Artistic expression is deeply ingrained in our biology and evolutionary development and is a crucial aspect of human existence. Breakthroughs in neuroaesthetics illustrate the transformative power of arts and aesthetics on neurobiology, impacting our physical and mental health, learning, and community building, writes Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross.

E.O. Wilson, a Harvard evolutionary biologist, once beautifully made the case that the arts are essential to the survival of the human species. Beginning with our ancestors circling together around a fire at the end of the day, he explained that they created wholly new forms of community, coming together to tell stories, sing, and dance.

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Through these creative human expressions, morals and ethical values can be considered to have developed. There were celebrations and ceremonies, rituals, and traditions. Layers of meaning-making meant that a sense of belonging emerged between individuals, families and groups. It was through these repetitive creative acts, that humans forged strong social bonds, created trusting relationships and a collective feeling of transcendence emerged.