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Think about the last time a piece of music stopped you in your tracks, or a novel kept you up late at night. Why do these experiences feel so powerful? Psychobiologist Daisy Fancourt says engagement with the arts can help to regulate our emotions, build resilience, and support long-term well-being. She joins us to talk about this research, and to share practical ways to bring more creativity into our everyday lives. Once you've listened to this episode, be sure to check out our companion conversation, "The Healing Arts," on Hidden Brain+. In that episode, Daisy shares how th...
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The Old Testament tells the story of King Saul, a ruler who was frequently gripped by waves of anguish and despair.
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Is this episode right for you?
B2 · Upper-intermediate
Comfortable if you already follow TV news
- 67% of the words are B1 or easier.
- 176 words a minute: natural, fairly fast speech.
- 215 harder words (B2 and up) in the whole episode.
Transcript
The opening of the episode. The whole transcript is in the player.
harder words (B2+)
This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedanta. The Old Testament tells the story of King Saul, a ruler who was frequently gripped by waves of anguish and despair. When Saul was afflicted by such torments, his advisors didn't always call for a physician or a priest. Instead, they summoned a young shepherd named David, known for his skill at playing the lyre.
As the music began to play, King Saul's mind would settle and his mood would lift. For centuries, stories like this have been treated as legend, poetic, symbolic, even mystical. But do they point to something real?
Today, a growing body of scientific research suggests that music, painting, dance and storytelling do far more than entertain us. They calm our nervous systems, reshape our emotions and even influence our physical health. This week on Hidden Brain and in a companion story on Hidden Brain Plus, why the arts are
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