Immersion for Entangled Audiences: The Nonhuman World and Affective Patterning in Narrative Experiences

Traditional models of narrative immersion often rely on a spatial metaphor of containment, which erroneously positions the audience as a separate entity transported into a discrete storyworld. This dualistic framework fails to account for the complex, embodied nature of engagement and ignores the agency of the nonhuman world. By shifting the focus toward a model of affective entanglement, narrative experiences are better understood as dynamic, temporal processes that blur the boundaries between human subjectivity and the environment. This perspective aligns with contemporary enactivist and ecocritical theories, which emphasize the fundamental interconnectedness of all living systems.

Through an analysis of Michelangelo Frammartino’s film Le quattro volte, it becomes clear that narrative form can actively destabilize anthropocentric perspectives. By employing a contemplative, circular pace, the film forces spectators to move beyond human-centric narratives and recognize the ecological interdependency inherent in the nonhuman world. This mode of spectatorship functions through corporeal resonance, where the formal structures of the narrative mirror the audience’s own embodied experiences. Such an approach effectively places human observers on a continuum with their surroundings, fostering a deeper awareness of the material realities that define the Anthropocene.

Ultimately, redefining immersion as a process of incorporation and entanglement provides a more robust framework for analyzing contemporary media. By moving away from the idea of the story as a container, creators and analysts can better appreciate how narrative experiences function as tools for ecological engagement. This shift acknowledges that immersion is not merely a psychological state of being elsewhere, but an active, ongoing process of weathering and relating to the nonhuman world. This conceptual evolution is essential for addressing the complexities of modern narrative experiences and their role in shaping human perceptions of the environment.