ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 explores two of the six layers of immersion/involvement defined in Chapter 1: into kinaesthetic activity, and into spatial environment. Both taken together are considered to be fundamental to the illusion of being transported to another place. Performatory involvement in physical activities in historical settings is here linked to Connerton’s concept of bodily-habit memory: an important aspect of embodying and sustaining social memory of the past. Perceptual and interactional involvement with a spatial representation of a historical place is linked to Champion’s notion of cultural presence as a desired feature of virtual historical environments. RH+LARP (TRPG less so) are henceforth conceptualised as physically embodying many features of digitally-embodied video game avatars, which researchers of digital virtual environments find essential to immersivity and authenticity in simulated history.
