In 2014, the documentary “Alive Inside” popularized the notion that music can be used in some patients with Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) or dementia to elicit responsiveness and memories. In a review of the film, psychologist Rick Scheidt remarks that power of the film lies in showing how music causes the patients to “move instantly from […]

Great literature can transport us to times and places outside our own existence. As we turn each page, the characters and plots become more and more real to us. This experience of being immersed in a good book is more than entertaining; it also may enhance our real lives as social beings. A number of […]

“There are two common and dangerous misconceptions about psychological trauma,” states Dr. James S. Gordon in the introduction to his new book, “The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma.” “The first is that trauma comes to only some of us…The second is that trauma is an unmitigated disaster, causing permanent emotional crippling, requiring never-ending […]

Fear courses through your blood as the sounds of sniper shots surround you; the buildings you once recognized as your neighborhood are reduced to rubble on the ground. The destruction traumatizes you and your family; your children struggle to find the words to describe their feelings and regularly wake up from nightmares.  One day, an […]

Our society’s rapid pace of life and addiction to digital technology have created a stress epidemic in the 21st century. But there may be another major contributing factor: chronic nature deprivation. Our connection to nature has become very tenuous. More than half the world’s population currently lives in cities, a number that is predicted to […]

With record rainfall in the US this past month, April showers certainly brought May flowers along with a dazzling bouquet of scents. One of the greatest and most ancient gifts bestowed on humans is the ability to enjoy the perfume of blossoms and a wide variety of other olfactory delights. Until recently, we thought that […]

It’s that time of year, when love is in the air and on the minds of couples everywhere. But what exactly are these lovebirds thinking? Thanks to modern imaging, scientists are able to take a peek inside the besotted brain and show us what goes on during all stages of love—from lust to lasting relationship. […]

Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society Panel on Music and the Brain.  Pictured from left to right:  Charles Limb, Pat Metheny and Richard Huganir. The 2018 Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA started on a spectacular note this November, featuring the legendary jazz guitarist Pat Metheny in the public lecture Dialogues Between Neuroscience […]

Image:  The Salk Institute Whether our homes or our workplaces, the spaces where we spend our lives affect us on nearly every level – physically, emotionally, and cognitively. From how we learn and grow to how we restore and relax, architects have been captivated by the complexities of the sensory experience of architectural space. Design […]

Surrounding sitting Division 10 President Mary Gregerson clockwise from far left: Treasurer Allyn Enderlyn, Secretary Suehuyeon Paek, Bracha Azoulay and Member at Large Hod Orkibi. Mary Gregerson is a clinical psychologist, scientific researcher and specialist in environmental health psychology and performance psychology. She originated the intervention techniques of partnering and lifestyle balancing. Mary is currently the president of The Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, […]