Artistic Reflexive Writings in Regard to Their Eco-Therapeutism in Health Humanities

Visnja B; alo

Visnja Bandalo^*

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Jarunska 27, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, Email: vbandalo@ffzg.hr

^*Correspondence: Visnja Bandalo, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb. Jarunska 27, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, Email: vbandalo@ffzg.hr

Received: 05-Dec-2023, Manuscript No. puljncn-23-6879; Editor assigned: 06-Dec-2023, Pre QC No. puljncn -23-6879 (PQ); Accepted Date: Dec 26, 2023; Reviewed: 19-Dec-2023 QC No. puljncn -23-6879 (Q); Revised: 21-Dec-2023, Manuscript No. puljncn -23-6879 (R); Published: 29-Dec-2023

Citation: Bandalo V. Artistic reflexive writings: In regard to their ecotherapeutism in health humanities. J Neurol clin neurosci. 2023; 7(4):1-4.

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Abstract

Objectives: The present paper articulates scientifically originally in a previously unexplored way the perspective of eco-narrative medicine through artistically grounded verbal expressions and constructive environmental imaging in modern times.

Methods: The scope is to offer compelling insights in ecocritical arthistorical perspective at the intersection of medical and literary humanities within the domains of neuroaesthetics and psychiatry containing environmental tales on being eco-sentient as productively in tune with the web of life. In the paper are analyzed symbolic relations between one's mental life and eco-sustainability, highlighting the embeddedness of psyche in the natural world through categories of artistically motivated inner natural self and multisensory instinctual understanding.

Results: The neurological structuring of a personality is being explicated by exploring ways of appropriation of experiences by means of language through the psycho-social component, as well as sublimational reshaping of implicit memory stored unconsciously in channeling it through art production. It is explained how neural pathways can be formed by artistic activity inducing transformative thinking and psychologically positive enhancement strategies by focusing on therapeutic methods for psychophysical wellness and planetary well-being.

Conclusions: Earth's and more broadly cosmic landscape modern art is analyzed transversally together with artistic-literary writings rendered medical-related and adapted to therapeutic settings.

In the matizing potentialities of psychotherapeutic sessions involving eco-art making, and correlated reflexive writing, it is shown how the production of humanistic knowledge can benefit the medical field in the transfer to the clinical practice of restorative nature in dealing with traumatism to develop coping skills and strengthen mental resiliency.

Key Words

Neurology; Health humanities; Guidelines; Eco-art

Introduction

This paper aims to analyze compellingly and innovationally visual eco-therapeutic methodology from the perspective of environmental narrative medicine, showcasing the interdisciplinary intersections with neuroaesthetics, psychiatry, imaging, and cultural multimedia conceptualization with the scope of offering unprecedented insights fruitful to both medical and literary humanities.

The present paper of eco-medical, art-cultural and philological matrix is centered on the role of literature and visual culture in modernity, and more specifically in the Anthropocene [1,2].

This approach emphasizes interdisciplinary research, at the intersection of neurophysiology, humanities, and social sciences,highlighting the ecological awareness, and going beyond the current disciplinary state-of-the-arts.

Belonging to the spectrum of restorative health methods, eco-art therapy elaborates environmental tales on being eco-sentient as productively in tune with the web of life, and thus able to lead an emotionally fulfilling and environmentally sustainable lifestyle in which is present the inspiring interdependency of the spiritual and physical dimensions. It could therefore be said that the Eco psychological aspects of individual behavior can be perfectioned by striving for a better understanding of oneself, also leading to increased mindfulness, due to an interrelation between personal and environmental health.

In terms of historical examples, already in antiquity instructive are cases of erudite polymaths who author both private and public medical works that include an important element of reflection on Earth's biosphere, such as the writings of Hippocrates with whom takes places essayistically grounded writing in the medical sense interested in the science of nature. In the environmental light, it ought to be noted the significant contribution of the Greek physician and philosopher Galen who acknowledges the ecological teachings of Hippocrates.

