Update 2013 to 2015

Life catches up with you after a while and then you forget what your dreams were really all about.
It has been two years since I did my senior project. I went ahead and published what I had. Too many people are waiting for me to keep my promise. I sincerely apologize. I will update what I just published when I get to it which may or may not be a while. I am on a whole other idea (that still applies exponentially).

I left abroad for a year and with plenty of time on my hands, I took the liberty of needing my own art therapy. While I was playing around with some new ideas and application I realized that my entire world is a canvas and I can create a potentially healing environment so I started my research.

It was through this research that I came across my current pursuit, Design Studies for Human Health through the Boston Architectural College. Lesley University is still a potential I am realizing once again because of my wondering mind and interdisciplinary approach. Even now I am finding it necessary to simply paint, not just to design for human needs like an architectural prescription to a particular person or groups of people integrating art, design, architecture, computer graphics, geography, economics, environmental health, engineering, and many other fields needed for this integrated approach.

I feel that PNI for the Arts is just as applicable and with a little more time and effort I can journal electronically my progress, mindset, profile, successes, and failures.

So here goes round two in my childhood dreams and endeavors of understanding the potential of our world and its intimate relationship with us.

P.S. Any plots missing in my posts, please comment or message me so that I can address it right away.

P.S. Number 2: I need to update my "site" It is absolutely a pain to read! Formatting will be a project added to the list of to-do's!

Prologue to the Art Therapy Workshop

Prologue

My project, although technically is only supposed to be a semester, started about 2 years ago. At that time I was an art student looking to understand where my life was headed as a freshman in college. As most freshman come in, either all or none of the classes sound interesting. For me, I would have loved to take all of them if I could. Obviously money is a bit of a restraining order on learning and imagination. I am only permitted to learn so much before it gets difficult and becomes a waste of time and precious money.

I had broad interests that needed to be fulfilled and I happened to find some answers to a class I took called Stress Management through the physical and health educational department. I had already been researching into changing my major but I had no idea into what focus. I was considering a double major in Art and Biology so that I could go into Alternative Medicine.

I had always been interested in the field because of how I was raised with the balance between western and eastern medicine. I had been introduced later on to Yoga which talked about the chakras and energy levels of the body. That subject I was all too familiar with and started to build a connection between art and health that I never thought of before.

Through other classes, I started creating this odd tie between multiple subjects. In psychology, I learned about the development of the mind, physiology of the brain, and the phenomenon of synesthesia. Synesthesia is the blending of senses and I started to wonder if because of the plasticity of the brain, if we could actually train ourselves to control multiple senses at once to take the senses to a whole new level. The stress management class introduced me to PNI which is also known as psychoneuroimmunology. PNI means that the mind and the brain have an influence over the health of the body and vice versa which takes things a step further from mind over matter.  I even found a course on color therapy. I did not know that such a course existed and it has been the most interesting read and study I have ever done. I even started to incorporate that into my understanding.

Never the less, all this work was not a waste of time. I started to understand my classes better as well as a new way of looking at things. It was fantastic to learn in this new way that has helped me exceed and gain a better appreciation for education.

Not only that, but this was only the beginning. I started looking up grad schools and courses that are normally taught to be in the alternative medicine field and started making lists of classes offered at my university. I had a pretty good list going but I knew that it wouldn’t last long without being in a declared major that would allow me to explore a field that doesn’t exist. I even tried finding people that studied what I wanted to study. The conclusion was I was going to be a pioneer in a field that no one was really in. I sought to research schools that would allow me to make up my own major and what it would even be called. I even started asking my professors about synesthesia, PNI, and alternative medicine in general. Only one of them actually new what I was talking about ironically and that was because there wife did alternative medicine.

I was alone in more ways than one but then I found the Interdisciplinary Program where I could claim multiple colleges and not lose any of the credits I have already taken. I also found out through even more research that there was an association that had been organized for years with schools that even provide programs with the exact major that I thought didn’t exist. Since then, things just started to ease their way through. I now had a major, a school, a future, and a head start on a project to graduate.

Beginning the Project

When starting a research project I knew that it was going to take a lot of work so I started as soon as I had an idea of what I was going to do. It started out really complicated. I personally did not think that it was but when trying to explain it, it got simpler and dumbed down the more I did. I thought I could still pull it off with this huge process but alas, my own mother did not even understand it.

