ECHOES: A FATHOMS DEEP PODCAST - SHOW NOTES

Portal Fantasy: The Psychology of Crossing Between Worlds, Part 1

Episode 16.1 | February6, 2026 | Duration: 22 minutes

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

For centuries before and after Gil Eanes sailed past Cape Bojador, humans have been drawn to stories of doorways between worlds—wardrobes leading to Narnia, rabbit holes to Wonderland, storm-tossed ships to enchanted islands, mirrors reflecting impossible rooms.

In this first part of our two-part exploration, we journey through the maritime tradition that established the foundational template for all portal narratives. From Homer's Odyssey—where each island forces Odysseus to surrender different aspects of his certainty about reality—through Celtic voyage tales, Coleridge's cursed mariner, and modern narratives like Life of Pi and Moana, we discover how water's unique properties create authentic liminality without requiring supernatural machinery.

This episode builds the maritime foundation for understanding portal fantasy's psychological power—laying groundwork we'll expand in Part 2, when we widen from sea to mind and explore the universal human experiences these narratives externalize.

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IN THIS EPISODE

Maritime Foundation: How water's properties (horizon, fog, storm) create natural thresholds

The Odyssey as Mythic Atlas: Deep dive into how each island (Aeolus, Circe, Underworld, Calypso) maps different aspects of transformation

Voyage Structures: Why gradual sea journeys create more authentic transformation than instant passages

Celtic Immrama: Islands that shouldn't exist and impossible seas

The Ancient Mariner: Gradual descent into cursed waters where the dead work the ship

Modern Maritime Portals: Life of Pi's ambiguous ocean and Moana's reef boundary

Pattern Persistence: Tracing the template from ancient Greece to contemporary narratives

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SOUND CREDITS

Wave bell attributedPirate Ship at Bay.wav by CGEffex -- https://freesound.org/s/93678/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

SHIP SOUND REQUEST!.wav by hello_flowers -- https://freesound.org/s/31006/ -- License: Creative Commons 0

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REFERENCES & FURTHER READING

Homer's Odyssey

Homer. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles, Penguin, 1996.

(Also valid: Translated by Emily Wilson, W. W. Norton, 2017)

Celtic Voyage Tales (Immrama)

O'Rahilly, Thomas F. Early Irish History and Mythology. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, 1946.

MacCana, Proinsias. Celtic Mythology. Hamlyn, 1970.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Coleridge, Samuel Taylor. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. 1798.

Modern Maritime Narratives

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Knopf, 2001.

Miyazaki, Hayao, director. Spirited Away. Studio Ghibli, 2001.

Moana. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2016.

Historical Maritime Exploration

Diffie, Bailey, and George Winius. Foundations of the Portuguese Empire, 1415–1580. University of Minnesota Press, 1977.

Fernandez-Armesto, Felipe. Pathfinders: A Global History of Exploration. Norton, 2006.

Maritime Studies & Water Psychology

Corbin, Alain. The Lure of the Sea: The Discovery of the Seaside in the Western World. University of California Press, 1994.

Bachelard, Gaston. Water and Dreams: An Essay on the Imagination of Matter. Dallas Institute, 1983.

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ORIGINAL ESSAY: Portal Fantasy: The Psychology of Crossing Between Worlds

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Articles & Research: fathomsdeepbeyond.com

Speculative & Paranormal Fiction: flukeprint.com

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DISCOVER DIMIDIUM'S FANTASY UNIVERSE:

- Fiction: Read the Epic Tales: dimidiumtales.substack.com

- Lore: Explore the world's lore and world building

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Author Website: www.morganadrake.com

Newsletter Signup: subscribe to the Author's newsletter

ABOUT ECHOES

Echoes: A Fathoms Deep Podcast explores maritime legends, historical mysteries, and comparative folklore through the lens of philosophical inquiry and literary criticism.

Each episode examines how humans have understood the ocean—from medieval cosmology to documented disappearances, from shape-shifting selkies to navigational breakthroughs—asking what these stories reveal about fear, transformation, and the boundaries between possible and impossible.An investigation into how maritime history and legend illuminate deeper truths about human nature and the obstacles we inherit.

Written, researched and produced by Morgan A. Drake, author of dark maritime fantasy and architect of the Dimidium world.

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NEXT EPISODES

Next time on Echoes: "Portal Fantasy: The Psychology of Crossing Between Worlds, Part 2" - We widen our aperture from sea to mind, exploring the psychology behind why these maritime narratives resonate so powerfully, examining why returning home proves the cruelest test after transformation, and discovering how different authors build their doorways to explore distinct philosophical questions about consciousness and limitation.

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As always, thank you for listening and supporting our work.

Morgan A. Drake

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fathomsdeepbeyond.substack.com