Abstract

Why do we experience certain natural phenomena as ‘beautiful’? Although such experiences rely on our senses, the experience of ‘beauty’ is not limited to our perception of phenomena in the external world. We are also able to experience ‘beauty’ abstractly, i.e. with only minimal sensory input. The essay therefore also reflects on beauty encountered not just in nature, but also in mathematics and natural science. Finally, reflection is provided on the beauty that is experienced during spiritual experiences – where there is no perception, no thought and yet conscious awareness per se. So the essay unfolds with a series of reflections on the origin of our experience of beauty as being the senses, the mind, and a source that transcends the senses and the mind.