The term iconic form processes refers to phenomena that produce transitions between natural and symbolic forms. For example, the fire-scarred surface of a bronze artwork produces effects transcending the realm of artistic intention. When a work is created and perceived, the genesis of the image also invariably involves a "recession into the implicit" (John Dewey). This volume furnishes the foundations for a theory of iconic form processes.

This volume compiles 23 essays aiming to programmatically define the relationship between the theory of image acts and the philosophy of embodiment. Taking the perspective of different disciplines - from language theory to art history - the authors examine the interconnections between image act and embodiment. Applying concepts such as active matter and scenic iconology, they begin to shape the contours of a new cultural theory.

Forschungen zur verkoerperten Intelligenz und zu den symbolischen Vermittlungen des menschlichen Geistes werden bislang zumeist in getrennten Disziplinen betrieben. Die aus der Kulturphilosophie, Kunst- und Bildwissenschaft, Theologie, Medizin, Psychiatrie, Psychologie und Kognitionswissenschaft stammenden Beitrage des Bandes vereint jedoch das gemeinsame Ziel, einen umfassenden Begriff von Verkoerperung zu entwickeln, der die Grenzziehung zwischen kulturalistischen und naturalistischen Ansatzen uberwindet.