This article introduces the pattern theory of immersivity (PTI), a practice-led theoretical framework stemming from the hypothesis that a reorientation of the understanding of immersive art is needed, away from technological sophistication or sensory excess and toward the psychological mechanisms underlying imaginative engagement, regardless of artform or combination of media. The theory posits that immersivity—the capacity of an artwork to induce immersion—is primarily a function of patterned information structures that stimulate aspects of superior pattern processing (SPP). Immersion is reconceptualised as a process of cognitive filling-in, in which motifs that remain partially concealed elicit fantasies. A distinction is made between immersive perception and immersive performance, each articulated across three graduated levels, culminating in a peak immersive state. This pan-artistic model, formalised as the ORFEUS model, offers artists a tentative tool for designing and analysing the prerequisites for immersive experiences through strategic use of fragmentation, ambiguity, and indirect information. The theory underscores that immersivity is seldom a property of entire artworks, but rather a quality embedded in specific elements that provoke psychological engagement. Ultimately, PTI provides a refined vocabulary and a methodological approach for immersive artmaking in all media; one that integrates artistic know-how with knowledge about the deep structures of human cognition.
本文提出了“沉浸性模式理论”（pattern theory of immersivity, PTI），这是一个源于实践导向研究的理论框架。该理论建立在这样一个假设之上：对于沉浸艺术的理解，有必要从对技术复杂性或感官过载的强调，转向对想象性投入背后心理机制的关注，而这种机制并不受艺术形式或媒介组合的限制。该理论认为，沉浸性——即艺术作品诱发沉浸体验的能力——主要取决于具有模式化特征的信息结构，这些结构能够激发高级模式加工（superior pattern processing, SPP）的相关方面。与此同时，沉浸被重新界定为一种“认知填补”（cognitive filling-in）的过程：当作品中的某些母题或信息保持部分遮蔽状态时，观者会通过幻想与想象对其进行补全，从而形成沉浸体验。本文进一步区分了“沉浸性知觉”（immersive perception）与“沉浸性表演”（immersive performance），并将二者分别划分为三个递进层级，最终通向一种高峰式的沉浸状态。该跨艺术门类的模型被形式化为ORFEUS模型，旨在为艺术家提供一种初步工具，以便其通过有策略地运用碎片化、模糊性与间接信息，来设计并分析沉浸体验得以产生的前提条件。该理论强调，沉浸性通常并非整个艺术作品的整体属性，而更常体现为嵌入作品特定要素中的一种品质；正是这些要素激发了观者的心理投入。总体而言，PTI为各种媒介中的沉浸式艺术创作提供了一套更为精细的概念术语和方法论路径，将艺术实践知识与关于人类认知深层结构的理解整合在一起。
