List of Resources

Books

• Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill -- Matthieu Ricard
• How to Overcome Your Difficulties -- Ven Dr. K. Sri Dharmananda
• Emotions Revealed -- Paul Ekman
• Visualizing Research: A Guide to the Research Process in Art and Design -- Carole Gray, Julian Malins

Papers/ Journal Entries

• The Concept "Self" and "Person" in Buddhism and In Western Psychology -- David Galin
• Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being -- Paul Ekman, Richard J. Davidson, Matthieu Ricard, B. Alan Wallace
• Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative? -- Philip Brickman, Dan Coates, Ronnie Janoff-Bulman
• Pleasure, Pain, Desire and Dread: Hidden Core Processes of Emotions -- Kent C. Bridge
• Visualizing Female Sexuality in Medieval Cultures -- Sherry C. M. Lindquist
• The Meanings of Nudity in Medieval Art: An Introduction -- Sherry C. M. Lindquist
• Metaphor As A Basic Mechanism of Art (Painting) -- Viktor F. Petrenko

Web Articles

• The New Science of Happiness -- Claudia Wallis
• The Science of 'Inside Out' -- Dacher Keltner, Paul Ekman
• A Conversation With the Psychologist Behind 'Inside Out' -- J. Wesley Judd

Artist References

• Audra Auclair
• J. A. W. Cooper
• Cranach the Elder
• Waldemar Kazak
• Jared Muralt
• Hieronymus Bosch

Last updated on 24 September 2015

About the Project

There is more to happiness than a mere fleeting moment of joy. True happiness is the deep sense of flourishing that arises from an exceptionally healthy mind. This is classified as an optimal state of being which is not easy to achieve. My final year project will explore the theme of happiness and a personal journey in cultivating a healthy happy mind.

Inspiration
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I am constantly affected by my emotions, especially the negative ones, which simultaneously affect the people around me. This is an issue that has bothered me a significant amount as I grow older despite the strong front I put up with in front of others. This persisting problem motivated my personal desire for change.

Significance
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For the duration of one year, I hope this will be a journey of self-improvement. I seek not only for this project to last an academic year, but also one that reaps long term benefits and effects for myself and others. This project will hopefully inspire other people like me, helping them to get over tough times and the obstacles within themselves.

Value
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Current projects linked to the idea of Happiness tackle only the surface of our emotions. For examples, they encourage people to engage in small acts that promotes contentment, like drinking a good cup of coffee, making your partner breakfast, enjoying the view of the night sky etc.
What these experiences have in common is the momentary disappearance of inner conflicts. The person feels in harmony with the world and himself'/herself. Thoughts of one's past are suppressed, the mind is not burdened with plans for the future and the present moment is liberated from all mental constructs. No doubt these acts will bring about happiness, but they are not sustainable. These experiences are just a passing glimpse brought on by a particular set of circumstances, also known as the 'magic moment' or the 'state of grace'.
The focus of my project will be on cultivating the mindset needed to achieve sustainable happiness.


Presented on 14 August 2015