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Key research themes
1. How do atmospheric and optical phenomena explain the nature and observation variability of Fata Morgana mirages?
This research theme investigates the atmospheric physics, refraction mechanisms, and visual distortions underlying Fata Morgana mirages. It focuses on the scientific challenges in defining precise conditions for their occurrence, the nature of mirage image distortions, and discrepancies in conventional explanations. Understanding these optical phenomena is crucial for advancing meteorological optics, verifying traditional models, and improving scientific communication around Fata Morgana.
Key finding: This paper challenges the canonical model that inferior mirages (including Fata Morgana) produce vertically stretched images, arguing instead that mirage images distort along the horizontal axis ('x axis' or ego-centric... Read more
Key finding: The work conveys the existential and perceptual dissonance akin to mirage phenomena, portraying the experience of an elusive, ambient reality that is 'so close and so far.' By paralleling the enigmatic nature of Fata Morgana... Read more
2. How is the Fata Morgana myth and analogous narratives represented and interpreted in cultural, literary, and mythological contexts?
This theme explores how the concept of Fata Morgana extends beyond physical phenomena into myth, folklore, literature, and cultural rituals. It encompasses analysis of related mythic structures, symbolic interpretations, and ritualistic practices where Fata Morgana motifs appear, focusing on how these narratives shape identity, artistic expression, and social traditions. Such studies contribute to interdisciplinary knowledge bridging ethnography, semiotics, and cultural history.
Key finding: The article identifies that the Alpine myth of Cian Bolpìn shares a structural pattern with the classical Amor and Psyche narrative but uniquely reverses the gender roles, indicating a distinct cultural adaptation termed... Read more
Key finding: This compilation of essays delves into the intersection of cinematic representation, ritual, and hypnotic devices, drawing parallels with the phenomenology of Fata Morgana. It highlights the visual power of ritualistic and... Read more
3. What sociocultural and historical dimensions does Fata Morgana engage with in relation to identity, memory, and representation in postcolonial and folkloric contexts?
This theme centers on how Fata Morgana motifs intersect with narratives of identity formation, historical trauma, postcolonial memory, and cultural representation. It investigates the embodied, performative, and symbolic roles of Fata Morgana in various cultural identities, particularly within Lusophone and Brazilian contexts, addressing mestizaje, memory politics, and performance traditions. Insights here inform broader discourses on cultural repair, historical awareness, and the politics of representation.
Key finding: This article analyzes the mestizo (mixed-race) identity as portrayed in contemporary Lusophone post-memory literature, using Yara Monteiro’s novel as a case study. It emphasizes how postcolonial trauma, cultural hybridity,... Read more
Key finding: This paper evidences how Jackson do Pandeiro’s music functions as a dialectic reflection of daily life experiences within Brazilian Northeastern society, inflecting cultural identity and social conditions through rhythms that... Read more
Key finding: This ethnographic study documents the Festa de São Benedito and its Congada, an Afro-Brazilian dramatic ritual that embodies centuries-old traditions maintained without commercial dilution. The study highlights how this... Read more