Scientists have long known the mental and creative benefits of the flow state, in which total absorption in an activity banishes anxiety. But what causes it, and how can we achieve it? Studies suggest that entering the flow state can enhance our performance in activities such as sports or music, and …
Month: January 2025
Huvudområde
Beauty and the brain – Investigating the neural and musical attributes of beauty during naturalistic music listening
This study explored the neural basis of musical beauty using behavioral and neuroimaging methods. In Study 1, 30 adults rated the beauty of musical passages, identifying "beautiful" and "not-beautiful" segments. Study 2 used fMRI on 36 adults to examine brain activity while listening to the same pieces. Beautiful passages activated …
Open positions at Emotion Lab / Turku PET Centre
Human Emotion Systems Laboratory at Turku PET Centre, Finland is looking for new personnel for our flagship project on imaging the whole-body emotion circuits, led by Prof. Lauri Nummenmaa and funded by the European Research Council. In the project we use newly developed state-of-the-art methods in total-body positron emission tomography and signal …
The Public Health Agency of Sweden: The Importance of Culture for Health and Well-being – A Summary of a Mapping Literature Review
In this publication, we summarize the results of a mapping literature review that examines research on the importance of culture for health and well-being. It includes findings from over 300 studies worldwide, exploring various aspects, from creating conditions for health and well-being at the societal level to the care and …
Can analysis of Beethoven’s DNA reveal his genetic ‘musical’ predisposition?
How much of exceptional human achievement can be attributed to genetics? This longstanding question, originating in the early days of genetic research, seems more approachable today thanks to advanced molecular techniques that allow for the analysis of DNA from historical figures. But how reliable are the conclusions drawn from such …