User:AvitalB/thesis/hamlet on the holodeck

Synopsis
A connection between the online digital environment to traditional narratives such as theatre, movie, books and games.
There is a lot of referencing to worlds of MUD (multi-user dimension) and LARP (live action role playing) as the virtual equivalents.

Chapter 4- Immersion

Page 99- Entering the Enchanted Place The computer as the extension of ourselves

“some people put things on their homepage (their site on the World Wide Web) that they have not told their closest friends.״

“Computers are liminal objects located on the threshold between external reality and our own minds”

liminal- 1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. 2.occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

A story/narrative is for adults what a teddybear is for a child- something safely outside ourselves because it was made up by someone else

The liminal trance- this line between this world and the virtual world (maybe a good term to use in my project)

“When we enter the enchantment world as our actual selves, we risk draining it of its delicious otherness”

There is always a bit of reality that follows us while in the fantasy

Harold and the purple crayon

Ursula LeGuin- The Lathe of Heaven

“The possibility of a magical domain in which our dreams can come true also arouse our most anxious nightmares.”

Page 106 structuring Participation ad a Visit

A visit is a metaphor that is appropriate for establishing a border between the virtual world and the ordinary world. For example: the amusement park fun house- it has an entrance and an exit, the experience is defined. As we move through it the dramatic tension builds. You are free to give in to terror without worrying finding your way back.

Page 110 The active Creation of Belief When we want to immerse ourselves in an imaginative world we actively create belief. We use our intelligence to reinforce to experience rather than reject it just because it is not “real”. When we read a book we put our own selves in it (cast people we know as characters, perform voices of characters in our head, etc) When we watch a movie we take all the scenes and construct the whole narrative in our minds, even plots that were never shown on screen.

Page 115 Structuring Collective Participation with Roles In MUD, the character you choose is a mix of your own fantasy and a collective agreement regarding it. In LARP (live action role playing) you get a character sheet that describes it. This is a set of rules for your character that you can play off from and evolve. You can also receive a packet with instruction that you need to open in a certain time. All of the above help create a powerful circle of enchantment.

Page 119 Regulating Arousal Participatory theatre. In the book she talks about mostly MUD and LARP but I think this role playing exists in many online environments (online dating, social media, even conference calls).