We can draw striking conclusions from Tchalenko, Solso and Chamberlain’s experiments. Long practice teaches an artist to direct their gaze in an unusually focused way; it trains them to repurpose areas of their brain; and it changes the very structure of the brain’s neural networks.

brain activity while watching was different to that while reading. In front of the television more slower alpha waves were recorded, suggesting a relaxed frame of mind. When reading a magazine, by contrast, the brain waves were dominated by faster, attention-related beta waves.

The MRI revealed that the control subject drew portraits using the right posterior parietal area, the brain’s facial-recognition module, with which we recognise people and judge their mood. Ocean was also drawing faces but, that part of his brain was quiet. Instead, the blood rushed to the right middle frontal area, associated with spatial awarenes