Aesthetic Experiences in Healthcare

A breathtaking sunset, an immersive art exhibition, a captivating piece of music-all of these experiences can be deeply moving. These experiences can be called aesthetic experiences since they involve the perception and appreciation of the sensory qualities of objects or events. Aesthetic experiences are not simply about perceiving beauty, they are about the variety of profound emotional responses that they can evoke. Awe is an emotion highly relevant to aesthetic experiences. Also, the experience of the sublime is relevant, which is defined as a feeling of overwhelming greatness, wonder, and transcendence. Recent scientific evidence has shown that awe and related emotions are related to well-being and pro-social behaviors. Moreover, within clinical populations, these emotions may help to foster connection and meaning for individuals facing challenging life situations. This potential of aesthetic experiences has been increasingly recognized in fields such as art therapy, nature-based therapies, and virtual-reality-based experiences. This chapter explores aesthetic experiences in terms of their ability to connect people to others and the world around them. We conclude by discussing some possible applications, such as art-based interventions in palliative-care contexts.