The healing effects of nature have been currently applied in the medical field as part of the non-therapeutic healing through the use of healing gardens (Ettun, Schultz, & Bar-Sela, 2014). These are gardens with beautiful natural phenomenon and works of art, which are believed to modify the psychological, physical, and social needs of people or patients (Ettun, Schultz, & Bar-Sela, 2014). The healing landscapes have been widely used to facilitate various aspects of human healing. Landscape gardens have significantly proved to be useful in the management of stress, depression, anxiety, psychosis, and other mental disorders (Ettun, Schultz, & Bar-Sela, 2014). Therefore, the inauguration of the landscape garden in Delhi to serve as a healing garden would also be beneficial to its populace and people from other regions.
Emotional Detox is a sculpture, which is made of casts and lead, standing as a series of seven sculptures. Its design was encouraged by traditional beliefs. The model of the statue shows the catharsis and fragility in the community. This statue was made when the Queen successfully managed to stop alcohol addiction and, thus, is it believed that the remedy is achieved by enhancement of both the physical and emotional perceptions. Delhi Arts Council has supported the establishment of the healing garden.
One benefit of the sculpture in health promotion is reducing stress. There are several theories, which have been developed to support the stress reduction mechanism of nature. Nature has been stipulated to reduce the physiological mediators of stress, improve the individual’s mood, and aid in the healing process (Ettun, Schultz & Bar-Sela, 2014). As part of the healing process, this sculpture provides a scene where a person can be alone or be with a friend and meditate over some issues, which might be stressful to them.
The sculpture would be beneficial to the community since it would also enable positive thoughts among patients. The statue’s design and artwork was to enhance cathartics in the society. According to Rite, et al. (2014), purification of emotion and thoughts in the society, especially fear and pity, has proved to encourage positive thoughts. The art can be related to the community practices, which are currently evident promoting how the members of the community feel about one another one another and the purification of the society as a whole.
Some members of the community are also against the adoption of the Marc Quinn Series in the village. It is based on their feeling that this work of art would result in eradication of the society’s norms and practices. The sculpture is designed in the form of distorted body parts of a human being. For some cultures, it may seem obscene, which creates unnecessary fear and panic among some members of the society who are not used to the sculpture (Arora, et al., 2016). Thus, instead of acting like a source of stress relief, it serves as a source of discomfort among them. Healing landscapes are individually placed in a healing garden so as to boost the emotions of those who come across it; often achieved by diverting their thoughts in case something stressful had occupied their minds (Arora, et al., 2016).
I feel that members of the community would also be against the free exposure of the Marc Quinn Series in the society because of the possible implication of the sculpture to the behavior of the community members. The sculpture suggests torture, inhumanity, and self-suffering. The fact that the art puts the person in the sculpture to be tearing his mouth and at the same time seeming to be undergoing may be adopted by members of the society. The implications of this can be seen when one member of the community tries to do this to himself or someone else.
I also feel that remaining neutral and waiting to determine both sides of the possible views is beneficial. This means that the community council would be making decisions based on the evidence they find and other experiences, which were realized when the same sculpture was put in some garden elsewhere. Delhi Arts Council would not risk allowing this sculpture to be set in the village without considering the negative impacts it might cause to the society. The core goals and nature of the community is the societal values and norms, which might be considered before something new is introduced into the society. Weighing the benefits and the negative impacts can be best done by involving the community as a whole. Their thoughts and beliefs about the sculpture are then discussed by the Delphi Arts Council before an inclusive decision about the same.
References
Arora, M., Rahar, S., Rageeb, M., & Nagpal, N. (2016). Phytopharmacological importance of traditional healer tree: Golden Shower. International Journal of Pharmacy & Life Sciences, 7(5), 5051-5061. http://www.ijplsjournal.com/issues%20PDF%20files/Archive-2016/May-2016/5.pdf
Ettun, R., Schultz, M., & Bar-Sela, G. (2014). Transforming Pain into Beauty: On Art, Healing, and Care for the Spirit. Evidence-Based Complementary & Alternative Medicine (Ecam). Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/789852
Rite, P., Jitsacorn, C., Junlapeeya, P., Dedkhard, S., & Thursby, P. (2014). Nurses’ stories of a ‘Fairy Garden’ healing haven for sick children. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 23(23/24), 3544-3554. doi:10.1111/jocn.12637
