Poster Session I
Project Type
Poster
Project Funding and Affiliations
None
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
David Macaluso
Faculty Mentor’s Department
Physics
Additional Mentor
None
Abstract / Artist's Statement
This project explores how the human brain exhibits complex patterns of neural activity that interact through oscillatory dynamics controlling cognition and emotion. The main question is whether awe can be understood as a change in how neural oscillators interact, and if so, whether this framework can be applied to other emotions. This project was inspired after taking the Awe and Curiosity course at the Davidson Honors College, where awe was explored as a universal but under-researched emotion that can alter how the brain perceives and interprets the world. To examine this, case studies and experiments were reviewed on the psychological and neurological effects of awe, then cross-analyzed with research on neural oscillations. Using these insights, neural oscillatory patterns were coded corresponding to different types of awe and were compared to baseline and stress-induced oscillations. While these models are theoretical and not tested on live subjects, they illustrate measurable shifts in neural activity. These findings suggest that awe produces changes in brain oscillations that align with a more regulated, relaxed, and stress-free state, reflecting increased synchronization among neural oscillators. By conceptualizing awe as a shift in oscillatory states, this work bridges physics and cognitive neuroscience, modeling emotional states through coupled oscillators and moving toward quantifying subjective experiences in physical terms. This project has potential implications for future research on emotional regulation, stress reduction, and mental health, providing computational neuroscience researchers with a framework to understand how emotions regulate neural dynamics.
Category
Physical Sciences
Awe on the Brain: Exploring the Impacts of Awe on Neural Oscillations
UC South Ballroom
This project explores how the human brain exhibits complex patterns of neural activity that interact through oscillatory dynamics controlling cognition and emotion. The main question is whether awe can be understood as a change in how neural oscillators interact, and if so, whether this framework can be applied to other emotions. This project was inspired after taking the Awe and Curiosity course at the Davidson Honors College, where awe was explored as a universal but under-researched emotion that can alter how the brain perceives and interprets the world. To examine this, case studies and experiments were reviewed on the psychological and neurological effects of awe, then cross-analyzed with research on neural oscillations. Using these insights, neural oscillatory patterns were coded corresponding to different types of awe and were compared to baseline and stress-induced oscillations. While these models are theoretical and not tested on live subjects, they illustrate measurable shifts in neural activity. These findings suggest that awe produces changes in brain oscillations that align with a more regulated, relaxed, and stress-free state, reflecting increased synchronization among neural oscillators. By conceptualizing awe as a shift in oscillatory states, this work bridges physics and cognitive neuroscience, modeling emotional states through coupled oscillators and moving toward quantifying subjective experiences in physical terms. This project has potential implications for future research on emotional regulation, stress reduction, and mental health, providing computational neuroscience researchers with a framework to understand how emotions regulate neural dynamics.