Abstract
The authors propose a new conception of the mechanism that occurs during a narrative-based art experience – the “Act of Fiction”. They claim that there is no “suspension of disbelief” but rather something more similar to our decision-making systems, enabling us to simultaneously be present in the real and the unreal (fictional). The article’s main body is divided into three parts: Part 1 contains a narrative account in which an Act of Fiction takes place; it exemplifies what it also describes. Part 2 provides an analysis of this phenomenon through a review of current literature and our position in regard to it. Part 3 proposes an outline for a primary examination of what might be happening in the brain when we have an Act of Fiction. They conclude by suggesting directions for future research.
