https://doi.org/10.4081/peasa.20

Neurocinematic therapy - An interdisciplinary perspective

man watching movie in theater seats - Stock photos by Vecteezy
Vol. 3 (2024)
Submitted: December 14, 2023
Accepted: April 11, 2024
Published: April 23, 2024
cinematics, complexity sciences, neuroimaging, meta-synthesis, movie therapy, self-regulation, symbol theory, translational medicine
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The present article is a typical perspective paper. It neither substantiates nor confirms theories, nor does it produce robust data-driven outcomes in the context of evidence-based medicine. It rather sheds light on the emerging field of neurocinematic therapy and promotes interdisciplinary discussion. Within the broad realm of neurocinematics, neurocinematic therapy is considered a realm of applied sciences with a particular impact on clinical areas and public health systems. It does not necessarily comply with standardised diagnostic manuals but inspires a multifaceted view of notions referring to pathology. Neuropsychological processing of individual movie experiences plays a crucial role and regards the interplay between psycho-affective phenomena and central-nervous functioning of specific brain areas, network connectivities and neural principles such as brain plasticity. According to the characteristics of meta-syntheses, the article respects all kinds of relevant approaches such as neuroimaging or qualitative empirical research, and harmonises their outcomes from the perspective of scientific epistemology, meta-methodology and theory of science. From a translational medical point of view, such scientific syntheses are designed to impact clinical practice and public health. The present study identifies seven potentially therapeutic features of movie experience which suggest a preliminary scientific framework: i) change of pathological cognitive patterns and compulsive thought, ii) integration of fragmentised identities, iii) intuitive development of self-therapeutic measures, iv) re-balancing of inner calmness and dynamic lifestyles, v) biographical work and episodic exposure training, vi) synchronisation of movie rhythms, life rhythms and inner rhythms, and vii) clinical trance as well as movie-based auto-hypnosis.

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Wolfgang Mastnak, Shandong University & Shandong Mental Health Center, Professor of Arts Therapies, Jinan, Shandong; Beijing Normal University, Professor of Arts Therapies, Beijing

University of Music and Theatre Munich, Professor of Music Education, Munich, Germany 

How to Cite

Mastnak, W. (2024). Neurocinematic therapy - An interdisciplinary perspective. Proceedings of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, 3. https://doi.org/10.4081/peasa.20
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