Enacting Imaginary Worlds: a Phenomenological Analysis of Immersive Live-Action Roleplay
Publication information:
Abstract
Enacting and entering imaginary worlds grants access to transpersonal experiences. These experiences are not desacralized, or rendered less real, by being entered into through play. Modes of immersive play, such as live-action roleplay (LARP), thus represent a potent and underexplored door to psycho-spiritual transformation. In a time when belief is both challenging and over-serious, a playful approach to spiritual experiences using these tools can open us up to a greater connection with the more-than-human world and our own inner depths.
Presenter Biography
Henry R. Kramer is a Hudson Valley writer and educator teaching in the Religious Studies program at Hunter College, where he specializes in eco-spirituality, mysticism, and religious experience. Henry also directs the Center for Symbolic Studies, a non-profit initiative dedicated to re-enchanting the mundane.