It had then been suggested to me to take all my questions and start off with the most basic. This was the hardest part that I have had to do in this whole project. I felt like nothing could be excluded. I cannot even say how I finally did it but I did.

I had been sending out emails for about a year to the psychology department, class professors, and the art department to find people interested in the project that could help me out with this new idea. Having professional help and a good way to get people was a start but it didn’t go over well. I had a total of 3 students and 2 professor that replied at all and it was the students interested rather than any staff. I then tried emailing specific people rather than mass emails to the departments. No one was either available, interested, new anyone, or replied. When talking to my advisor I knew I had to find a professor but the luck of finding anyone wasn’t working.

My problem was that the art department could help me with a project but the psychology department could help me with the study. Neither department would be able to help me with the other so I knew I technically needed 2 professors, not just one. I found the art department to be the easiest to work with and the most willing. The psychology department was much the opposite. I decided to try and work with the psychology department anyways. I signed up for my last semester the senior project/intern class. I get online only to find there is no professor, just college advisors that aren’t going to be your professor at all.

I ended up making a meeting with the college advisor to discuss my problems in finding professors for the last year, not just that semester. I was advised to talk to CAPS and see if any of them would be willing to help me, even a grad student that needs the hours. So, I did just that. The secretary told me about when they were meeting next and to email the main guy on the business card to see if anyone could help me or if they had a suggestion.

I got the fastest reply from the psychology department than I have the last year. I was so happy and then my heartbeat quickened when I read that I should have signed up a semester ago, no graduate student could help me until I went through that training. I couldn’t work with them so I should talk to FCHD department.

Joy. It was frustrating that I had been emailing for more than a year and only now do I get help, when it is too late.

I talked to my advisor about my dilemma and the approaching deadline to change classes and to graduate. I got put under her advised internship as well and was asked to just write what my project is, do it, and turn it in. Hallelujah.

When attending my classes, Jackson Pollock was discussed and his painting style and movement he started for modern painters. It was similar to what my project would entail so I talked to the professor about my project and any help that I could get. We decided that a grant would be my best option. I had completed it, turned it in to my professor to get it approved and touched up only to find that the suggestion that was given to me, is not available and that deadline was approaching fast. I decided to try to get the information I needed anyways and hopefully get it in last minute. My problem was that the likelihood of being able to get the grant without basing my research off of something that exists is low because it means my plans and success are very tentative.

My major doesn’t exist at the university, the research done on it is not available to me. The art therapy I could find was not journal articles or studies but ads, magazine articles, and textbooks. In order to find that info I needed special permission, a lot more time than I was crunching for, and the resources to find what I needed.

The grant was a no go but at least I was able to do the research I needed on pricing what I would need for my project as well as the start of getting things going. I would just be pulling the money out of my own pocket than getting help from the college.

I then started finding a place to do my project. I knew that I would need a place to keep everything as well as I would need a place that would be ok with paint. There are the art studios but there is not tons of room, there are classes that would be interrupted, and paint could possibly be beyond everywhere. My other problem was that I also wanted people not in the art department.

Art Therapy Workshop: Participants and their Work

No information will be given to identify each individual.
Each of the pictures will include the experience that had taken place for the session from my perspective.

Structure

The Project

Hopefully you have read my posts about Alternative Medicine, Synesthesia, Expressive Art Therapy, Colors, and PNI. If you have read them or you already have a good understanding of each of the subjects, then you can easily understand where I am coming from with my projects I have in mind.

How I will be combining all these may be a slight mystery. Hopefully I can solve it for you.

Here is the deal, Expressive Art Therapy is a form of Alternative Medicine. I hope to focus on the psychological point of view of art and medicine thus bringing in PNI. Psychologically, art and colors already have been studied to be influential for all patients for all sorts of reasons in clinics, home settings, and academics. Synesthesia comes in because it is associated with the art forms as well as psychology. This brings me to the conclusion and the project of understanding therapy by studying PNI and bringing it about by a form of voluntary synesthesia. Thus, my hopeful development of Synesthetic Therapy.

Have an equation! If that helps at least.

Expressive Art Therapy = (Art + Psychology (P))/Alternative Medicine
PNI= P + Medicine
P = art, colors, psyche, synesthesia
Synesthetic Therapy  = Expressive Art Therapy + PNI

That was fun.

