What really makes light feel right? Lighting designer and neuroaesthetics researcher, Jason Ahn is challenging conventional wisdom with an approach that draws on neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy. In his new Routledge-published book Neuroaesthetic Stage Lighting Design: What Makes Good Light, Ahn offers a framework for understanding audience perception – and why applying neuroaesthetic principles could transform how live events feel, not just how they look.
What inspired you to write Neuroaesthetic Stage Lighting Design?
“Every creative field has its own unwritten rules – for example, ‘in this situation, this arrangement and colour combination works best.’ I was curious to know why. While working with some of the world-leading lighting designers in the UK, that question became more concrete. This led me to study in a structured way, what kinds of light make audiences feel most immersed in a performance and most aesthetically satisfied. Along the way, I’ve discovered neuroaesthetics. By connecting it with research in neuroscience, biology, psychology, and visual design, I was able to understand the meaning and reasons behind how audiences experience light. Until now, most neuroaesthetic research has been confined to static visual art. I’m genuinely delighted that this book is the first to apply neuroaesthetic thinking to the worlds of performance, popular arts, and lighting design.”
Your work focusses on how light influences ‘perception, emotion, and experience’. How do these factors influence the way people approach lighting in live events?
“In the book, I suggest various ways these concepts can be connected to practical lighting design. One example draws on Gestalt theory. Humans tend to simplify shapes to interpret them quickly; we understand simpler forms faster than more complex ones.
For instance, when lighting a forest scene, using green, warm white, cool white, sky blue and multiple breakup gobos might overwhelm the stage visually. The audience may unconsciously process each colour and pattern separately, taking longer to identify the space, which can reduce visual engagement. In contrast, using just the appropriate amount of green and warm white with a frosted texture can allow the audience to instantly recognise the forest and enter the world of the show more deeply. Light is an intangible medium, so it is not easy to consciously affect the audience in this way – but through countless neural processes, it influences them far more than we might think, and plays a meaningful role in enabling them to experience the work as art.”
In fast-paced and dynamic world of live events, where time and resources are limited, how can neuroaesthetic principles be adopted without disrupting established workflows?
“The most important thing when applying neuroaesthetics to lighting design is to keep a few principles in mind and draw on them when making decisions. For example, in a show with rapid and frequent changes in the music, the lighting cues may follow suit. But if the differences in colour, intensity, or movement between cues feel too great, those gaps should be reduced. Our brains can only process a certain amount at once, and beyond that point, it becomes harder to focus. Changes on the stage should therefore remain within a level the audience can absorb in a time. If the changes feel excessive to the lighting designer or other creatives, reducing them is likely the better choice. By adopting the principles outlined in the book, lighting designers can make quick, intuitive decisions in the productions that are still grounded in neuroaesthetic thinking, even under fast-paced conditions.”
Do you think lighting design education needs to evolve to include even more interdisciplinary thinking?
“Absolutely. The time spent in school is about developing the criteria for making design decisions. That is why I structured the book to first build a philosophical and humanities-based framework, followed by a scientific foundation. For example, considering ‘what is light’ through Plato’s cave allegory about idea, and defining ‘what is good light’ through Marshall McLuhan’s media theory, allows us to then understand why our brains and bodies respond differently to various lighting conditions – why we might feel sleepy, energised, or emotional in certain environments. This naturally develops a set of criteria for judging different situations and spaces. If a lighting designer realises through interdisciplinary thinking that lighting plays a key role in why we feel differently at home and workplace, then when they recreate home and workplace environments on the stage, the lighting will invite clearly the audience into those worlds.”
As immersive technology and experiential design continue to gather pace, how do you see neuroaesthetic lighting evolving with the future of live entertainment?
“These days, audiences are raising their expectations from simply ‘watching’ a performance to ‘feeling and experiencing’ it. In environments where the real and the virtual blend, understanding how the brain decides ‘what feels real’ and using that as a key design criterion is crucial. In immersive settings, cross-sensory stimulation often comes into play, involving not only sight and hearing but also touch and smell. It’s important to understand how these senses influence one another. For example, sight and hearing are closely linked: when a single visual flash is accompanied by multiple auditory beeps, people often perceive multiple flashes – a phenomenon known as the ‘flash-beep illusion’. This is one reason why listening to music at a live concert with lighting feels more intense and memorable than listening through earphones. Although research in this area is still at an early stage, the growing demand for AI and immersive technologies is likely to drive much more exploration in near future.”
If there’s one key message or principle you want live event professionals to take from your book, what would it be?
“It can be summed up as the answer of the subtitle of my book – what makes good light: good light is that makes the audience feel they are inside the world where the events of the performance are taking place. To use a food analogy, a great Bolognese sauce preserves the acidity of the tomatoes and the umami of the beef rather than masking them. Lighting works in the same way.
“When colour, intensity, direction, and texture match the world of the show’s story perfectly, the brain accepts the scene as real – making the audience more immersed and more engaged. What I want to convey in the book is that creating this ‘good light’ is not just a matter of intuition; it is grounded in science and principle. Instead of relying on a floating set of references in your head, you can ask questions like: ‘What should the world of this show look like?’ and ‘What level of visual plan and complexity will communicate this most clearly to the audience?’ That, I believe, is how good light is created.”
Where can readers find Neuroaesthetic Stage Lighting Design and keep up to date with your latest work?
“The book is published by Routledge and is available globally. You can purchase it directly from the official Routledge website, as well as from other online retailers like Amazon and some local bookshops in your area. I also share updates on my recent work and activities via my Instagram account.”
Words: Jacob Waite
Photo: Min Kim (@i.minkim)
