The diversity of the human mind revealed

World first exhibition at Melbourne Museum 

An exhibition unlike any other in the world, Melbourne Museum’s The Mind: Enter the Labyrinth explores the varying capacities of the most complex phenomenon in the known universe – the human mind.

Opening as a permanent exhibition on 21 September 2007, The Mind: Enter the Labyrinth sets an international benchmark for an exhibition based on sensory and exploratory experiences – addressing the science of the mind while also taking a historical perspective of mental health, bringing together psychology, psychiatry and neuroscience.

The Mind will exhibit a wide variety of objects which place the mind in a social context – from a real human brain to the art work of psychiatric patients and objects from asylums dating back more than 100 years. In addition, interactive activities will highlight the diversity of the human mind – allowing visitors to step into the mind of a person with a mental illness or force them to feel certain emotions or showcase the varying states of consciousness.

Investigating the human mind and its central role for individuals and society as a whole, The Mind has been developed around key themes of: Feeling (emotions and motivations), Knowing (perception and memory), Thinking (cognition and consciousness) and Being (identity and interaction). Variations in brain function are also explored, taking a focus on conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, synaesthesia, schizophrenia, ADHD, and autism. 

“We’ve made the exhibition very interactive; very Alice in Wonderland in a way, as it’s like walking into a bizarre world,” explains exhibition curator Dr Nurin Veis.

A real human brain and other specimens have been borrowed from the University of Melbourne highlighting the anatomy of the brain while works from the Cunningham Dax Art Collection examine the ways artists make sense of dreams, trauma, dementia and schizophrenia.

Objects never previously exhibited from the Psychiatric Services Collection shed much-needed light on the experience of patients and staff in institutions across Victoria once known as “lunatic asylums”.  Most of the objects in this collection are from the 100 years prior to 1960.  “It’s one of the best collections of its type in the world, with the greatest depth of objects – from kitchen goods right through to medications and restraining devices,” says Dr Veis.

Highlights of the interactive components of The Mind: Enter the Labyrinth exhibition include:

Mirror pods – The mirror pods allow visitors to gain a perspective of another person’s mind – what it is like to experience mental health conditions (such as bipolar disorder, psychosis and depression), or the phenomenon called synaesthesia, where a person’s senses are linked. The private ‘pods’ provide a one-on-one interaction with a multimedia presentation of an individual’s testimonial of their experience.  As the multimedia plays the lighting on the mirrored surface changes and instead of seeing the person on the monitor, the visitor slowly sees a reflection of themselves – providing a surprising and somewhat confronting effect of stepping into someone else’s shoes

Mood pods – The mood pods take the visitor on a rollercoaster ride of various human emotions. The enclosed pods will allow a visitor to experience moving image and sound with the aim of triggering the emotions of anger, fear, disgust, surprise and happiness – each within a 30 second segment.

Consciousness couches – Visitors will be offered a ‘journey’ on the consciousness couches, interpreting the main states of consciousness from normal active thought to sleeping and dreaming. While lying on one of the consciousness couches experiencing moving image and sound that ranges from rhythmic, hypnotic and trancelike, the visitor will be enticed to relax and surrender to the various states of consciousness.

Language - The interactive language section reveals the difficult, slow process and the many brain functions involved in learning a language. Visitors will listen to a short phrase spoken in one of five languages, which will also be displayed in written form. They will repeat the phrase and a short-term recording will be made and played back to them, allowing them to hear their own mistakes in order to improve. The activity will highlight that continued learning throughout our lives is possible and we can acquire new skills at any age.

Games - Visitors will have opportunities to test their ability to recognise facial emotions, their memory for images and sounds, working out puzzles and identifying their personality.

“The Mind will open the door to the complexity of the human brain.  It will challenge people’s perception of how their mind works and how it interprets the external world.  Visitors will leave feeling amazed at the theatre of their mind and hold a greater understanding of the diversity of perception,” said Dr Veis. 

“We hope that The Mind will encourage debate and discussion on what is considered ‘normal’, as well as showcase how mental health practices have changed over time. We’d like to challenge preconceptions and ignorance, as well as further scientific understanding of the human mind,” she concludes. 

The Mind: Enter the Labyrinth
From 21 September 2007
Melbourne Museum
Nicholson Street, Carlton 

Free with general admission – Adults $6.00, Children and Concession free of charge. For further information visit museumvictoria.com.au or phone 13 11 02. Open 10am – 5pm daily.  

For more media information, images or interviews contact:
Jessica Bendell, Melbourne Museum on 03 8341 7726, 0439 341 007 or jbendell@museum.vic.gov.au