In the image and likeness: machine, man, and imaginaries in circulation 239 the same way, the media imaginary unfolds its interpretations of the machine as we initiated this presentation. In other words, at this juncture of mediatization, considering it a long-term pro- cess (Bolin, 2017), social existence unfolds concerning its environment. In this regard, Pedro Gilberto Gomes (2022) argues that the development of digital media gives rise to a new way of being as interpersonal dynamics have changed, demanding from the analyst different forms and efforts of understanding. Hence, arises the idea of unraveling hidden codes, which “are interconnected with the ambiance (its processes and materialities) of mediatization. They would be like texts, nested within and alongside texts of semiosis” (Gomes, 2022, p. 171). From our perspective, understanding the interrelationships requires examining the complexity of the mediatization ambiance, includ- ing the invisibility or transparency, as these elements bear the imaginaries. Gomes (2022) explores the necessity of contemplating the epimemetics of media processes, whose role would be to study the transmission of memes in society,’ a trademark of cultural values (such as beliefs and practices) prone to imitation. 6. It has never been just about access: inclusions, exclusions, and stigmas The issue of epimemetics and what is imitated, reproduced, and valued in interactions (Rosa, 2020) is essential for contemplating the imaginaries of the machine. The machine does not refute social imaginary, the social imaginary feeds into the media imaginary and, consequently, the machine’s imagi- nary. Such imaginaries affect the iconographic repertoire and the imaginative force of man. It is about relationships, comings and goings. In this context, totem images (Rosa, 2012; 2014), marked by profound relationships and solidifying specific media imaginaries, gain another space of existence. It is not about the cover of Time magazine or the distorted representation on Folha de São Paulo or Aftonbladet5 but about imaginaries in circula- tion. When we talk about plural imaginaries, it not only implies 5 Traditional Swedish newspaper.
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