A recent study explored the reasons we might enjoy engaging in sad media. Eric W. Dolan writes about these studies on PsyPost. It explored the ideas that we might enjoy engaging with sad material based on the reality of said material, whether or not it would be considered art, and how likely our own appropriation of the media was. It turns out that we like sad art that we can believe is real (rather than fictional) as it allows us to feel the art is speaking our own sadness into the world. Sad art seems to give our own sadness a voice.
It would make sense why art is so popular, and why it is often more popular when it evokes strong emotions. I find a lot of people struggle to identify and express their emotions in a way they find satisfactory. Empathy is strong tool in this regard and validation also applies. These tools allow others to see us and express to us what we might be feeling. It gives universality and recognition in others. We might feel more seen in a world where we can see others experiencing the same pain we wish we could describe.
Perhaps this is part of how therapy and group therapy can work on the aspect of universality or other benefits discussed by Yalom. Sharing our emotions with others in a private way could also protect us from having to be truly vulnerable and risk failing to save others. Yalom had a technique he called “Top Secret” where everyone in the group wrote down something they were afraid of and put it anonymously in a bag. The members of the group would draw these fears and read them aloud, avoiding reading their own fears. The group would often become closer to each other even without disclosure of who wrote which fear.
This technique allowed people to be vulnerable and to hear their own fears spoken by someone else in a group setting. It was a validating experience that fostered closeness even without direct disclosure. The idea that someone in the group felt the same as you and you weren’t expected to comfort them seemed to promote this closeness among members. I wonder if these are similar things in the emotional area of our brains.
Take the time this week to think about a time you felt emotionally connected to a piece of art. What was that art saying for you? What might you want to look at more closely in your own healing journey based off this information?