The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine
The Healing Arts – Forging Alliances of Arts & Medicine
Embodied Virtual Reality as an Artistic-Neuroscientific Intervention for Depression: Integrating Neurofilmology, Aesthetic Design, and Brain Network Modulation
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This presentation proposes Neural Nomadism as an interdisciplinary framework for the congress, illustrating how embodied, art-based virtual reality (VR) can serve as a medium for mental health, well-being, and innovative care. Instead of viewing neural networks as fixed structures, Neural Nomadism treats them as dynamic, adaptable constellations that can be reorganized through sensory-aesthetic and embodied experiences. By embedding VR within an arts-in-health context, the study explores how movement, color, spatial sound, cinematic rhythm, and narrative design can foster transition across large-scale brain systems – especially the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Executive Control Network (ECN) – promoting emotional regulation, neural plasticity, and experiential re-grounding. Through combining psychometric testing, EEG, and functional neuroimaging, preliminary findings suggest that art-driven immersive environments may reduce affective rigidity, enhance reward sensitivity, and support markers of neural adaptability. In doing so, this work builds a conceptual bridge between clinical neuroscience, creative practice, and healing arts – aligning with the goals of this congress to explore new alliances between art, medicine, and well-being.



