Transformative experience (TE) is studied across many disciplines, from philosophy to neurobiology and in domains from spirituality to education, yet no consistent definition exists. This work reviews models and theories of TE from different fields, extracts their main components, and examines redundancies and particularities across domains. It then proposes an integrated theoretical framework and a preliminary interdisciplinary operational definition of TE. This synthesis aims to organize current research and theories, offering a foundation for operationalizing TE and encouraging new interdisciplinary studies.
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.