Towards a science of complex experiences

Complexity has been always a part of an individual's life under different guises. However, it has always been hard to provide a clear definition of what complexity really is. For instance, in the field of science, complexity has been defined in terms of systems [vol. 284, Issue 5411, pp. 1-212]. A system can be deemed as complex when multiple interactions occur among different components or when the system evolves over time, where a recognizable structure is still present but varies in different ways in response to small perturbations or by being sensitive to initial conditions. This definition, as well as the concept of a system, can also be applied to human experience (e.g., Cipresso, 2010), whose unfolding takes place through the interactions of specific cognitive, perceptual, and emotional components bringing forth peculiar phenomena, which we labeled as “complex experiences.”