“The Anatomy of Joy”
This piece is inspired by a man dubbed “the happiest man alive” aka Matthieu Ricard, a 71-year old Buddhist monk originally from France. fMRI scans have revealed that he has “off the charts” levels of activity in the left prefrontal cortex of his brain while engaging in meditation.
High levels of activity in the left prefrontal cortex are associated with a positive outlook and happy disposition. He has extremely high levels of gamma waves, which are associated with focus, attention, and learning.
Scientists have found that a mediation practice helps to disable what is termed our “default mode network” which is generally responsible for maintaining our sense of self, ego and habits of mind. Disarming or softening the default mode network is a powerful therapeutic tool in healing trauma, changing habits, and cultivating a deeper sense of connection with the world around us.
This is not a new finding; the brains of meditators all show these changes to some degree or another. By meditating on his oneness with the universe, Matthieu Ricard has achieved an “unheard of” capacity for joy.
True-to-life sized. Created using traditional forensic reconstruction techniques. Modeling wax, acrylic and oil paints, plastic, wireframe, wood base.
