Immersion 101: The Principles

Let’s spend a little time on a highly requested topic.

First, a recap of basic principles, some unexpected.

1. A slippery word.
“Immersive” gets overused: projected paintings, digital spaces, art parks, whatever else marketers say.

2. Trendy yet ancient.
The word is centuries old.

3. Evergreen.
All variants, old and new, use the same principles.

4. Immerse means “to dip”.
It comes from in-mergere, 14th-century Latin meaning “to dip” (into a fluid).

5. It’s temporary.
Dipping is fleeting. Fish are in water, not dipped in water.

6. Any new space is immersive.
When we are “dipped” into new “fluid” we are immersed. New surroundings demand attention.

7. It’s also mental.
It also meant “deep attention” by the 1500s. (And, by the 1960s, a type of language study.)

8. Physical > sensory > mental.
One type causes the next.

9. Awe-powered.
Immersion triggers awe, a mild fear, holding attention and increasing recall.

10. More senses, more immersion.
Some experiences engage all senses. But in a gallery, just sight and sound are enough to trigger immersive feelings.

Here’s the thing:
What’s an overused ancient word describing an awe-powered temporary physical experience that triggers deep attention?

Immersion.

Warmly,
Jonathan