AESTHATIC APPEAL MAY HAVE NEUROLOGICAL LINK TO CONTEMPLATION AND SELF-ASSESSMENT, NYU RESEARCHERS FIND
(April 16, 2012) A network of brain regions which is activated during intense aesthetic experience overlaps with the brain network associated with inward contemplation and self-assessment, New York University researchers have found. Their study sheds new light on the nature of the aesthetic experience, which appears to integrate sensory and emotional reactions in a manner linked with their personal relevance.
The study’s co-authors were: Edward Vessel, a researcher in NYU’s Center for Brain Imaging; Gabrielle Starr, an associate professor in NYU’s Department of English; and Nava Rubin, an associate professor in NYU’s Center for Neural Science. It appears in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience and may be downloaded here.