Mindventure - Mixing Metafiction, Metaphysics & Adventure

[Guest SirVladimir]

I finally made a short introductory video to "mindventure," a spiritual, adventurous book genre that I've invented. In its essence, it's metafiction, metaphysical fiction, and adventure clumped together.

Apologies for the quality -- I'm nor a professional video creator nor planning on being one. I just needed to make an audiovisual introduction because it gives a better interpersonal impression. 

Mindventure, or metafiction, is an untapped vault of potential. Here are some of its highly conscious characteristics:

• Breaking the invisible wall between the reader and the text
• The characters are often aware that they are in a story
• Rejecting conventional plot; highly self-reflexive
• Overlapping plot sequences with high-conscious abstractions
• The text and the reader are one self-constructing entity
• The narrator intentionally exposes him or herself as the author
• Blurring the line between what is imaginary and what is real
• Inducing an intimate and penetrating experience for the reader

It's also worth noting that most metafictionate works are not spiritual. To quote Wikipedia's definition: "Metafiction is a form of fiction which emphasizes its own constructedness in a way that continually reminds readers to be aware that they are reading or viewing a fictional work."  This can spiral down into a half-baked anticlimatic result after a series of fine-looking promises.

The implications these meta-genres inflict, of course, are tightly bound to the reader-text relationship. 

@mandyjw made a video recently where she talks about how to read spiritual and nondual texts. I think this lesson applies to all sorts of fields, and especially to mindventure and metafiction. Because the text attempts to create a sealed "bubble" around you in space and time, a paradise, you must be letting to succumb to its message -- which is the text's own presence itself. I recommend you check out her video.

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by SirVladimir

[seeking_brilliance]

Old Greg is a fine fellow indeed. 

Mindventure, I like that ?

 

Edited January 3, 2021 by seeking_brilliance

[Guest SirVladimir]

@seeking_brilliance To my surprise, Tolkien's work is considered to a degree metafictionate as well. I found an excerpt that demonstrates this, taken from Two Towers where Frodo and Sam are discussing tales of adventure:

"...Folk just seem to have landed in them, usually – their paths were laid that way, as you put it. But I expect they had lots of chances like us, of turning back, only they didn’t. And if they had, we shouldn’t know, because they’d have been forgotten. We hear about those as just went on – and not all to a good end, mind you; at least not to what folk inside a story and not outside it call a good end. You know, coming home, and finding things all right, though not quite the same – like Mr. Bilbo. But those aren’t always the best tales to hear, though they may be the best tales to get landed in. I wonder what sort of tale we fallen into?"

I had never noticed this wonderful detail before. I think Tolkien was indeed scratching the surface of metafiction, as Frodo and Sam are almost aware of being in a story. Perhaps I'm biased -- but this meta-style of writing is a refreshing flow both in literature and spirituality. Books have been written about everything -- from dragons and fairies to spiritual memoirs -- but when compared to this juicy meta-dimension, they lie flat on a screen that's been running on repeat for decades. 

Btw Old Oak Greg is what germinates under your pen when you hug trees too often. 

[seeking_brilliance]

@SirVladimir reading that excerpt, the overwhelming feeling of 'God, I love this man, Tolkien... I just would love to have met him and know him. "

And then I remembered, of course I know him. He's left volumes of himself. He is frodo, and Sam. He's gandalf and Sauron. And smeagle. And so am I. So we must be one, he and I. I actually know Tolkien quite well. And I love him to the core. 

I can't tell if Sam is going meta with the reader, or with himself as a spawn of middle earth (in other words not actually breaking the Fourth wall. ) I think it's definitely open for interpretation and there's a kind of beauty in that, not surprising considering the author. I know if I were writing that I'd be snickering mischievously the whole way.

You are right. Books have been written about everything. But not one so blatantly written about a (unified) You. 

Edited January 3, 2021 by seeking_brilliance

[Guest SirVladimir]

40 minutes ago, seeking_brilliance said:

And then I remembered, of course I know him. He's left volumes of himself. He is frodo, and Sam. He's gandalf and Sauron. And smeagle. And so am I. So we must be one, he and I. I actually know Tolkien quite well. And I love him to the core. 

Oh wow, now we sound the same. Welcome to the vibe ride. 

[seeking_brilliance]

[Michael569]

@SirVladimir love the video! You have a great gift of bringing your message forward in a charismatic and assertive but non-pushy way. Loves the environment and background music. I think for me personally I'd like the music a tiny bit louder but maybe that's just me being a kinesthetic listener. 

[Guest SirVladimir]

@Michael569 Thanks, man. It's a challenge for us non-native "homo europeans"  to convey a message with clarity and confidence, but that's what makes it fun. Years in England have done you good, though.  

EDIT: I updated the video. I couldn't touch the volume anymore, but I interspersed my little talk with captivating motion pictures. Yeah, I better stick to written words. 

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by SirVladimir

[Michael569]

@SirVladimir love the small cutscenes, I think it packs a bigger punch now 

[seeking_brilliance]

Good job! 

[ArchNovaElite]

@SirVladimir Great job! I'm really excited for this new genre. It amazes me how the greatest innovations are found at the edges between different fields.

I've read "The Pocket Universe" in the free PDF and it was mind-blowing. I'll definitely get the book.

Have you considered making an audiobook version with the background music suggested for each story? In my opinion, listening is sometimes easier than reading when you're in an altered state of consciousness.

[Girzo]

The video is of surprisingly good quality. You are very easy to listen to and catch attention with your voice.