Esther Sternberg “Space Saves the Mind”

Our lives are heavily influenced by our environment. Humans are adaptive animals, and the “environment” we live in shapes our culture. So, “space” and “environment” play a huge role in our lives.

Broadening the scope even further, literature has also become more interested in environmental themes than ever before. “Ecological literature, represented by Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden,” has gained attention as a genre, and “Walden” is still a required reading for college students.

It’s also true that the fields of medicine, psychology, and architecture are becoming more concerned with “environment” and “space”. The book “Healing Space: The Science of Place and Well-Being” by Esther M. Sternberg, M.D., is a scientifically based account of the psychological and physical changes that occur in response to space.

Based on research findings, this book discusses the kind of space we should strive to create in order to heal.

“Books that summarize the relationship between space and psychology”

In this book, you’ll learn about the history of the world’s most famous and influential ecologists. This book is about how space affects our minds.

“We are all part of this world. In the spaces that surround us, we not only shape them, but we also shape ourselves. We can create places that engulf and destroy our environment and, in turn, destroy ourselves. The opposite is also possible. We can create places that help us live in harmony with our environment and help us stay healthy.”

The title of the book makes it seem like it shouldn’t be too difficult to read, but the content is not easy. The book is filled with jargon from many different disciplines, and includes a variety of experiments and results.

This is a book that brings together the fields of architecture, medicine, and psychology to tell a single story.

“Healing spaces can be found within ourselves, within our emotions and memories. “The most powerful healing places are in our brains and hearts.”

“Not too heavy, not too light”

With so much jargon and research, the book can be intimidating and boring. However, it is not a difficult book in terms of its conclusions.

We can summarize by saying that architecture that takes into account the natural environment has a positive impact on people’s health and psychological state. However, the “why?” part of the process can be more challenging, as it involves difficult and in-depth jargon.

That’s why this book feels neither too heavy nor too light.

“A 400-page book”

The book is quite long. It’s 400 pages long. The book also includes a large number of reference pages, as it contains a lot of research and findings. It reads more like a dissertation.

The book is divided into three main chapters, which are as follows

How space affects us
About spaces that lower stress and increase happiness
How we can design places and spaces that inspire healing

“There is a difference between the area of the brain that recognizes faces and the area that recognizes objects.”

One of the book’s main points is an experiment about how humans perceive space. Experiments have shown that there is a difference between the parts of our brain that recognize faces and those that recognize objects or buildings.

When it comes to recognizing buildings, many of the responses come from the brain’s location awareness area around the hippocampus.

“In the case of sound, the areas responsible for speech and music are different.”

Similar to visuals, there is a difference between the areas of the brain that recognize speech and those that recognize music.

In the case of speech, the area is used to center various emotions, and in the case of music, the area is used to measure rhythm. That’s why music, with its lyrics and rhythm, can trigger a range of emotional responses, and why some studies have shown that listening to music can be therapeutic.

“Touch and smell also affect our emotions.”

The tactile and olfactory sensations that surround us also affect our emotions. The scent of lavender can help you relax and fall into a deep sleep. The lemon scent, on the other hand, has the effect of vaporizing tension and interfering with sleep.

“Stress was first defined by a scholar named Hans Celie.”

The second part of the book focuses on “stress”. The story of stress begins with Hans Sellier, who first defined the term. The stress response is essential for survival, but when it’s too much, it eventually takes a toll on our bodies.

“Labyrinths and mazes and the psychological state of being in them”

We often think of labyrinths and mazes as similar, but the book introduces them as two different things. Although they have the same form, labyrinths refer to a maze with only one way in and one way out.

He explains that we feel differently in a labyrinth and a maze. To put it simply, in a labyrinth, we feel relaxed, slow down, and take our time, while in a maze, we experience increased stress.

By designing a space that utilizes these elements, it can be transformed into a space that utilizes several psychological changes.

“How to Boost Your Immunity: Meditation or Exercise”

Although the book is centered on space, it also discusses ways to increase “immunity”. Research shows that “meditation” is an effective way to boost the body’s immune system.

However, “exercise” can also boost your “immunity” and is just as effective as meditation. However, moderation is key, as too much exercise can lower your immune system.

The book “Space Saves the Mind” is, after all, about “space”. In the end, it’s a convergence of architecture, psychology, and medicine. It’s not easy to think about just one thing, and it’s not easy to read a book that contains all three at once, so it’s not easy to read smoothly, but it’s an interesting topic and I enjoyed it.

This is a book that can be understood more deeply if you have some knowledge of architecture, psychology, or medicine.

“Space Saves the Mind: Healing Space: The Science of Place and Well-Being”