I agree with Mark Delsing. The (potentially) immersive and interactive nature of an RPG means it has a different quality than another more passive experience. It’s why it may be harder to be an actor who inhabits the role of a monster and really gets “in the head” of that character than to watch that character onscreen.

If I’m reading you correctly, when you write about credibility, you are talking about trusting the motives and competence of others. At the gaming table, everybody may potentially be motivated by something different. The closer the play gets to triggering an authentic human experience, that may make it a richer experience, but it could involve genuine suffering. What if another player or the game master wants to explore sadistic themes? It might not bother me if I held the game at arm’s length but it could cause me anguish if the experience is too authentic. Some people are more drawn to an experience that results in an uncomfortable feeling than others.