Absorption, Saturation, and Overflow in the Building of Imaginary Worlds

While much has been written about “immersion”, it is only the first step in the experiencing of an imaginary world.  This paper explores the experience by going further into the process, with the additional liquid metaphors of absorption, saturation, and overflow, and examines not only the effects that each of these processes or stages has on the world’s audience, but also how world-makers actively use them to enhance the experience of a world, increasing the illusions of completeness and consistency, and cause audiences to keep returning to their worlds.