The Human 'Experiosome'
The human experiosome is inspired by the human exposome as a complementary, person-centred, lived experience dimension. It is a term that holds the experiential dimension of human whole-health and flourishing across a lifetime. A word to help us navigate and communicate the multifaceted, multi-dimensional, evolving, and interconnected areas of life - in support of whole-person health, human sustainability, and human flourishing.
A word derived through the integration of experience and -some, Greek for body, or tending to, causing. The human experiosome is a body of lived experience and the functioning of it, with the person at the centre.
An intersection of nature and nurture, our outer environments, and our inner world. Mind, body, and spirit. Past, present, and future. The lived experience, and experience of experience - the meta experience.
The human genome considers the genetic make up of a person - how our genes influence our bodies, health, and lives. The human exposome considers the cumulative multiple exposures that a human encounters throughout their life and the impact on health including; internal factors within the body, external factors, such as chemicals, air quality, diet, lifestyle factors, psychosocial factors, and then determinants which are wider still such as socioeconomic factors - housing, work, financial security, safety, peace and many more.
There is a gradually emerging convergence towards whole-person health with the realisation that as much as people may rely on systems, systems also rely on people. With ongoing decline in population health, a diminishing workforce and increasing rates of burnout, health of the whole person is becoming an ever-increasing priority. When people are healthy and thriving they are able to engage and meaningfully contribute. Health capital is an extension of human capital that factors in the sustainability of the humans.
The ultimate optimisation of health capital is in the domain of human flourishing. Where people are enabled to thrive and live an enjoyable and meaningful life. The opportunity to live well within conditions that support the same. As the tide is turning, this is the horizon we look towards.