Dr. Sará King, an expert in mindfulness and social justice, discusses processing difficult emotions, the power of losing language, challenges in academia, music and art in meditation, and the potential of video games and biofeedback for consciousness exploration.
Abstract art can reduce stress levels by blurring the distinction between self and external world.
Video games incorporating biofeedback and immersive storytelling can foster empathy, social justice, and exploration of consciousness.
Music and art have therapeutic potential by stimulating neural responses, providing personal interpretations, and aiding trauma healing.
Deep dives
The Power of Abstract Art in Neural Response
Abstract art has been shown to decrease cortisol levels, suggesting a stress-reducing effect. When viewing abstract art, the brain experiences it as if it were a part of the self, blurring the distinction between internal and external. This can lead to a deeply embodied response, activating regions of the brain associated with mind-wandering, self-referencing, and autobiographical memory.
Video Games as Tools for Empathy and Transformation
Video games, especially those incorporating biofeedback and immersive experiences, have the potential to facilitate empathy, compassion, and transformative experiences. By engaging players, especially younger generations, in participatory and immersive storytelling, video games can provide a unique platform for exploring identity, social justice, mental health, and consciousness.
The Intersection of Music, Art, and Neuroscience
Music and art have a profound impact on the brain, stimulating neural responses and inducing emotional states. Music, especially instrumental compositions, can serve as a canvas for one's consciousness, allowing for personal interpretation and emotional release. The combination of music, art, and neuroscience research offers promising avenues for therapeutic applications, trauma healing, and exploring the nature of human consciousness.
The Power of Yoga and Meditation in Schools
The podcast episode discusses the transformative effects of yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices, particularly in educational settings. The guest speaker shares their personal journey, starting with a profound LSD experience that sparked their interest in exploring the mind-body connection. This led them to investigate the presence of yoga and meditation in schools, which was initially met with resistance due to concerns about the separation of church and state. However, with growing awareness of the benefits of these practices, policies were introduced at a national level to incorporate socio-emotional learning curriculums into schools. The speaker's research focused on the intersection of social justice and well-being, particularly studying how art and music can play a role in cultivating compassion and holding complexity in an increasingly divisive world. They also discuss their current project, building an AI company to create an interactive well-being guide based on a theoretical map of human awareness, aimed at helping individuals cultivate awareness and make choices for increased consciousness.
Exploring the Relationship between Art, Music, and Consciousness
The conversation delves into the power of art and music as tools for self-expression, expanding consciousness, and navigating complex emotions. The guest speaker shares their experience collaborating with the Museum of Modern Art to create a meditation experience centered around a specific artwork that combines art, meditation, and the science of social justice. They highlight the importance of creativity, encouraging individuals to explore their own creativity and find ways to express themselves beyond traditional practices. The conversation also touches on the effects of technology on consciousness and the need to reconnect with nature and natural rhythms in an increasingly fast-paced and technologically driven world. The guest speaker mentions their ongoing work in using technology to provide real-time feedback on awareness and well-being and their vision for a platform that guides individuals in cultivating compassion and other qualities of well-being.
Dr. Sará King is an internationally recognized expert in researching and teaching about the relationship between the neuroscience of mindfulness, community alternative medicine, art, and social justice. She is passionate about creating healing spaces to experience and understand the relationship between individual and collective healing and well-being.
In 2021, she was named "One-To-Watch" by Mindful Magazine and was on the cover of November's (2021) Yoga Journal Magazine as a "Game Changer" for her history-making UCLA dissertation research and social justice efforts in changing the way the practice of yoga is viewed globally.
