Aristotle and Pliny to Baxandall and Zeki - John Onians

    This book introduces the application of neuroscience to the study of art history, proposing a new way of understanding art through the lens of brain science.

    • Inner Vision: An Exploration of Art and the Brain - Semir Zeki

    As one of the pioneers in the field, Zeki explores how the brain processes visual information and the neurological basis for art appreciation.

    • How Art Works: A Psychological Exploration - Ellen Winner

    While this book broadly covers the psychological dimensions of art, it includes discussions that intersect with neuroaesthetic topics.

  • Youtube

    • Semir Zeki - How the Brain Explains Art: The Science Behind Neuroaesthetics

    Semir Zeki is a British neurobiologist who has specialized in studying the primate visual brain and the neural correlates of affective states, such as the experience of love, desire, and beauty that are generated by sensory inputs within the field of neuroesthetics.

    • The Neuroaesthetics of Music with Daniela Sammler

    Daniela Sammler, a researcher investigating neurocognitive functions related to language and music, discusses how they might complement each other. A number of fascinating areas are discussed including her work her working on methods for recording human brain activity during complex tasks such as playing piano while in an fMRI.

  • Research

    • WHO: Ground-breaking research series on health benefits of the arts

    A holistic approach, focusing not solely on reduction of symptoms but on how the arts may help us cope, achieve our potential, be productive, and active members of a community. This special Lancet series looks at the health benefits of the arts and creative expression not solely from a medical view, but a holistic asset-based approach as well

    • What Is The Evidence on the Role of the Arts in Improving Health?

    The 2019 scoping review was published in response to two decades of significantly increased research into the effects of the arts on health and wellbeing.

    • The unconscious emotions that art evokes

    Neuroscience research into the impact of a museum visit to the MauritsHaus

    • The Physiological Impact of Viewing Original Artworks vs. Reprints

    A Comparative Study - Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Department of Psychological Medicine, King’s College London, + King’s Institute of Human & Synthetic Minds, + The Courtauld Institute of Art, Strand, Somerset House, • John Hopkins

    • John Hopkins International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab)

    This centre for applied neuroaesthetics is a multidisciplinary research-to-practice initiative accelerating the field of neuroaesthetics.

    • Visualising relationships between the arts and health

    The American photographer Irving Penn (1917–2009) described a good photograph as one ‘that communicates a fact, touches the heart and leaves the viewer a changed person for having seen it’. This photography feature bears eloquent testimony to the health initiatives around the world that are supported by the arts—initiatives that encompass a wide range of artistic practices and settings to promote the treatment and management of health conditions across various age groups and cultures—underscoring Penn's triple formula of communication, connection, and change.

    • Neuroaesthetics: A Coming of Age Story

    Anjan Chatewrjee reviews writings that fall under the rubric of neuroaesthetics. These writings include discussions of the parallel organizational principles of the brain and the intent and practices of artists, the description of informative anecdotes, and the emergence of experimental neuroaesthetics.

    • Art and the Brain - Semantic Scholar

    Is there a significant difference in the pattern of brain activity when subjects look at abstract as opposed to representational art?

    • The brain's specialized systems for aesthetic and perceptual judgment

    Tomohiro Ishizu and  Semir Zeki recorded brain activity when 21 subjects judged the beauty (aesthetic or affective judgment) and brightness (perceptual or cognitive judgment) of simultaneously presented paintings.

    • Neuroaesthetics: A Coming of Age Story

    Anjan Chatterjee gives an overview of the current filed of neuroaesethics and suggest new ways to apply it

    • Do You See What I See?: The Possibilities of Pareidolia Research

    As humans, we are naturally inclined to recognise patterns, often imbuing them with meaning - a psychological phenomenon known as pareidolia. This can manifest as seeing the face of an old man in the knots of a tree or the shape of an animal in the clouds. Derived from the Greek words para (‘beside’) and eidolon (‘image’ or ‘form’), pareidolia typically involves identifying human-like features in nature, but it also encompasses perceiving recognisable shapes or forms in objects. Auditory pareidolia, where distinct sounds like voices or music appear to emerge from ambient noise, is another example.

    • The societal value of the arts and culture

    The role in people’s well-being, mental health and inclusion. The Arts and Culture are strong agents of change, even more when they are interconnected to the broader concepts of well-being, mental health and inclusion.

    • The art of life and death

    14 year follow-up analyses of associations between arts engagement and mortality in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

  • Podcasts

    Neuroaesthetics is an emerging field that bridges neuroscience and aesthetics, exploring how our brains perceive and process beauty and art. While there may not be an abundance of podcasts focused solely on neuroaesthetics, several podcasts touch on related topics. Here are some podcasts you might find interesting:

    When exploring these podcasts, consider searching for episodes or segments specifically on perception, creativity, or the brain's response to art, as these topics closely relate to neuroaesthetics.

    • Neuroaesthetics: How Art Can Improve and Extend Your Life

    Ivy Ross and Susan Magsamen explore the new science of neuroaesthetics, which explains how the arts can measurably change the body, brain, and our behaviors.

    • Your Brain on Beauty

    Neurologist and academic Anjan Chatterjee explores how individuals respond to the built environment and examines the neurological underpinnings of our reactions to beauty. He also addresses the impact of expectations and beliefs on our perceptions of the value of objects or artworks, and how neuroimaging studies reveal these influences.

    • Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD

    Although it covers a broad spectrum of neuroscience topics, episodes often delve into aspects of perception and cognition relevant to neuroaesthetics.

    • Hidden Brain

    Hosted by Shankar Vedantam, this podcast covers a wide range of topics related to human behavior and neuroscience, and episodes sometimes touch on how we perceive art and beauty.

    • The Lonely Palette

    While primarily an art podcast, it often discusses how audiences engage with art, which can connect to the cognitive and emotional aspects associated with neuroaesthetics.

    • The Infinite Monkey Cage

    A science comedy podcast that explores various scientific topics, including those that intersect with human perception and cognition.

    • All in the Mind

    Produced by BBC Radio, this podcast focuses on the mind, psychology, and brain science, providing insights that often relate to how we experience art and beauty.