GOOD HEALTH AND HEALING IN ART

Certain Arts, visual fine art in particular and their effects has been used through the history to enhance, restore, heal humans health. When Christians and Buddhists meditated on images, it was believed that the person was put in sacred state and heated.

Art can be used in many ways for that purpose.

Art work, through it's physiologic, psycho logic, association and imaginations effects. When a person look at a painting, a shift in attention and a change of state of mind does occure. First leaving one state of mind then focus and concentration on a new beautiful pleasant state of mind. Each of this two steps has it's healing effects. Taking the attention and the mind ( from inward ) off a state where the mind is occupied by stress or pain of any kind has it's therapeutic effect. Focusing the attention and the mind ( outward ) on a pleasant, beautiful image has a second and it's own therapeutic effect.

The first phenomena is used to reduce all kind of pains and stresses from any source, physical,social or psychological ( anxieties and their conversions, tension headaches, insomnias, withdrawals from addictive substance, anger, frustration, exhaustion, etc). The phenomena of shifting the attention and the state of mind off all kind of pains is so powerful,it has been used through the history in many ways, even as anesthesia for surgery before the discovery of anesthetics or when it is not available. Today it is being used to reduce the pain of deliveries ( called Lamaze ) to avoid the side effects and the complications of using medications or anesthesia.

The second phenomena of focus and concentration, psychologically called Hypnosis, is used for the same reasons plus others, like relaxation techniques and imagery treatment to treat insomnias and reduce stress. The joy, good feeling,serenity and relaxing effect of looking at a beautiful piece of art through changing the level of neurotransmittants, cause the dilatation of blood vessels, improving tissue circulation and with that reduce hypertension, improve body healing and vitalize body, mind and tissue functions.

Certain conditions, art all what does it take to remedy, other conditions art work is used in combination to enhance the effects of other remedies.

Hospitals recently and increasingly introducing and incorporating visual fine art into reducing the pain and improving the healing process of their patients. some hospitals have colored the walls and ceilings of their facilities. Hospitals, societies and organizations that support the art in the health care system, all believe that using the art is fundamental to the healing process because healing does not just take place on the physical level. it also take place on a mental, emotional and spiritual level.

The search that is being done explains that the arts benefit patients physiologically and thus improve health, mind, and mood . The article " the art of healing " in the journal of the American Medical Association(vol.281, no.19,pp.1779). in May 1999, gives example of what images and creative environments can do.

• Nature imagery reduces anxiety, reduces systolic blood pressure and pulse, helps to redirect negative thoughts and sustain interest and focus, while decreasing boredom.
• Reduce intake of pain medications and length of hospital stay.

Texas A & M University study showed that scene of water and trees reduced pain and anxiety.

What makes Visual fine art special compared to other wellness and healing methods, is the low cost and convenience . It can be mounted on walls ,ceilings and center floor of a room, home, bed room, living room, hospital or place of work within easy access, expanding it's surrounding in space and imaginations. To the eyes and mind, art gives silent quiet conversation through an image, is a short walk to a distant beauty, in a glance, which shift the state of mind from stressful unhealthy to a relaxing healthy condition.