Self and Emotion 203“9x6” b2726 Self and the Phenomenon of Life: A Biologist Examines Life from Molecules to Humanitymiserable plight of the subjects, and the invigorating beats of Stravin-
sky’s Rite of Spring override the cacophony of sounds.
There is another aspect of art appreciation that is in line with
neuropsychological principles, and that is: the brain abhors boredom. The
brain needs to be optimally stimulated; too much is bad, too little is just as
intolerable. In the total absence of stimulus, the brain goes haywire — it
hallucinates. This is why sensory deprivation is as much a torture as phys-
ical punishment. Most people consider exposure to a moderate degree of
danger as “recreational,” such as riding a roller coaster or engaging in rock
climbing. Adventures like these heighten a person’s consciousness and
emotion by putting his nerves “on edge,” whereas the subsequent release
of tension and return to safety bring forth enormous gratification and
relaxation. Art experience is a virtual adventure of the mind, paved with
climaxes and anti-climaxes all the way.^50 Along with this mini- adventure
is art’s emotional cathartic function, as it helps to flush out the unwanted
buildups in our unconscious, starting it anew on a tranquil base.
On the surface, art takes on many forms and genres. Visual art
depends on light perception. Music depends on hearing. Each also
incorporates other sensory and symbolic elements, such as the combi-
nation of melody and language in songs. When it comes to literature
and drama, art becomes even more complex and multi-dimensional. Yet
they all converge on the same end point — the evocation of feeling. As
a product of emotion that is projected extra-corporeally, art detaches
from its creator and lives its own existence, continuing to touch people in
years and millennia to come. Thus, from so humble a gesture as a frog’s
calling, evolution has perfected a channel of emotional exchange that
has become an essential part of humanity.
Lastly, let me add that art can be used as a vehicle to carry other
messages. In commercial art, it entices a person to buy; in political art,
it propels the audience to act; and in religious art, it brings comfort and
instills a sense of fear and awe. But all these utilities are built on the
ability of art to stir up human feeling. Poor art, for instance, makes for
poor propaganda.