Ep 60: Divine Beauty.. or not? On the Neuroaesthetic Pathway, Body Dysmorphophobia and Brain Plasticity

Society’s god-like objectification of beauty may inherently be a flawed concept. This weekend’s podcast focuses on Dr. Teo Wan Lin’s research in the field of neuroaesthetics, a sequel to the previous podcast on the role of evolutionary psychology in beauty standards. She posits that the experience of beauty is actually a neuroendocrine process involving our senses and brain processing, rather than one based on a checklist of physical attributes.  Using art as an example of how the human brain processes imagery which is translated into an aesthetic experience, she points out that cognitive neuroscience is relevant to understanding the biological basis of our own perceptions of beauty. Rationalising beauty as a neurosensorial experience readily debunks set “beauty standards”, showing that perception can, in fact, be a conscious choice. Want more of our podcast? Episode Recaps and Notes:https://www.scienceofbeauty.net/; Instagram: @drteowanlin; Youtube: http://bit.ly/35rjbve Teo WL. On thoughts, emotions, facial expressions, and aging. Int J Dermatol. 2021 May;60(5):e200-e202. doi: 10.1111/ijd.15443. Epub 2021 Feb 9. PMID: 33559158. [PubMed]