Representation and Immersion. The Embodied Meaning of Literature
Gestalt Theory April 1, 2022 DOI: 10.2478/gth-2019-0019 (opens in new tab) via DOAJ
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe article examines how three types of representation—artistic, mental, and neural—relate to immersion as an altered state of consciousness during literary reading. Immersive reading is defined as an intensification of the embodied experience of literary representation, drawing on neuropsychological studies of embodied cognition. The authors also consider the style of interpretation that immersive reading requires and its ethical and ecological foundations.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Representation Immersion Embodied cognition Receptivity Neuroscience |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key finding | Proposes that immersive literary reading is an altered state of consciousness that intensifies embodied experience of literary representation, with ethical and ecological dimensions. |
Abstract
This article explores the relations among three forms of representations (artistic, mental, and neural) and immersion, considered as an altered state of consciousness, in the context of literary reading. We first define immersive reading as an intensification of our embodied experience of literary representation, in accordance to neuropsychological studies about embodied cognition. We further consider the style of interpretation demanded by such immersive reading and its ethical and ecological underpinnings.