When Bettina suggested we construct a labyrinth it immediately sent my neurons firing off in all directions ( read ' I thought it was a good idea')!
It was the art project that finally surfaced from all that activity up there in my head. But that was only the start of it (and may well be the end of me) – imagine a 6m x 6m canvas!
Nambour based artist Dave Houghton agreed to undertake the project and could use the old Nambour Ambulance Station (SCAIP, an art hub with attitude) in Howard St which has the space for such a large project. At first Dave thought it could be hung and completed with spray can paints but with some trial and tribulation it was finally agreed that it would have to be done on the floor. While Dave tended to the marking out – 6 concentric circles take up the whole 36 sq metre canvas – not a simple task! I started looking for information about labyrinths to provide some explanation of what this installation is all about.
Turns out the art project is was only part of the overall project. The other part was to develop our presentation of the labyrinth event on Noosa Biosphere Day and beyond.
This is where the science comes in.
The US based Labyrinth Society has been tracking people’s reactions to Labyrinth Walking for a while now. They have found from their research, that over 80% of people feel more relaxed and peaceful after the walk. Their website relates an inspiring story about a young girl with Asperger’s Syndrome, an autism spectrum disorder, who responded, to the astonishment of teachers, to a labyrinth walk – she declared her happiness after the experience and began to incorporate 'colour and beauty in her drawings' not evident before.
There have been a number of studies done to test the proposition that the labyrinth walk does, in fact, induce a change to peoples’ mental states. Some of the studies have looked at medical evidence eg pulse rate, respiration - those physiological indications of less stress and anxiety but more general information is needed to understand what further scientific evidence should be established.
The challenge is to find evidence of the benefits of labyrinth walking, and more importantly to develop interventions that can help people cope and maximise their quality of life.
The Social Board has signed up with the Labyrinth Society to offer the opportunity for Noosa Biosphere Day patrons to participate in this international research project.
If you are keen to be involved in the study, all it entails is to walk the labyrinth and complete a questionnaire. It is anonymous, it will feed into the body of data being collected and feedback can be provided if you wish.
The current research results will be available for anyone interested in what has already been established.
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