Psychosomatic Transformation: The Cathartic Cycle of Time and Healing
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Abstract
Concerning healthcare today, it is clear to see that there is a disconnect between our understanding of physical health and of mental health. Not having access or not being able to afford any type of medical treatment is a problem this country needs to solve. While not having the power to write prescriptions or diagnose illnesses, architecture has the power to affect us on a more holistic level.
Architecture’s influence on our mood from the manipulation of a space’s atmosphere is essential to the connection between the metaphysical mind and physical body. Our bodies respond to these emotions made through experiencing architecture, creating reactions powerful enough to encourage deeper thought and reflection. The cathartic connection between the mind and body is the solution we need in this country’s healthcare crisis. I offer architecture as that solution, creating spaces meant to transform and heal the occupants throughout various cycles throughout the spaces mimicking that of the cycles of day and night, our circadian rhythms, or the seasons. Throughout the design of these spaces, my goal is to create such powerful emotions and reactions to this space and experience in order to heal the inhabitants from the inside out.