Foreword [to: From the aesthetic mind to the symbolic mind]

This issue of Aisthesis grew out of the international and inter- disciplinary conference «From the Aesthetic Mind to the Symbolic Mind. Perceptual Dynamics, Mimetic Practices, Human Theatrical- ity» held at the University of Florence on 26-28 October 2017. By bringing together researchers from various academic disciplines (philosophy, archaeology, psychology, performing arts, anthropol- ogy) and with different backgrounds and expertise, the conference intended to cast new light on central notions such as «aesthetic mind», “mimetic practices», «theatricality», and to refresh the debate about their relevance and role in human experience and their mutu- al connections