The dual-phase oscillation hypothesis and the neuropsychology of docu-fiction film

The dual phase oscillation (DPO) hypothesis recently proposed by Mukhopadhyay (2014), is based on the neural correlate of aesthetic paradox; the paradox referring to a state of simultaneous heightened emotional experience and a state of detached composure during art appreciation. The hypothesis proposed that aesthetic delight is the dynamic, oscillatory balance between Suspension of Disbelief (SOD) and Introspective Detached Contemplation (IDC) and is orchestrated by functional coherence of the Default Mode Network (DMN) of the brain. This article is an extrapolation of the concepts of the DPO hypothesis which here is theoretically integrated with the experience of the art form of film. In film, an important functional aspect of SOD, in addition to other central elements, is the suppression of the literal identity of the performer in the narrative performance and an overall suspension of the awareness that the art form is staged. Docu-fiction film, a developing genre in contemporary filmmaking, attempts to capture documentary reality while simultaneously introducing fictional elements in the narrative. The article proposes that in docu-fiction film, the SOD-IDC dynamics of both a fiction film and a documentary film operates oscillating in a bigger scenario and the preconceived mindset of the audience cannot offer a stable expectancy regarding the genre of the film which introduces the element of ambiguity. Thus docu-fiction film-making exploits the unique attributes of the art form of film (by portraying verisimilitude as well as imaginative abstraction and fiction) at its fullest following the DPO hypothesis. Keywords: DPO hypothesis; aesthetic paradox; Suspension of Disbelief (SOD); Introspective Detached Contemplation (IDC); fiction film; documentary film; docufiction film