Happy Amygdala

Last night, Mallar and I went on a "First Thursday" gallery walk. First Thursday takes place each month in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. From afternoon through early evening, leading art galleries open their doors to introduce their new exhibitions and artists. Apparently, Seattle was the first US city to introduce the art walk (back in 1981).
We were tipped off when one of Mallar's colleagues encouraged us to check out his wife's exhibit, Happy Amygdala. The Shift gallery describes her work as follows:
"Magdelen Celestino's work posits an experiment in perception and belief. Happy Amygdala is a new series that investigates recent findings in neuroscience. Scientists conclude that viewing certain images can change the way the brain works by causing specific parts of the brain to suddenly activate. Magdalen tests this information with images filtered through her distinctive iconography. These photographs take the form of curious yet jaunty cosmograms, where color is a key and the participants: shadowy figures, glimmering vistas, and repurposed celebrity portraits, play a role in sparking up the netherworld of the brain".

I believe that there was likely a lot of activity in my amygdala -leading to anxious emotion more than anything else. The iconography, from she-wolf dolls to blurry alien-like faces, reminded me of the X-files and the conditioned response provoked by its eerie theme song. The icons (as perceived by my brain anyway) were almost like a visual catalogue of 1st and 2nd season X-files episodes in which the paranormal was always linked to tales of folk lore and legend (that only FBI agents with the esoteric knowledge of Fox Mulder could understand).

I wonder what kind of responses would result from coupling this type of art iconography with contrasting sounds or smells. What would my amygdala do if I was looking at an image of hmm.. let's say a "chupacabra", while surrounded by the comforting smell of cinnamon buns? ; )