On Having a “Religious Experience” or “Aesthetic Experience” While Looking at Art

Art can have effects that take a person out of his or her normal way of being in the world. Sometimes the effects take the form of tears; other times a person can feel joy & oneness with the universe. Often the person cannot explain what is happening or why it is happening. But it has happened to so many people over so many centuries that descriptions & explanations of a sort have been offered by theology, the art world, & science.

Orthodox Christian theology says that, at least with icons, the viewer is presenting herself or himself to Jesus Christ and in that moment can have an intimate encounter with the Infinite or Eternal God. The art world has called this an experience of beauty and notes that beauty is a positive, pleasurable, personal experience that inspires love and causes sensations of oneness, timelessness, & openness. Science explains the effects as similar to any other “flow” experience, like rock climbing & skydiving, wherein the person experiences focused attention, clarity, wholeness, & freedom.

The guided meditations are designed to either encourage such an experience to happen or to give the user a way to make some sense of the experience and not be overwhelmed by it if it happens on its own. Users who have especially powerful experiences are cautioned not to make major life changes without consulting a trusted counselor or religious advisor.