Extracted from publication Il senso immerso
Per speculum et in aenigmate. Il paradigma immersivo tra trasparenza e mediazione
DOI: 10.53136/97912218165253
Pages: 75-92
Publication date: February 2025
Publisher: Aracne
The article explores the concept of immersiveness through the lens of the Pauline metaphor “per speculum et in aenigmate” (1 Corinthians 13:12), which contrasts mediated and direct vision. This metaphor, while theological in origin, is reinterpreted as a critique of the pervasive rhetoric surrounding digital immersiveness. By juxtaposing historical and contemporary perspectives on immersion—spanning classical rhetoric, Baroque art, and virtual reality—the study challenges the ideology of transparency and immediacy often associated with digital media. Through an analysis of three interpretative models (aesthetic illusion, transparency, and sensory absorption), the article argues for the ineluctable role of technological mediation in immersive experiences. Highlighting the epistemological and political implications of this critique, it proposes a reconceptualization of immersiveness, emphasizing its mediated nature and its potential as a tool for critical engagement rather than a pursuit of unmediated immediacy. This approach reveals the ideological underpinnings of immersive technologies and their alignment with neoliberal narratives of efficiency, transparency, and self-optimization.