Photoshop Meets Neuroscience: Revealing Our ‘Ideal’ Selves
An experiment blends digital retouching and brainwave technology to explore how people subconsciously see their most desired self-image.
Imagine seeing your own face, digitally transformed across dozens of subtle variations, while a device records your brain’s reactions. Which version would your subconscious choose as ‘ideal’? Photographer Scott Chasserot’s ‘Original Ideal’ experiment confronts this question, fusing portrait photography, advanced Photoshop techniques, and brainwave scanning technology to expose how we truly perceive our most desirable self-image.
Overview: Mapping the Ideal Self
In a culture obsessed with appearance, the idea of a ‘perfect’ self has always lingered beneath the surface. Chasserot’s project takes a scientific and artistic approach, revealing not just physical preferences, but offering a glimpse into the psychology of self-perception and societal beauty standards. What does this cutting-edge method involve, and what do the results tell us about personal and collective ideals?
How the Experiment Works
The experiment is a meticulous blend of art and neuroscience, orchestrated in several key stages:
- Unadorned Portraits: Each subject’s photograph is taken under plain, neutral conditions — no makeup, special lighting, or expressive posing. The goal is to capture a ‘blank slate’ version of every participant.
- Digital Retouching: Using Photoshop, the original image is altered in dozens of ways, producing 50 different versions per subject. These modifications include subtle shifts: larger or smaller eyes, fuller lips, smoother skin, varied face shapes, and more.
- Real-Time Brainwave Monitoring: As each image flashes before the participant, their brain activity is tracked using an Emotiv EEG headset — a device designed to detect changes in emotional responses and arousal levels.
- Data-Driven ‘Ideal’ Selection: By analyzing the real-time brainwave data, the image that triggers the most positive response is identified. This version, considered the ‘ideal’ by the participant’s own subconscious brain activity, is then shown alongside the unretouched portrait for comparison.
The Technology Behind the Process
Photoshop, the ubiquitous photo-editing software, allows for minute and near-invisible changes to a subject’s appearance. But it’s the pairing with EEG (electroencephalogram) technology that elevates this process: participants don’t consciously choose their favorite image — the software picks up on their involuntary, immediate neurological responses, providing a unique lens on personal ideals.
The Portraits: Before and After
The experiment’s outcome is always visually striking:
- Original vs. Ideal: The unedited image sits beside the participant’s ‘ideal’ — their subconscious favorite, revealed only through neural feedback.
- Range of Changes: Sometimes, the changes are dramatic (narrower jaws, larger eyes, smoother skin), and sometimes nearly undetectable to the casual viewer. The results showcase the deeply individual nature of self-image.
To preserve anonymity, only certain results are shared publicly, but the project offers viewers a powerful side-by-side visual of what people naturally want to see in themselves.
Key Findings: What Makes an ‘Ideal’ Face?
- Self-Image Often Differs from Reality: Most participants’ ‘ideal’ images show measurable differences from their untouched portraits, highlighting personal insecurities or aspirations about appearance.
- Cultural Beauty Standards: Recurring trends include larger eyes, symmetric features, and smoother skin — all frequently celebrated in Western beauty ideals. Yet, the degree of preference for such traits remains individual.
- The Impact of Subtlety: Even minor adjustments — fractions of a millimeter in eye size or jaw shape — can elicit a pronounced neurological ‘positive’ response, underscoring the sensitivity of self-image.
- Not Always What You Expect: A few participants actually gravitate towards images that are less traditionally ‘beautiful’ in classical terms, an important reminder that ‘ideal’ is personal, not universal.
Science Meets Art: The Psychological Dimension
Chasserot’s experiment isn’t just about vanity or surface looks. It offers rare insight into how our minds bridge the gap between physical appearance and psychological self-concept:
- The ‘optimal’ image is defined not by explicit choice, but by the body’s unconscious emotional reaction — bypassing bias and self-censorship.
- The project raises substantive questions: What drives us to prefer certain looks? How much is learned from culture, and how much is rooted in our own history and experience?
What others are reading
Some neuroscientific research supports the experiment’s premise. The human brain holds specialized structures for recognizing faces and distinguishing subtle features. Our sense of ‘self’ is intricately linked to these neural regions, making facial identity both a biological imperative and a vessel for social meaning.
The Societal Context: Facing Beauty Standards
In the age of filtered selfies, viral beauty trends, and celebrity photo-editing scandals, the Original Ideal project resonates deeply:
- Beauty as a Moving Target: Our self-image shifts constantly, shaped by media, peers, and even fleeting emotions. The experiment demonstrates how fluid our consensus about the ‘best’ version of ourselves truly is.
