Beautifully or not beautifully - about taste can be argued. About what however any longer it cannot be argued is the fact that aesthetics plays a not insignificant role with the Schmerzlinderung. Famous Italian works of art had to prove their aesthetics for the attempt. The result is amazingly, confirmed however older assumptions.
London - a beautiful picture works schmerzlindernd. Pain is felt less intensively thereby around a third, as if a neutral or ugly picture is regarded. At the same time also the reaction of the brain to the pain stimulus is weaker, as researchers found out around Marina de Tommaso of the University of Bari. On the results of the study the science magazine reports “new Scientist”.
The Italian researcher team followed for the first time to the question, which role beauty plays during the pain sensation. In addition the neuro scientists used Italian paintings, for example from Botticelli or Leonardo da Vinci. The twelve participants of the investigation selected 20, which found them at the hässlichsten under 300 paintings 20, which pleased them best, and. Subsequently, they regarded either the beautiful or the ugly pictures or a neutral black surface, while a laser pulse released a pain stimulus on their hand.
Pain sensation around a third smaller
If the test persons let the pleasant pictures affect itself, its pain sensation was smaller around a third than with the neutral or ugly pictures. Fastened electrodes indicated at the same time at the head that also the brain reacted with beautiful pictures less strongly to the pain: The P200, a positive summit of the electrical brain activity, which attention and the processing of attractions reflect, failed with regarding the beautiful paintings smaller.
It is well-known that diverson in the hospital can contribute to alleviate the pain of the patients says de Tommaso. But hospitals are often sober and arranged functional. “We think however that aesthetic aspects should be considered during the mechanism more”, say the Italian Hirnforscherin.
