This paper explores the connection between crying and the experience of insight or "aesthetic" experience in art. It argues that both processes involve a initial discrepancy, followed by schema change, and conclude in a transformation of one's self image or worldview. The author suggests that tears, as a physical indicator of this cognitive outcome, can serve as an empirical marker for studying art experiences. The paper reviews theories of crying and tearful responses to art, introduces an expanded model of crying that considers schema change and self-adjustment, and applies this model to three exploratory studies conducted in museums in the UK, Japan, and the US. The results show a significant correlation between feeling like crying and responses indicating a full progression to aesthetic experience, positive assessment of artwork, and self-reflection. The author concludes that feeling like crying may provide a compelling basis for empirically identifying outcomes of perceptual and art experiences.This paper explores the connection between crying and the experience of insight or "aesthetic" experience in art. It argues that both processes involve a initial discrepancy, followed by schema change, and conclude in a transformation of one's self image or worldview. The author suggests that tears, as a physical indicator of this cognitive outcome, can serve as an empirical marker for studying art experiences. The paper reviews theories of crying and tearful responses to art, introduces an expanded model of crying that considers schema change and self-adjustment, and applies this model to three exploratory studies conducted in museums in the UK, Japan, and the US. The results show a significant correlation between feeling like crying and responses indicating a full progression to aesthetic experience, positive assessment of artwork, and self-reflection. The author concludes that feeling like crying may provide a compelling basis for empirically identifying outcomes of perceptual and art experiences.