Occult transmutations: A creative experiment in fictionalized scholarship
Journal of Adaptation in Film & Performance March 1, 2026 DOI: 10.1386/jafp_00157_7 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Laeveticism, a neglected strand of western esotericism, has influenced experimental creative adaptation more than is often acknowledged, with a tradition extending from Ancient Rome to Modernism and into twenty-first-century works such as architectural installations and VR games. Proposes an inherent correspondence between Laevetic philosophy and avant-garde adaptation, framing Laevetic adaptation as a contemporary practice of intertextual mysticism. |
Abstract
This article investigates the relationship between a neglected strand of western esotericism – Laeveticism – and practices of experimental creative adaptation. The article first summarizes the Laevetic tradition and its adaptive resonances, before discussing a series of historical adaptations. Many of these exist only as traces in other works, but they establish a tradition of Laevetic adaptation extending from Ancient Rome to Modernism. The second half of the article focuses on twenty-first-century manifestations of Laevetic adaptation, analysing case studies ranging from architectural installations to VR games. By tracing this thread through experimental adaptive practice, Laeveticism is proposed as a greater influence on creative practice than is often acknowledged. Similarly, it is argued that there exists an inherent correspondence between concepts and practices of Laevetic philosophy and those of avant-garde adaptation. Laevetic adaptation is therefore established as a contemporary practice of intertextual mysticism which draws on a broadly unacknowledged tradition.