So, back to the project.

I do not know if any of you have heard of the theory of multiple intelligences. The theory of multiple intelligences, in short, says that no one is smarter than another, we all have the same capabilities, we just have different ways of learning. Also, one may excel in one area but someone else will in another. We are equally intelligent.

The different ways of learning or intelligences are categorized as the following.

• Logical-mathematical (much like fluid intelligence and g-factor) logic, abstractions, reasoning, numbers, critical thinking, principles of a casual system)
• Spatial (spatial judgement and ability to visualize)
• Linguistic (words and languages, good at reading, writing, story telling, memorizing, and high verbal ability.
• Bodily-kinesthetic (being able to control the body so acutely that they can handle objects skillfully including a good sense of timing, goal of physical action, train responses, and learn better with muscular movement or in other words, hands on learning experience mostly entailing physical activities from making things to sports.
• Musical (auditory learning or in other words, sensitive to sounds, rhythm, tone, music, lectures, songs, pitch, melody, etc.)
• Interpersonal (interaction with others or in other words, sensitive to moods, feelings, temperaments, motivations, and able to cooperate to be in a group)
• Intrapersonal (self-reflective or having a deep understanding of the self in strengths, weaknesses, qualities, and predicting one's self reactions.
• Naturalistic (nurturing and relating information to one's natural surroundings)
• Existential (spiritual or religious intelligence

The reason why I bring this theory out is because of the fact that my project cannot be too specific or I will get a very one sided result. This is one reason why in the surveys, I ask simple learning questions. I want to know what the public generally likes to do as well as what kind of projects shall I make so that one can explore their senses in a therapeutic way.

We perceive things so differently that not only can I not be to specific but as a counselor and therapist, people just are different and there is no magic bullet like some people may like to think.

With what was listed, I can honestly say that personally, I fit into many of those categories. It could be because I was trained that way or that happens to be my ability of understanding. I don't honestly know if I excel in one or another area but I do know I can relate to these different learning based on what the situation is.

There are so many ways to go about this that deciding what to do will be difficult.

Here are some ideas of focus

• Chromesthesia (sound to color)
• 
  

 I want to know whether or not, with plasticity in the brain, if we can develop a bit of a controllable synesthetic ability. If individuals already connect objects and music with color, as the experience I explained in short on my post of colors, then what does it look like? What does it psychologically do to us?

Synesthesia/Ideasthesia

Synesthesia is a somewhat new and interesting study. Some people have this innate ability to do things a majority of us cannot. Generally speaking, synesthesia is when two sensory sections of the brain are crossed, connected, or blended to which it causes a different kind of enhanced sense. It is an involuntary cognitive pathway. There are some studies that suggest that one can temporarily have moments of synesthetic experiences with the influence of drugs, strokes, seizures, or other cognitive stimulating or inhibiting actions.

For example, some people can taste color or see sound. There are some amazing explanations and different stories given by people who have this ability. Them describing it the best they can sounds phenomenal.  A gift many would like to have. Those who do have it have also talked about how tiring it can be as well as helpful. I would think that one would get a bit of a headache especially in a high sensory area like the city where there is so much commotion. As for being helpful, imagine being able to tell a word is not spelled right because it literally does not look right or being able to listen to the music and you see what the sounds create and sell your artwork?

Ideasthesia is different and yet the same from synesthesia by one difference. Ideasthesia is caused with a somatic sensory connection rather than just the senses. Basically, if we were to have a conversation about something I would be visualizing it in my mind. It then causes me to feel that sensation without actually feeling it. One example used on wiki was swimming. If we were to talk about swimming I might feel wet.

The two subjects are very similar so although they are both very different, I will be referring it to any blending of the senses because of the many categories in synesthesia that can be ideasthesia also.

There appears to be specific kinds of synesthesia. Each one called by which senses they combine

Grapheme which is a color synesthesia.
Spatial sequence synesthesia
Sound related to colors
Number form synesthesia
Personification
Lexical-gustatory synesthesia which is taste and words/letters.

