Many forms of activity therapy exist, and many have shown success in calming an overactive brain. It is possible to achieve a state of relaxation when expressing oneself creatively, such as when painting or playing music. It is possible to use physical activities such as working with animals or exercise to balance an overactive mind, and it is also possible to use such activities such as knitting and crocheting as repetitive motion exercises. However, the one element these therapies share is that they engage and moderate the active brain to help regulate the overactive brain.
Celtic Art Therapy differs in that it engages the passive brain. When a person doodles, he or she uses the active brain, but when he or she trace another person’s doodles, he or she uses the passive brain. A passive brain state is more indicative of hypnosis or meditation, and can help balance the behavior of an overactive brain in a different fashion than when the overactive brain is managed by a moderated, active state.
To restate the Celtic Art Therapy hypothesis, tracing the flow of a Celtic knot engages both hemispheres of the brain in tandem to produce the passive state known as ‘relaxed awareness’. By maintaining this passive brain state, an individual can help manage, and perhaps regulate, the behavior of an overactive brain.