Editing Stendhal syndrome (section)

== The Scientific Stendhal Syndrome ==
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The Scientific Stendhal Syndrome is a transient psychosomatic response characterized by intense physiological and emotional reactions ([[tachycardia]], [[vertigo]], [[hyperventilation]], or [[crying]]) triggered by exposure to scientific concepts, discoveries, or representations that challenge cognitive paradigms or evoke a perception of intellectual sublimity. Although not formally recognized in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5, the term is used{{by whom?|date=April 2025}} by analogy with the classic Stendhal Syndrome (associated with art), extrapolating its framework to contexts of epistemological astonishment.
Clinical manifestations include activation of the [[autonomic nervous system]] (15-20% increase in [[cortisol]] according to Schurtz studies, 2014){{incomplete citation|date=April 2025}} and activation of the anterior [[Insular cortex|insula]] (related to [[Interoception|interoceptive awareness]]) and [[dorsomedial prefrontal cortex]] (linked to [[self-reflection]]), detected through [[Functional magnetic resonance imaging|fMRI]]. The release of [[dopamine]] in the [[nucleus accumbens]] ([[mesolimbic pathway]]) suggests a [[Reward system|reward mechanism]] associated with resolving [[cognitive dissonance]] when faced with revolutionary ideas.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
Triggering factors range from unification theories (e.g., [[Einstein's field equations]]) to visualizations of cosmic scales (e.g., [[Hubble Space Telescope|Hubble]] images), with higher prevalence in individuals with high openness to experience ([[Big Five personality traits|Big Five]]) and training in [[Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics|STEM]] disciplines. Keltner's studies (2023){{incomplete citation|date=April 2025}} propose that this phenomenon emerges from the dissonance between the finite (individual) and the infinite (cosmos), activating evolutionary responses of "tonic immobility" to stimuli that exceed adaptive processing capacity.
Implications: Unlike "moral elevation," it lacks a prosocial component, focusing on the confrontation between the known and the unfathomable. Its study provides insights into the interaction between emotion and cognition in the construction of knowledge.
Case study: In 2017, a group of MIT researchers documented that 18% of planetarium visitors experienced "extreme emotion" when viewing representations of the Big Bang or black holes.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
The Scientific Stendhal Syndrome is not a pathology, but a manifestation of the human capacity to marvel at the beauty and complexity of the world.<ref>{{cite web|access-date=26 October 2023 |date=2012 |language=es |title=When science makes us cry: the emotional power of discovering the universe |url=https://ipopulus.com/cuando-la-ciencia-nos-hace-llorar-el-poder-emocional-de-descubrir-el-universo/ |website=ipopulus.com}}<!-- auto-translated from Spanish by Module:CS1 translator --> </ref>{{unreliable source?|date=April 2025}}