Representation and Immersion. The Embodied Meaning of Literature
Gestalt Theory April 1, 2022 DOI: 10.2478/gth-2019-0019 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Representation Immersion Embodied cognition Receptivity Literature |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key points | 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.