认知神经美学对“意象”“幻象”研究的启示--泽基神经美学研究再探

The Enlightenment of Cognitive Neuroaesthetics to Imagery and Illusion:A Study on Zeki s Neuroaesthetics

在认知神经美学的视域下,美感是以认知神经机理为基础,贯穿个体身心意识和社会意识的系统化存在。美感作为一个复杂的整体心理系统,对基本原理的探究很难毕其功于一役。我国认知美学与西方神经美学在美感研究的细部层层深入,推进了美感的内在认知神经机理方面的研究。泽基是“神经美学”概念的提出者。结合实验论证与艺术作品分析,他在这个交叉领域针对诸多具体美学概念、美学现象进行了细致的阐释。泽基关于抽象、本质、概念、含混等基本问题的神经机理的论述,对理解意象、幻象等美学基本范畴具有启示意义,但也存在不足。从整体来看,以美感的脑神经机理为核心的西方神经美学在不断获得对美感基本原理的突破的同时,并不能脱离社会意识系统,而中国古典意象对抽象、概念这类神经科学分析的范畴具有极大的启发意义。由此,以认知神经美学为原点,建构整体化的美感体系势在必行。

Cognitive neuroaesthetics is an emerging crossing branch of science and humanity that combines Western neuroaesthetics with Chinese cognitive aesthetics.The latest achievements of cognitive neuroscience,cognitive psychology and neuroscience are sources of inspiration to aesthetic research,especially to the material substrate for understanding the classical category of aesthetics.Cognitive neuroaesthetics provides a pivot for comparing and analyzing the imagery in classical Chinese aesthetics and the illusion in contemporary aesthetic category.There is a possibility of multiple comparisons between the two in terms of brain abstraction,sensory perception and cognitive-emotion processing.By contrast,imagery,a classical Chinese concept,is of great hermeneutic value to contemporary Chinese and Western aesthetic phenomena.Illusion,as a contemporary aesthetic concept,continues to enlighten future aesthetic emotion.Semir Zeki,the founder of neuroaesthetics,combines the study of neurons,neurotransmitters,and functional brain areas with artistic creation and appreciation,and provides a thorough analysis of neuroscience in interpreting the artworks of Cézanne,Gauguin,Picasso,Magritte,Malevich,Duchamp,etc.Zeki offers an in-depth analysis of key concepts-essential,ideal,inherited concept,acquired concept,ambiguity,perception,micro-consciousness,neurons,modular and functional brain areas.The analysis is a key inspiration to understanding imagery and illusion.Neuroaesthetics and cognitive neuroaesthetics serve to reveal the similarities and differences between imagery and illusion.Based on the aesthetic and objectification process of brain abstraction and sensory perception,imagery and illusion undergo the same process of information processing in the brain,including perceptual processing,memory processing and cognitive-emotion processing.Their difference lies in the fact that the object of imagery processing is an objective image in history and in reality,which is original,constant,unfinished and ambiguous;the object of illusion-processing and presentation is the potential possibility in reality and in the future,with a stress on human existence which is abstract,novel,evolutionary and utopian.Therefore,the two categories reveal different interests in aesthetic emotion.The microscopic exploration of an aesthetic material substrate by cognitive neuroaesthetics is inseparable from influencing factors in social history.The generation of aesthetic emotion is bound to be swayed by factors such as the historical practice of macroscopic politics and economics,the evolution of living beings,and the customs and institutions of collective organizations.Therefore,the reductive discussions of neuroaesthetics must be combined with philosophical thinking or with social,historical realities.Taking the analysis of classical Chinese imagery and contemporary aesthetic illusion as an example,a holistic approach to aesthetic study is necessary and it promotes the development of aesthetics and neuroscience.As Zeki puts it,neuroaesthetics does far more than borrowing from the latest science-the thinking style and main categories of aesthetics should also be able to boost neuroscience with the exploration of the principles of love,creativity and happiness and the understanding of the relationships between language,images and intentions.