Ilinx is a kind of play, described by sociologist Roger Caillois, a major figure in game studies. Ilinx creates a temporary disruption of perception, as with vertigo, dizziness, or disorienting changes in direction of movement.
Conceptual development
Caillois developed the concept of ilinx.1: 97
Caillois identified several categories of play in Les Jeux et Les Hommes (English title: Man, Play, and Games)1: 97 Among these is ilinx, which describes the playfully altered perception or "voluptuous panic" resulting when a person subjects themself to abrupt "spasm, seizure, or shock which destroys reality with sovereign business."1: 97
Caillois's other categories, which should be considered alongside ilinx as any form of play rarely fits wholly and discretely into one category, are agon, (competition), alea (chance) and mimesis ("mimicry").1: 97
Examples
Caillois uses the ilinx to describe the objective of a child who spins around in a circle to become dizzy.1: 97
Bungee jumping is an example of the experience of ilinx.1: 97
References
References
- Simpson, Tim (2023). Betting on Macau: Casino Capitalism and China's Consumer Revolution. Globalization and Community series. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press. ISBN 978-1-5179-0031-1.