Polylogue, Play, and Salvation... an introduction -Frank Elavsky

I wanted an overly dramatized quote to open my post. So here you go:

“If salvation is a word-event, the communication of this word-event does not take place without an interpretation of the whole symbolic network that makes of the biblical inheritance, an interpretation in which the self is both interpreter and interpreted.” –Paul Ricoeur, The summoned Subject

And I suppose another for good measure from our reading:

“Might it be fair to suggest that our fascination with virtual reality is a signal of our disillusionment with the post-modern, the fragmented, the uncertain?” -14

There is something particularly important to me about engaging the idea of world-building, the idea of word-building, and the notion of salvation, therapy, and emergence from the place of chora. There is a place where signs and sign-creation becomes a place of signification and significance-creation. I have always eagerly explored this arena… before I even knew how to talk about it.

Also, I have been intimately involved with the idea of “emergent narrative” (as mentioned on page 29) and the necessity of a polylogical, dialectic approach to story building and meaning-creation. I will probably reveal more of what I mean as we read further, but for now I think I’d rather just inform you all of some important words I will most certainly use in future posts.

So let me clarify how I will be using a few terms in my further explorations:

Chora: This word represents more of a location of phenomenon than an actual, rationally definable cognition. The chora was used by Julia Kristeva, a French feminist semiotician and psychoanalyst, to describe the place where an infant experiences a massive array of feelings and stimuli without yet possessing the necessary symbols of communication to grasp, comprehend, connect (with another) their experience. The key in her infant-development theory is the use of symbols, words, language, or emoting as a way to reach salvation from dark, traumatic, and painful experience and memories. To me, emerging from a place of trauma is a desired part of every personal, embodied experience that people have.

Polylogue: I am especially fascinated with the concept of polylogue as I have come to understand it. Polylogue is in essence at the heart of any reflexive interaction between three or more signifiers. The polylogue is special and separate from normal dialogue because the polylogue creates a space for any possible counter-dialogue (or counter-public as Michael Warren would call it) to enter the sphere of conversation and potentially subvert or deconstruct structuralized notions of meaning. The “good” within the polylogue is the potential to subvert oppressive power or rule, to defeat “evil” using entirely different idioms and symbols of meaning.

Reflexive: Reflexive is an adjective that describes a conversation where one signifier interprets another, relays that interpretation back to the original signifier, and the interpretation is confirmed by the original signifier. In other words, “I know that you know what I know (about you).” –Dr. Marty Folsom

I want this post to set the stage for my future posts. I have been creating a game that is based on dialogue to build story. The story builds meaning both within itself and for those creating the story. In other words, exactly what Rachel Wagner would call a sacred ritual of play.