Spatial Occultism : Placement and Spaces of Occult Ritual Practice within Pop Culture
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| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Occult topics, often connected with paranormal and supernatural phenomena, have been resonating through pop-cultural visual depictions for some time. One of the most noteworthy features is the imagination of the spaces where such activities are conducted or play a significant role within the story – ranging from dark basements, through forests and cemeteries to hospitals and schools. Although maybe varying in the location, through closer analysis we can determine certain similar features which artists and writers usually associate with the occult. While some of them might be influenced by historical records, on many occasions the artist amplifies certain features to increase the aesthetic appeal of it. In reflection, this appeal has such a strong effect in the non-fictional world that these features are integrated into contemporary occult practice. Especially in branches of magical practice such as Chaos Magick, the line between fiction and non-fiction is becoming gradually blurrier. This way, the circle of art imitating life and life imitating art is complete. This presentation aims at exploring these common features, setting them in comparison with the proclaimed ritual spaces of modern occultists, while trying to analyze how they mutually influence each other. Based on chosen case studies from movies, visual novels, or video games the importance of place for ritual practice and its evolution due to the effect of pop- culture and media will be exemplified. |
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