Week 7: Eternal Neuroscience of the Conscious Mind!

For DESMA 9 this week, we explore the conscious, unconscious, and subconscious mind as they converge, intersect, and bring neuroscience to the forefront of popular culture and education, using Art as the vehicle. Professor Vesna only touched the surface of key figures and revolutionary minds such as Franz Josef Gall, who originated phrenology, Ramon y Cajal, who discovered neuron connections, psychologists, Sigmund Freud, and Carl Jung, who both contributed to the study of dreams and the unconscious. Each figure and many others have added to our continued complex understanding of our brains, the neuronetworks, and how they function and affect behavior, psychology, and thought. 

It was fascinating to examine artist Suzanne Anker, whom Professor Vesna highlighted in this week's lectures, specifically her "FMRI Butterfly" pieces. She used 15 identical brain scans arranged in a grid, each frame containing a different Rorschach inkblot.

"FMRI Butterfly"- Suzanne Anker

What drew me to her artwork was the convergence of the science of FMRI, a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow, and the psychological elements of inkblot testing. Both disciplines of neuroscience and psychology are interwoven, and as new research and technological methods are developed to understand how the brain functions, so does the understanding of the human psyche. The FMRI Butterfly artwork is a true expression of the beauty of the new symbiotic growth of both. 

As I was reading through the selected article, Neoculture by Giovanni Frazzetto and Suzanne Anker, I couldn't stop thinking about the first time I watched the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" directed by Michel Gondry. Without getting into every detail, this movie focuses on a couple who went through a painful breakup. As a result, both characters go to extreme lengths by going through a complex brain procedure to erase the other person's memories. I've embedded below a scene of the actual procedure Jim Carrey put himself through to begin erasing his relationship memories. 

As you can see in the video, brain scans and images, presumably FMRI images, are used to measure his brain activity, which is associated with psychological states and memories. The movie's concept is brilliant, and the relatable psychological aspect of humans dealing with trauma, such as a breakup, and working to resolve negative mental states with the technological advancement in neuroscience, is ingenious. 

The movie represents how the Art of film continues to bring about and develop 'neuroculture'. It brings concepts, research, and new ideology rooted in neuroscience to the masses without the tedious experience of reading research or scientific articles that may lose the general audience. The article Neuroculture suggests that Neuroscience is increasingly moving beyond the confines of the laboratory and influencing various aspects of daily life, social practices, and intellectual discourse. This is true because popular culture is riddled with ideas, images, and concepts from neuroscience. Our common belief, just as the movie suggests, is that "brainhood" and the "cerebral subject" are how we now look at the brain as the primary organ that defines identity and personhood. Whether that be artistic pieces of work, such as the "FMRI butterfly" or movies such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", we are and have been in the territory of bridging neuroscience to our conscious minds to evaluate and explore how the human imagination will interpret new findings. All these findings are expressed, challenged, and illuminated through the Arts!


Movie Poster for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"- IMDB


References:

Frazzetto, G., & Anker, S. (2009). Neuroculture. Nature Reviews. Neuroscience, 10(11), 815–821. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2736

Johnson, S. (2004, March 22). The neuroscience behind Eternal Sunshine. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/culture/2004/03/the-neuroscience-behind-eternal-sunshine.html

Professional, C. C. M. (2025, March 19). Functional MRI (FMRI). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/25034-functional-mri-fmri
Suzanne Anker. (n.d.). Suzanne Anker. https://www.suzanneanker.com/

Wikipedia contributors. (2025h, May 5). Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eternal_Sunshine_of_the_Spotless_Mind

Image and Video Citation:

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). (n.d.). IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338013/mediaviewer/rm2954530560/?ref_=tt_ov_i

FMRI Butterfly, Suzzane Anker, https://www.suzanneanker.com/artwork/mri-butterfly

PieterSlierings. (2010, October 4). Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - brain examine scene [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ke2HjqVXfc














Comments

  1. Ella LaneMay 14, 2025 at 2:12 PM

    Hi Jack! I really enjoyed your take on this week's resources. I love your incorporation and comparison involving the movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," as I have not seen the movie but can tell the comparisons within this week's work! I love the scene you gave us to refer to, as it allowed me to further connect with the media!

    ReplyDelete
  2. MarinaMay 14, 2025 at 2:24 PM

    Hello Jack, Your post does a beautiful job of weaving together scientific history, contemporary neuroscience, and personal reflection through art and film. I especially appreciated your breakdown of Suzanne Anker’s FMRI Butterfly, you captured its dual impact perfectly: not only does it visually reference the Rorschach test, but it also turns clinical brain scans into poetic, symbolic imagery. It really emphasizes how art can humanize science and create new ways of seeing ourselves.

    The connection you made to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was powerful. That film is such a perfect example of neuroculture, how scientific ideas about memory and trauma permeate our everyday thinking and storytelling. Your insight that neuroscience is “moving beyond the lab” and entering popular consciousness feels very true, especially with the rise of brain-based narratives in film, TV, and even social media.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ninamatloobDESMA9May 15, 2025 at 10:43 AM

    Hi Jack,

    I similarly took note of Suzanne Anker's FMRI Butterfly images from this weeks lecture. I found it fascinating how Anker was able to intersect neuroscience and art by superimposing the image of a butterfly over brain scans, creating a very unique work of art. I felt that this was a perfect example of how art, technology, the human body, and medicine all touch and often go hand in hand.

    ReplyDelete
  4. alexandria r.May 18, 2025 at 10:59 PM

    Hey Jack! I love this post you shared. Like the others who've shared their thoughts, I also thought the way you connected the week’s lectures and readings to visual art (Anker’s FMRI Butterfly series) + film (Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) were really thoughtful. Your reflection on how neuroscience and psychology intersect in Anker’s work was also beautifully expressed. It really emphasized how art can take something complex (like brain science) and translate it into something that really resonates and becomes even more accessible.

    Great work!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Reiley WilliamsMay 19, 2025 at 12:00 AM

    Hi Jack! This is a rich and thoughtful reflection! I really appreciated how you connected Suzanne Anker’s fMRI Butterfly to broader cultural representations of neuroscience, particularly through Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Your comparison highlights how both scientific tools and artistic storytelling allow us to explore memory, trauma, and identity in ways that resonate deeply with lived experience. I especially liked your point about how art can “translate” complex neurocognitive ideas into accessible and emotionally charged narratives. It really captures what Frazzetto and Anker mean by neuroculture. It made me wonder: do you think the popularization of neuroscience through art and film risks oversimplifying it, or is that accessibility part of what gives it power?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Francesca AlupeiMay 19, 2025 at 6:25 AM

    Hi Jack, it's interesting how you linked early ideas about the brain with modern art like Suzanne Anker's "FMRI Butterfly." Using brain scans with inkblots is a cool way to show how science and personal feelings mix. The movie is a great example of how neuroscience is now part of our culture. This movie makes us think about our memories and how technology could change them. Art, like this movie, helps bring complex science ideas to everyone, making us wonder about our brains and who we are. Overall I enjoyed your post about how they all connect!

    ReplyDelete

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