Atmospheres and extended feelings

Citation

Velasco PF (2025) Atmospheres and extended feelings. Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11097-025-10097-0

Abstract
Atmospheres have been the focus of reflection by many phenomenologists, and they have recently gained prominence in work coming from human geography, from performance studies, and from architecture. There are, however, widely differing interpretations of the concept of atmosphere. In particular, it is unclear whether atmospheres are extended feelings. This paper leverages recent advances in cognitive neuroscience to address this question. It employs active inference to develop a notion of atmospheres as extended inferential affective processes that involve the entrainment of interoceptive and external elements. The resulting account clarifies the role of the body in the emergence of atmospheres, and the sense in which atmospheres are extended feelings.

Keywords
Atmospheres; Neuroarchitecture; Neuroscience; Phenomenology; Extended mind; Active Inference

Journal
Phenomenology and the Cognitive Sciences

• S11097-025-10097-0