- The Selfie Paradox: Digital self-representation is ubiquitous; yet, most people still struggle to feel content with untouched images of themselves. This study exposes the psychological gap between how we see ourselves and how we wish to be seen.
- Reconsidering Photoshop Backlash: While extensive photoshopping is often criticized in media for promoting unrealistic standards, this experiment highlights that the desire for alteration is intensely personal and, perhaps, neurologically grounded.
Methodological Reflections
Scott Chasserot remains candid about the study’s limitations:
- Pilot Study Status: The methodology is still experimental. Results indicate immediate positive reactions, but do not capture long-term contentment or complex psychological factors.
- Nuances in Brainwave Interpretation: EEG readings capture real-time pleasure or satisfaction, but cannot definitively map all the emotional undercurrents of self-image.
- Potential for Broader Research: The framework invites future studies with larger and more diverse samples, and advanced neuroimaging for deeper insights.
Portrait Gallery: Sample Outcomes
To fully appreciate the project, consider some representative cases (names and identifying details altered for privacy):
- Ana: Her ‘ideal’ image shows softened cheekbones and slightly larger eyes. The difference is tiny — but her neural response was clear.
- David: Prefers a digital self with a more defined jaw and subtly lighter skin tone, indicative of common Western standards.
- Sam: Shows a surprising result, with a preference toward a less symmetrical, more rugged version of himself — challenging traditional ‘attractive’ norms.
Before & After: A Comparative Table
| Participant | Key Modification | Observed Brain Response |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | Larger eyes, softer cheekbones | Highest positive response |
| David | Sharper jawline, lighter complexion | Strong positive response |
| Sam | Increased ruggedness, less symmetry | Moderate, but more satisfied than with ‘beautified’ edits |
What Does This Mean for You?
Viewers of the Original Ideal series are often surprised — or even unsettled — by the experiment’s results. It invites uncomfortable self-reflection:
- How much would your best neural portrait differ from your actual appearance?
- Is your ‘ideal’ face shaped by friends, media, or your own lived experience?
- Would you recognize your own subconscious preferences, or would they surprise you?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why use brainwave data instead of direct self-selection?
Tracking neurological responses bypasses conscious bias and social desirability: participants cannot rationalize or self-censor their reactions, leading to a more authentic insight into unconscious preferences.
Are the Photoshop edits extreme?
Most changes are subtle, sometimes virtually invisible to the naked eye. On occasion, radical alterations are needed to trigger the strongest brain activity, but the experiment primarily investigates minor shifts rather than fantasy-level transformations.
What does this project reveal about beauty standards?
The experiment emphasizes the powerful influence of cultural beauty ideals, but also the individuality of self-image. Some participants’ preferences align with stereotypical standards, while others diverge in personal or even countercultural ways.
Can this process be used in therapy or self-image work?
The experiment’s pilot nature means it’s not a diagnostic tool, but it sparks valuable conversation about self-acceptance and the psychological roots of beauty. Applications in therapy or personal development could be explored as the methodology matures.
Does seeing the ‘ideal’ image make people happier?
Immediate neural feedback suggests satisfaction, but long-term effects on self-esteem are not yet established. In some cases, confronting the ‘ideal’ versus the ‘real’ may catalyze reflection or even discomfort.
Where Art, Technology, and Psychology Intersect
Scott Chasserot’s Original Ideal experiment stands at the crossroads of modern portraiture, neuroscience, and society’s evolving notions of beauty. It compels us to consider:
- The role of technology in exposing — and perhaps healing — our hidden insecurities.
- How understanding our own subconscious perceptions can lead toward self-acceptance or, at the very least, deeper self-awareness.
Ultimately, the project is less about perfection and more about the ongoing, often conflicted, dialogue between how we look and how we wish to appear.
Conclusion: The New Face of Self-Discovery
The intersection of Photoshop and brainwave science reveals both the power and fragility of self-image. As digital tools and neuroscience advance, so too does our understanding of the complex, deeply personal story each face tells. Whether you accept your ‘original’ self, yearn for an ‘ideal,’ or exist somewhere in between, the journey to self-image remains as intricate as the neural patterns that shape it.
References
- https://petapixel.com/2014/10/02/photographer-uses-photoshop-brainwave-scanners-find-someones-ideal-self-image/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/a30156/photoshop-original-ideal-experiment/
- https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/news/a31744/photoshop-brain-activity-experiment/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2903189/
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12270013/
Similar Articles
Read full bio of medha deb
