Paper Presentation by Heather Clydesdale
Heather Clydesdale (Art and Art History) presented her paper “Buddhist Art as Experience and Transformation” at the United Kingdom Association of Buddhist Studies 2023 conference held at St. Andrews University in Scotland. Integrating findings from phenomenology, psychology, and neuroaesthetics, Heather argued that an aim of early Chinese Buddhist art and architecture was to dislodge the devotee’s mindset from conventional modes of consciousness. Using the example of a well-known fifth-century Buddhist cave at the Mogao complex in western China, the paper explains how the use of space, multiplicity, color, and composition seem calculated to pique the senses and play with perception in order to stimulate new mental states. Because consciousness is central to Buddhism, it further suggests that this kind of approach to Buddhist art can also advance our understanding of the human mind. The presentation and conference participation were supported by a College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Grant. Additionally, a Faculty-Student Research Assistant Program grant made the invaluable contributions of research assistant Sophia Irinco '26 (Neuroscience) possible.
Monks from the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery finish a sand mandala on the final day of the conference. That evening, as part of a closing ceremony, they dismantled the mandala and ritually released some of the sand into the North Sea.