A MODEL FOR DESIGNING SPRITUAL SPACES THROUGH NEUROSCIENCE: THE CASE OF MOSQUES

Nowadays, modern sciences are used to design spiritual spaces based on human needs. One of these is the use of cognitive sciences. Neuroscience which is a study of the nervous system such as sensation, learning, perception, memory and even environmental wayfinding, help us to understand how different internal and external factors interact. Each person will experience sacred places in different ways depending on a range of genetic endowments, cultural exposure, and previous experiences. Mosques as the integral representation of the society and emergence of communal spaces play a significant role in Iranian lives.User’s brain and visual perception can be measured by the neurosciences principles, thus some questions arise that how the architectural structures affect the brain and nervous system And how to recreate structural elements of spiritual spaces based on this science In this regard, by using descriptive-analytic method, this study seeks to achieve some outlines to improve the architectural knowledge and behavioral, emotional and functional patterns. The results of this article provide a framework to trigger spiritual feelings and emotions in sacred spaces especially in mosques. According to cognitive neurosciences, some factors such as thermal comfort, light, noise, color, natural environments, ornaments, materials and wayfinding in artificial environments are of great importance in increasing human perception. This study analyzes mosques as spiritual spaces and expresses some patterns in design process.

Keywords:

Cognitive neurosciences , Architectural structures , Mosques architecture , Spiritual spaces