A Case for Embodied Cognitivism: The Cognitive Unconscious Basis of Cinematic Communication

This article examines the role of the unconscious in cinematic communication from an embodied cognitive perspective. Drawing on insights from perceptual psychology, art psychology, cognitive film theory, and neuroscience, it argues that both the creation and reception of cinematic art are rooted in cognitive unconscious structures of shared bodily knowledge, involving both bottom-up processes and predictive inferences. To support this, the research program of embodied cognition is explored in relation to the triad of filmmaker, film, and spectator. The resulting dynamic framework is then illustrated through a specific film analysis.