Predictive Processing (PP) theory suggests that perception works to make sensations predictable by updating predictions or seeking new experiences. This paper argues that art perception differs from problem-solving because people engage with contradictory elements without aiming to resolve them. The authors propose that experiences of 'Semantic Instability' (SeIns)—where perception is challenged by multiple possible meanings—can themselves generate aesthetic pleasure and interest. They update an earlier account of SeIns by adopting an embodied and situated view of perception and cognition, and discuss how embodied versions of PP might explain why such unstable but insightful sense-making processes are motivating and enjoyable.
Neuroscientific methods for studying aesthetic experience are widely available but often lack a valid theoretical foundation and impose strict experimental constraints that strip away the contextual and dynamic factors essential to genuine aesthetic encounters. Social and situational affordances, the beholder's cognitive and affective states, ongoing processes of understanding, cultural factors, and the Zeitgeist all matter. A dynamic and holistic aesthetic perspective is proposed that accounts for context, situation, and temporal dynamics across domains such as art, design, architecture, everyday aesthetics, dance, literature, music, and opera. Ignoring these factors risks missing the essence of aesthetic experience, especially the qualia of processing artworks.