On Mar 13, 2012, at 5:12 AM, Artsy6 wrote: > Can an a.e. be contemplative?
I'm not totally sure what Artsy6 has in mind with "contemplative", but it prompts me to address a certain question about a.e.'s. Few would dispute that an olfactory experience is, call it, generically different from an aural one, and from palatal, tactile, visual and the experience through other related "physical" senses (balance, temperature, etc). I'll maintain we do have "experiences" that do not originate with any physical sensor -- fear, love, "interest" or curiosity, and more. Similarly, as far as I can discern, my aesthetic experiences are solely "mental". Still, they also sometimes seem somehow to precede occasional quasi physical manifestations: Sweating perhaps, the urge to dance, the "Yes!" gesture of the triumphant athlete. It's even said that some can introduce a sexual stirring. I'd be interested to hear the thoughts of other listers on this topic.