As a medical writer and publicist, Galen deduces the benefits of ecology, drawing on Aristotelian principles, and concludes that “nature does nothing in vain” [3]. Galen's statement can be seen as a precursor to our modern scientific understanding of nature, which is not a polluter and therefore does not produce waste. This idea is expressed in Theresa Sweeney's book, Eco-Art Therapy: Creative Activities that Let Earth Teach: “Consider the fact that not once in its five billion-year history has Nature produced pollution” [4].

Italian thinker Leonardo da Vinci, who created a significant part of his oeuvre in France, was among the predecessors of modern investigators of both nature and visual art with immediate medical effects. Additionally, Leonardo's work introduced a precursory cosmic tone that spread to other planets and galaxies. Overall, such Leonardo's contributions directly impacted the field of visuality.

Methods

Neurological structuring of personality and art production

The scope of this paper, exhibiting simultaneously traits of the psychological and neurological approach to the field of environmental critical studies, is, therefore, to contribute to the development of the understanding of concepts of eco-consciousness and sustainable art in such a light, concerning the ways of experiencing modern artistic pieces and literary oeuvres, with tools such as observational, reading, and interpretative strategies. This paper explores the use of an arts-based eco-therapeutic toolkit to build and foster resilience, promote inclusivity and sustainability, and establish relationships with medicine in clinical settings, particularly psychiatry [5].

This is because there is a connectedness between a person’s psychological and physical health, and the natural environment with its positive transformative power [6-7]. Moreover, literary art forms of storytelling can be related to psychosomatic medicine, which is a scholarly discipline and a psychiatric subspecialty that is also known as consultation-liaison psychiatry. According to James Levenson's Textbook of Psychosomatic Medicine, it aims to promote psychological and physical wellness by emphasizing individual potentiality. In other words, “well-being and quality of life” are subjective individual characteristics that can be best measured through self-report [8].

It will also be shown how becoming more aware of somatic experiences through storytelling can mobilize the instinctual flow within oneself, leading to effective healing processes and contributing to enhancing wellness at the individual psychosocial and planetary levels. From a mental health perspective, cognitive and affective aspects which may be relational to somatic therapies will also be analyzed in this paper.

With reference to the arts-based form of psychotherapy ought to be evoked Sigmund Freud’s statement on the id as a primary but inaccessible layer of a personality, described as “the core of our being”, beyond the ego and the superego as two agencies that receive inputs from the unconscious: “which has no direct communication with the external world and is accessible even to our own knowledge only through the medium of another agency”.

If psychological health can be connoted also as satisfying mental sense for proportions and dimensioning of the layers of personality, as defined by Sigmund Freud, cultivating an inner sense that is motivated by art can greatly contribute to mindfully becoming more mentally resilient and strengthening coping capacities, so as to achieve psychophysical wellness [9]. It is primarily due to the fact that otherwise inaccessible instance of the unconscious can be positively involved and channeled through artistic expression in a sublimatory neurological fashion, leaving residual behind. To further categorize ecologically, ought to be underlined the person's instinctual apparatus since the human is essentially a sensory being.

On this elaborates theoretically Peter A. Levine in his book Waking the Tiger, where he writes: “It is no coincidence that people who are more in touch with their natural selves tend to fare better when it comes to trauma”. In Levine's wording from the above-mentioned book: “This primitive world is still very much alive in us. It is still home to some of our most valuable personal resources” [10]. Drawing further parallels with the animal world he notes that animals exemplify nature in balance and their ability to rebound from threat can serve as a model for humans. These ideas are echoed by his considerations referring to the instinctive brain in the volume Healing Trauma.

A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body: “the instinctive parts of both human and animal brain are virtually identical. Only the rational part of our brain is uniquely human” [11]. In such a light, the relationship with the non-human living world, whether animal or vegetative, ought to be considered as particularly instructive [12]. That is to say, instinctive energies released by somatic self-awareness can prevent physical re-enactments as a means of overcoming trauma. In artistic creation, we activate our multisensory instinctual understanding, which is vital for overcoming traumatism.

