Do You See What I See? IAM Lab Launches Investigation Into the Pareidolia Phenomenon Human faces don’t normally belong on clouds or slices of toast. Potatoes are not seals. And peppers don’t usually look like they need a little hug. But the human mind has a tendency to perceive something as significant or meaningful, even if what we actually see or hear is vague or ambiguous. And looking at […] Read More A Citywide Reading Program Connects Youth Through Literature and Safe Dialogue About Violence As the writer Maya Angelou once said: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” Previous research has found that reading and writing literature can help people express themselves and reduce the stigma and isolation surrounding sensitive subjects and experiences. A new study published in the Journal of Community Psychology from […] Read More New Research: Think Tank Findings on The State of Music-Based Interventions for Mental Illness How can music support mental health? While hundreds of studies have been conducted to answer this question, the availability and application of music interventions for mental health remain limited. Part of the challenge is the multidisciplinary nature of this research and difficulties in synthesizing findings across different fields including psychology, neurology, psychiatry, music, and public health. […] Read More New IAM Lab Study Charts Use of Music Interventions to Treat Serious Mental Illness The healing power of music for mental health has been formally studied across many professions – from psychology to music therapy to nursing – dating back to the 1940s. A recent global scoping review evaluated published research on music-related interventions for serious mental health issues and underscored the therapeutic potential of music to support mental […] Read More Dialog Series: How Creative Forces Work Together to Heal the Military Using the Arts Following an improvised explosive device detonation during a military mission, Captain Luis Avila was left paralyzed and unable to speak. With intensive physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and music therapy, Avila began his recovery. The music therapy provided by the Creative Forces program proved to be an essential rehabilitation tool and helped Avila regain […] Read More Bringing Harmony to the Brain: The Neuroscience of Music and Parkinson’s Disease As anyone who has heard “their song” can attest, the right music has the power to make you move. Now healthcare providers are trying to harness this power to help patients with a neurological motor disorder, Parkinson’s disease (PD). Over the past three decades, researchers have begun to uncover the neural basis of music’s effect […] Read More Dialog Series: Why The Arts are Essential to Public Health Research The International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) hosted its inaugural Dialog Series this spring, featuring singer/songwriter turned public health researcher Tasha Golden PhD. Dr. Golden’s workshop, Advancing Health Equity: Embracing the Creative Process to Evolve Health Research, demonstrated the value of using the arts as an innovative tool for communication, research and healing in […] Read More Creative Forces: Healing Arts for the Military On Memorial Day, we honor members of the military who made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve our country’s liberty. We also pay homage to those who returned home bearing the scars of their heroism. Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, it’s a fitting time to acknowledge that more than 500,000 service members are living […] Read More IAM Lab Partners with Drexel University on Unique Study of Therapeutics Arts Using Virtual Reality The International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab) of Johns Hopkins University recently teamed up with Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions (CNHP) on an innovative new study of the therapeutic potential of virtual reality. Led by Girija Kaimal, EdD, assistant professor in CNHP’s Creative Arts Therapies Department, and Susan Magsamen, executive director […] Read More Mind the Gap: Improving Urban Mobility through Science and Design How do people move through cities? Is technology helping or hindering their movement? The answer may depend on whom you ask. IAM Lab Executive Director Susan Magsamen joined a dynamic panel for “Mind the Gap: Improving Urban Mobility through Science and Design,” hosted by Van Alen Institute and moderated by Jonathan Hilburg, assistant editor at […] Read More More → Join the neuroaesthetics conversation. Subscribe here.