Date of Award
Spring 5-31-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Department
Illustration
First Advisor
Leela Corman
Second Advisor
Robert Brinkerhoff
Third Advisor
Sadie Dingfelder
Abstract
What follows is a record of my efforts to make the magic and horrors of my internal world tangible and shareable. The brain constructs hyper-specific fictional realities from childhood to adulthood, yet the scientific study of the mind often forgoes the subjective and the visual. I offer a complementary exploration of the mind - one that is highly visual and based on my own experiences, yet still contextualized in psychological research. Finding the magic in everyday life, and by extension, retreating into alternate realities, is a conscious choice I make, but I have not always had the option to choose. These narratives weave together personal anecdotes and psychological research exposing how fantastical thinking can be a useful tool for staying optimistic. It is also a cautionary tale for what happens when the indulgence in mental fantasy goes too far.
Recommended Citation
Levine, Sadie, "Welcome to My Mind Palace: The Power of Fantastical Thinking" (2025). Masters Theses. 1455.
https://digitalcommons.risd.edu/masterstheses/1455
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Included in
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