Results

At the intersection of medical and literary humanities

Implicit memory is involved in this process of art creation, producing effects that can also be valuable in psychotherapeutic practice. The concept of memory as a central feature of human thinking to which is to be added linguistic creaturality as the foremost presupposition of belonging to humankind opens the decisive intersectionality with neurocognitive science. Restoring ways of language appropriation pertains therefore to the process of psychological and physical healing [13].

Linguistically, literarily and visually, the present paper productively analyzes the recourse to language, and more particularly written narrative, in the form of memories which often have imagistic character, and the mental visual imagery itself. The aim is to show how unconscious material, which is of great interest in psychoanalysis during therapy sessions, can be turned into artful and sublimated expressions.

A wide range of diaristic books may be of interest in ecotherapy. These books display the ecopoetic intent of their authors and may be hybrid in nature, presenting a mixture of features that pertain to intimate writing and artistic work notes. They are permeated with both emotional and factual elements. This is due to how it is handled the idea of nature, being not rarely the inspiration engine behind, as well as due to the importance given to the imaginative and unconscious mental components which are fundamentals for artistic creation elaborated subsequently within psychoanalytic culture.

On the terrain of visuality, nature-inspired diaristic meditation can also be continued through other artistic mediums, and become a visual-literary communicative medium in itself, so that the fragments of thought can become translated into art pieces. With further application to my topics could be said that reflective writing, including journaling, being modes of self-expression, also of reminiscent character, can be considered as storytelling tools helping to further elaborate the mental processes. The interest in life story as an autobiographical account of events, emotions, and sensorial experiences, whether remained an intimate diary, delving into the writer's inner world, or transformed into a work of public expression, can be therapeutic for increasing self-knowledge.

It can also help carve the formational path towards an artistic self, potentially resulting in autonomous creative acts. Moreover, art journal writing and life narratives as self-reflective exercises may promote affect regulation and strengthen innate capacities [14,15]. Engaging with interpreting such texts can also help build somatic empathy. On the medical side, diaries, whether literary or otherwise artistic, can aid in observing and self-writing, and serve as personal health journals or for psychological monitoring for detecting and resolving traumas.

The attentiveness ought to be shown also to the growing field of environmental graphic medicine that is becoming increasingly influential in the sphere of health humanities [16]. It is a form of science-related visual communication that narrates a medical story and requires such knowledge regarding the state of health which is furthermore ecologically inspired. Such iconographic moments belonging to graphic psychiatry can also be transferred into blogs. Flexible from a compositional point of view, blogs focused on ecoarttherapeutic aspects include the possibility of consulting various multimedia materials, as well as the ability to link to other web pages.

Discussion

Eco-art therapeutism

In this paper is observed transversally across the domains of modern art and literature how principles of positive psychology such as focusing constructively on one's wants and needs can be enhanced so as to form idoneous neural pathways deriving from artistic reflections. At a theoretical level, it may involve literary exercises such as journaling which include reflecting on diverse ecosystems.

On the other hand, in the paper are also envisaged the art expressions, whether figurative or abstract in nature, in which the painter chronicles or engages in self-portraiture containing representations of nature. The purpose of this paper, which belongs to the sphere of health humanities in direct relation to the sciences of neurology and psychology, is to illuminate and illustrate the ecological dimension's positive impact on the psychical apparatus of an individual, through the analysis of visual perception in intermedial studies.

In conclusion, conceptualizing the intimacy between people and nature using artistic categories of verbal and visual type could greatly enhance resilient qualities and promote positive neural connections. This, in turn, can be directly correlated with body sensations, and therefore with an overall sense of psychological ease.

Critical medical humanities are a combination of thriving academic disciplines corresponding to the fundamental needs of society. Put otherwise, the scope was to promote a holistic view of psychological functioning in tune with one’s natural selfness, which may get constructed and evidentiated through artistic expressions as potentially therapeutic categories.