I love scenes in stories of the main character “breaking through”.

Doing something so extreme they break tear through the fabric of reality. Dislocate.

One I love is in Alan Moore’s graphic novel “From Hell”.

The main character, the killer, experiences moments of “temporal dislocation” while he is killing.

While reading, these are shocking moments.

As a reader, you don’t know what is going on as we go from Victorian era England to modern cityscapes for seemingly no reason. We piece together, that he’s dislocating, probably because of the occult stuff he’s doing coupled with extreme acts of violence.

Well, that was my experience, and I loved it.

From gpt4o:

In Alan Moore’s graphic novel From Hell, the main character, Sir William Gull, experiences moments of temporal dislocation when he commits murders as part of the Jack the Ripper killings. These moments are deeply symbolic and central to the themes of the narrative, blending mysticism, history, and madness.

And:

During the murders, Gull perceives glimpses of the future, including scenes from modern times, such as office workers in skyscrapers. These visions are jarring and emphasize the idea that his actions are transcending his immediate era, influencing the trajectory of history and culture.

And:

Gull experiences reality breaking apart, where the barriers between past, present, and future collapse. His perception becomes fragmented, reflecting his belief that he is interacting with an eternal, universal force through his crimes.

Right on.

Very cool. I think about this a lot. Clever writing (obviously, Moore’s a genius).

Reminds me, I need to re-read this again.

Here’s a pic of one great dislocation:

Another example that comes to mind is from the Animatrix.

Specifically the short titled World Record.

A runner, using will alone (?) pushes beyond the limits of his body, breaks a world record in a running event and pushes out of reality, out of the matrix into “the real world” for a moment.

From gpt4o:

In the Animatrix short film “World Record,” the pivotal moment occurs when Dan Davis, a world-class sprinter, pushes himself beyond his physical and mental limits during a record-breaking race. As he runs, he exerts such an intense willpower that he momentarily breaks free from the Matrix. This brief escape is triggered by his unparalleled determination and connection to his true potential, allowing him to perceive the Matrix’s artificial nature.

During this moment, Dan glimpses the real world, seeing the truth of the Matrix, but the system reacts immediately to suppress him. Agents intervene to halt his awakening, and the strain on his body causes catastrophic injury, shattering his legs. Despite this, Dan’s mind briefly transcends the constraints of both the Matrix and his physical form, symbolizing the indomitable strength of human will.

Though the Matrix suppresses his freedom and confines him to a wheelchair, Dan retains a glimmer of awareness about the truth, defying the system’s attempts to erase his awakening entirely. This scene underscores the themes of perseverance, the power of human spirit, and the cost of breaking free from imposed limits.

So cool.

Here’s a link to the whole 4:30 short:

And a still of the moment just as he’s breaking through and things start to corrupt:

What is common here?

An extreme act (of will, of violence) leading to transcendence.

Not many of these moments in popular media out there. Not this extreme anyway.

I asked for more examples from gpt4o, and although some were close, none were on par.