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ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
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SCIENTIFIC STENDHAL SYNDROME: A Multidisciplinary Conceptual Framework for Emotional Reactions to the Beauty and Complexity of Knowledge.

Authors: Garbayo, Eduardo;

SCIENTIFIC STENDHAL SYNDROME: A Multidisciplinary Conceptual Framework for Emotional Reactions to the Beauty and Complexity of Knowledge.

Abstract

Science is often portrayed as purely rational, but profound scientific discoveries can evoke intense aesthetic-emotional reactions akin to those experienced in art appreciation. We propose the concept of Scientific Stendhal Syndrome (SSC) to describe transient psychophysiological responses elicited by encountering the sublime in science – for example, contemplating the vastness of the cosmos or the elegance of a mathematical proof. SSC is not a clinical disorder but a framework for studying how the brain and mind respond to scientific beauty. Neuroimaging evidence shows that intellectually “beautiful” stimuli (e.g. elegant equations) activate the medial orbitofrontal cortex – the same reward-related region engaged by visual art or music. Empirically, SSC can be defined as an acute episode triggered by a scientific stimulus, marked by autonomic arousal (elevated heart rate, sweating) and a distinctive cognitive state (epiphanic insight or “intellectual vertigo”), and usually resolving within minutes or hoursf. In this paper, we review related phenomena (awe, flow, frisson, insight), propose formal diagnostic criteria for SSC, and outline an experimental paradigm to evoke and measure SSC in the laboratory. By framing SSC as a multidisciplinary concept (neuroscience, psychology, epistemology, philosophy), we aim to highlight the humanistic side of scientific learning and guide future studies on how the brain experiences the beauty of science. RESUMEN - ESPAÑOL - La percepción tradicional de la ciencia como una disciplina puramente objetiva y racional ha oscurecido su profunda dimensión emocional. Este documento propone un nuevo constructo conceptual, el "Síndrome de Stendhal Científico" (SSC), para analizar las respuestas emocionales intensas, no patológicas, que surgen al confrontar la belleza, la elegancia o la sublimidad de una verdad científica. A través de un análisis interdisciplinario de la literatura en psicología, neurociencia, filosofía y sociología de la ciencia, este trabajo establece analogías con el Síndrome de Stendhal original y fenómenos afines. Se identifican correlatos neurobiológicos del asombro y la belleza (activación de la corteza órbitofrontal medial, mOFC), mecanismos psicológicos como el estado de flow y la epifanía, y un marco filosófico (lo sublime kantiano) que mejor describe la naturaleza sobrecogedora de estas experiencias. El SSC se propone como una herramienta conceptual valiosa para unificar perspectivas, revalorizar la dimensión humanística de la ciencia y ofrecer nuevas vías para la educación y la comunicación científica. El Síndrome de Stendhal Científico (SSC) se define como una reacción psicosomática transitoria desencadenada por la confrontación con hallazgos científicos de alta carga estética o cognitiva, que produce síntomas somáticos y cognitivos (p. ej. taquicardia, vértigo intelectual, euforia) y suele remitir en minutos u horas. Este trabajo propone criterios operativos preliminares y un programa metodológico para su validación empírica.

Keywords

Kantian sublime, flow state, awe, cultural syndromes, Scientific Stendhal Syndrome, neuroscience of beauty, science communication, scientific beauty, DSM-5-TR, intellectual awe, ICD-11, philosophy of science, scientific epiphany, aesthetics of science

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selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
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