Official Foundations:
American Synesthesia Association
Australian Synesthete Community
UK Synaesthesia Association
Belguin Synesthesia Association
Russian Synesthesia Community Site
Synaisthesis
Synaesthesia

Intriguing People and Media
http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_harbisson_i_listen_to_color.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yellow_Sound

Other interesting sites
http://www.mind-expanding-techniques.net/synesthesia.html
History of Synesthesia (Wiki)

Alternative Medicine

Whenever someone asks me my major, and they don't know what I am talking about, I have got to explain it almost every time. Some people understand but they want some clarification because they are unsure. So, I am going to explain it to those who don't know. Please do not feel bad if you honestly don't know because here is the thing, it is such a lost and vague practice that it seems that a majority of people in the United Stated DO NOT know what it is. At least according to my experiences with youth, teens, young adults, and older adults across all races and backgrounds. If you do know, and I offended you, I am sorry. We should meet up so I can say I have met people that did know.

Alternative Medicine is basically anything that can support, compliment, change, and differ from Western Medical Practice most commonly practiced in the USA. Most common forms of Alternative Medicine are as listed.

• Eastern Medicine
• Chinese Medicine
• Herbs
• Holistic Healings
• Natural Healing
• Chiropractor
• Acupuncture
• Midwifery
• Massage Therapy
• Art Therapy
• Music Therapy
• Auras
• Crystal Healing
• Yoga
• Meditation
• etc.

If any of these ring a bell, then you have already been introduced to one form or another of Alternative Medicine. As you may have noticed, many of these have been used in many form of western practice and may even have their own clinics.

Depending on the practitioner, they may be very one or the other and sometime neutral. Some prescribe medicines and others suggest different medicines.

All of these forms have their own way of coping, enhancing, or in some patients to even allow independant from certain drugs. Each person is different and there are many ways to go about health.

Some people may need drug enhancements and that is all drugs are supposed to do. Drugs are meant to enhance different functions of the body to go back to equilibrium (wellness and good health). They do not "cure." They help the body overcome illnesses and faults that are occuring in the body or they help cope with them such as pain killers.

Although it is very dependent on the patient, if someone were to tell me that Alternative Medicine does not help them, I will most likely tell them from personal opinion and understanding: "Bull!"


The reason why I say 'bull' is because there are more than 400 different kinds of other forms of medicine. There are so many focuses and unique practices that I doubt anyone could actually try them all.

Each person, as an individual, even responds differently to different medications and that is the same way with something like herbs. What may be good for one, may not be good for another.

Now, I really do think that Conventional Medicine (AKA Western Medicine) has a purpose. For one, sometimes we really do need help with that broken bone, dental care, and even cancers. There is a reason for technology and herbs cannot help the body with those problems.

However, Alternative Medicine has a way of even preventing health problems by means that don't even contain the word supplements.

Exercise and Eating in smart ways can be just as preventive as taking an herb or a supplement for that missing item in your diet.

So if that is all Alternative Medicine is, then why is it is own separate category?

Well, in all honesty, I couldn't give you anything factual at this current time. However, I can say this. It's just like any other subject of study. Everything can be science and then each practice is called something different. What makes Alternative Medicine so different from Conventional is the sought for independent nature of practicing therapy and healing outside of a clinic.

Alternative Medicine is that want to be able to live life without relying on something that we used to go so well without.

Each person is to their own and people choose to see Alternative Medicine in many different ways. Which is one reason why it has received nicknames as "Witch Doctor," "Shamanism," "Snake Oil," and being "Hippy." Which is very comparable to the names given to Conventional Medicine as "Poison," "Lies," "Chemical Drugs," and "Not Natural." There is truth in all names as well as it is interchangeable.

My hope is that you can see past any bias issues and understand the importance of both and to make your own opinion and to respect each practice in its own way. No one said you had to practice it or like it, but there is a reason why some things just don't die out. There is truth in both sides.

I believe this is why CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) has come about, because of this wanted distinction and positive influence Alternative Medicine can have on conventional medicine.

If it were my choice, I would put them both in the hospital, have unbiased doctors, and let the patients decided what they want to try based on their own personal situation. They may even find that combining the two different areas is better than just one. Also, it allows complete communication between doctors and patients as to what other contents are in their system before making final decisions on the direction of their health situation.

So, now that I have gotten off my soap box, I will state in my final conclusion that I chose Alternative Medicine because I feel there is great potential and knowing and finding other ways to enhance the healthy body with or without the use of conventional medicine. I want to work in a clinic or therapeutic office where I can help patients find what works for them no matter what form of practice they choose.