I went to an audiovisual experience this weekend, and it left me thinking about how often we allow ourselves to disconnect from the so-called “real life” and focus on ourselves – our inside world, our connection to ourselves and others and, most importantly, our connection with the Earth. While I wasn’t a completely satisfied viewer of James Hood’s Mesmerica XL, it sparked some ideas and questions I don’t usually consider.
Mesmerica XL is a brand-new giant-screen experience from the visionary mind of James Hood. Designed to relieve stress, unwind the mind, and provide a deep sense of relaxation, Mesmerica XL invites us to pause from the noise of our busy lives to float away into enticing worlds of the imagination on a grand new scale.
So leave your troubles at the door, Hood seems to say, and embark on a gorgeous family-friendly (ages 6+) journey into the power of your mind.
A moment from Mesamerica XL [Moodswings LLC]
To be honest? It wasn’t what I expected.
While the idea and proposal behind this is engaging, and some of the graphics used in the advertising are gorgeous, the execution was questionable at best.
The idea of connecting with your inner world, nature, and all that is around, is excellent. There were some guided meditation instructions that felt unnecessary, taking me out of the experience, but in general, this is something that should have worked easily.
But it didn’t.
While the music was interesting at points, it was highly repetitive and underwhelming, paired with graphics that reminded me (and apparently other viewers as well) of a 90s computer screen saver or a Windows Media visualizer.
There were times when I was literally amazed at the beauty, and others when I was ruthlessly taken out of it. I couldn’t identify a real script underneath it all, or what the core concepts were, besides a handful of them. There wasn’t a particular structure either.
My best guess would be to call this an audiovisual guided meditation. That’s not the best description, but it might give a feeling of familiarity to someone who is already actively practice meditation and visualization.
The Earth and its elements, along with a metaphorical portrait of the inner world, were the basis of the graphics, creating a dream-like atmosphere that helped me relax and unwind at some points. It reminds us to stay connected, to perceive with more than just our physical senses, and helps us to practice that awareness.
I never thought about experiencing something like this, and while I recognize this was my introduction to the idea, I’m adamant about the underwhelming quality. Again, there were beautiful moments, gorgeous images, and immersing music at some points (the closing sequence especially had excellent music in my opinion.) But then it was so raw the whole experience was… questionable, as I said before.
Was it Mesmerica XL worth it? I’m not sure if I would say so. It did remind me to be conscious about my feelings, my senses, my connections, and my bonds to what is inside and outside of me, so I’ll give it that. But the execution wasn’t what it could have been, making it flawed as a whole.
That said, I do want to find more kaleidoscopic, or as I’ve more easily found them, fractal realities videos. There’s a potential for meditation and visualization there that I’m eager to explore.
Mesamerica XL is currently playing in Salt Lake City, Utah.
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