The Social Synapse and the Blue Man Group

A couple of weeks ago I went to see the Blue Man Group at the Briar Street Theatre in Chicago, IL. It was a great show and if you have not seen the Blue Man Group before-you are missing a fantastic show. I have seen them many times, each show different, equally inspiring with spot on humor that connects to the society and current events.

As I walked into the theatre and found my seat, I noticed “The Social Synapse” displayed on the screen. The quote touched me, especially in my effort to help people work together for the greater good of the communities in which we work and live.

The Social Synapse
From: The Neuroscience of Human Relationships

“If you would like to establish a connection with people from another culture is it always good to offer a few gifts as a gesture of friendship. But, an even better way to forge a lasting bond is my creating something together. Whether it’s a meal, an art project, or just a spontaneous dance party, when you create with others, you build a connection that lasts a lifetime.”
From the social synapse by Nona Epinephrine and Sarah Tonin

What a great quote, doesn’t it just make you want to go out and have a spontaneous dance party? Okay, maybe you want to create some art, stock a food pantry or help someone learn to read. I did find some humor in this as well as a great message to engage in building something with other people.
I noticed that the book title and the author names are a little “puny” and I am uncertain whether everyone truly understood that and the following impact to the quote. The book title “The Social Synapse” is interesting as it relates to a “synapse” in the brain: a junction between two nerve cells which impulses pass through.
The author’s names are interesting also, Nora Epinephrine refers to noradrenaline, and Sarah Tonin refers to serotonin… both of which are a type of hormone which passes through the synaptic gap in the brain. Being a total science geek, I decided to research this a little deeper to find out what these hormones do when you are engaged in creating something with other people.
Norepinephrine is a stress hormone that affects parts of the brain where the attention and response functions are controlled. One of the most important functions linked to the role norepinephrine plays is releasing a neurotransmitter from the sympathetic neurons affecting the heart. So when we connect with others and create and someone says “this touches my heart, it truly does touch your heart. It speeds up your heart rate rushing more blood flow, and that triggers more blood flow to the muscles increasing the brains oxygen supple and makes you feel good.
Serotonin is popularly thought to be a contributor to feelings of well-being and happiness. It also regulates mood, appetite and sleep. But the best thing it does is affect cognitive functions including memory and learning. Serotonin contributes to helping us enjoy this human connect by providing us memories and the ability to learn.
WOW, I have certainly over-simplified the functions of these two hormones, but as they relate to the names of the authors, I think it adds some credibility to the effect we have on people when we join forces for the good of the community.
Since connecting with other people and creating something is good for your heart and making memories contributes directly to your well-being and happiness levels, what is stopping you? Go out and create something with other people today!