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Issue 20 September - November 2008

ART, Science & Consciousness

WHY SCIENCE NEEDS ART by Jonah Lehrer
The more we know about reality, the more palpable its paradoxes become. The author of Proust Was a Neuroscientist believes that artistic interpretations of scientific ideas and theories offer science a new lens through which to see itself while also furthering our inquiry into the nature of consciousness. (Download PDF)

POETIC MEDICINE: A KIND OF MAGIC by John Fox
Western medicine's zealous preoccupation with technology, prescription drugs, and financial return has taken much of the healing out of health care. Citing research and his own experience with patients, poetry therapist John Fox offers another path; he shows how reading, hearing, and writing poems can be a healing catalyst and can transform people in profound ways. (Download PDF)

ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ARCHITECTURE by Alain de Botton
In this lyrical excerpt from his recent book, The Architecture of Happiness, Botton examines the ways that architecture speaks to us. By embodying ennobling values, built spaces can evoke associations that put us in touch with our true selves and influence how we conduct our lives. "Taking architecture seriously," he writes, "requires that we open ourselves to the idea that we are affected by our surroundings."

VISIONS FROM THE TECHNO-MYSTIC EDGE by Kate McCallum
Writer, producer, and "transmedia" consultant Kate McCallum surveys the mind-blowing intersection of brain science, digital technology, and the visual arts. From fractal biofeedback software to virtual-reality immersions, media makers today are crossing a threshold of creative expression as they explore new ways to engage human beings at deeper levels. (Download PDF)

Frontiers of Research
Reassessing the Link Between Psychotherapy and Cancer Survival by Marilyn Mandala Schlitz (Download PDF)