A spatial model for the representation of emotional landscapes

Abstract

This article proposes a cartographic solution to represent the emotional landscapes of evasion for a Holocaust survivor, specifically his perceptions of safety or danger during his escape. The victim's emotional landscapes are spatially interpolated using techniques for vectors of both travel direction and magnitude (of perceptions of safety or danger). The implications for the spatial representation of emotions are that emotional landscapes might be better understood by going through an interpolation process, as the statistical analysis reveals spatial trends and autocorrelation. This may help in understanding how the abstract notion of space and the human valence of place vary in relation to each other (or not), and whether and how that variation differs based on distance and direction.