ABSTRACT
Zajonc (1980) pointed out that emotional reactions are formulated in parallel with cognitive processing and occur with greater immediacy than nonemotional ones. The split in consciousness allows feelings to precede and thus establish priority (in front of thought). Aestheticians have pointed out that reuniting thought and feeling is perhaps the most important work of the ego, and this has been described as precisely the function of the finished work of art (Vygotsky, 1962). It may account for the sense of emotional unity and cohesion in experiencing great works of art, that is, the unconscious flow of cognition into feeling and vice versa, giving a sense of coming together at least for a moment. When emotion surges, perception is enhanced and enriched. Affect may be described as the life within the thought. Its presence and perception help to sustain the visual experience.
