Neurophenomenology, psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology and epigenetics: towards an integrative framework for understanding the health benefits of art and aesthetic experiences.
J R Soc Interface January 1, 2026 Marta Pizzolante, Davide Biganzoli, Andrea Gaggioli et al.
The authors propose an integrative framework combining neurophenomenology, psychoneuroendocrinoimmunology, and epigenetics to explain how art and aesthetic experiences benefit health. They argue that aesthetic experiences can modulate biological pathways, including stress response, immune function, and gene expression, through subjective conscious experience. This framework suggests that the health effects of art are not merely psychological but involve measurable physiological and epigenetic changes, offering a holistic understanding that bridges subjective experience and objective biological markers.