Virtual Reality Equally Dream In Addition To Equally Technology

A summary of:
Ryan, M.-L. (2001). Narrative every bit Virtual Reality: Immersion too Interactivity inwards Literature too Electronic Media. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore.
Chapter ii – Virtual Reality every bit Dream too every bit Technology

Aldous Huxley wrote of the potential perils of multisensory fine art inwards his Brave New World, where characters experience The Feely, “that offered visual, auditive, olfactory, too tactile stimuli. The spectators could experience every pilus of the carpeting on which the protagonists were making love, every jar inwards the crash of a helicopter, too they were so fully absorbed inwards these sensations that they paid no attending to the silliness of the plot” (55). We tin relate to this – it does look similar the logical extension of the VR dream, resulting inwards the expiry of the mind. But Ryan says, “Despite Huxley’s alert that multisensory fine art would extinguish critical feel too homecoming the imagination obsolete, the sentiment has retained a powerful grip on the modern mind” (55).

So it is non the multisensory nature of VR that nosotros should hold upwards wary of. To to a greater extent than or less degree, a skillful new evokes sensations of touch, smell, etc.. But at that spot is something nosotros may desire to consider inwards to a greater extent than depth: Ryan writes a lot inwards this chapter virtually the goal of virtual reality is to erase the medium spell multiplying it – i.e. making the medium invisible (56): “The ‘virtual reality effect’ is the denial of the purpose of hardware too software (bits, pixels, too binary code) inwards the production of what the user experiences every bit unmediated presence” (57). In a sense, this is non unique to VR; for example, it is clearly the goal of interface design. As Ryan says, “‘Virtual reality’ is non but the ultimate medium, it is the ultimate interface metaphor” (58).

The enquiry for me is, Are nosotros duping ourselves out of a spiritual experience? This seems illusory too manipulative; too inwards erasing the medium, nosotros arrive to a greater extent than readily acceptable, thence the engineering scientific discipline tin increasingly creep into where it mightiness otherwise direct keep been objectionable. In a nutshell, this insidiousness is what irks me virtually Ubiquitous Computing (Mark Weiser’s vision of it, anyway). Before nosotros know it, nosotros may honor that our hitherto spiritual spaces are existence corrupted past times the intrusion of engineering scientific discipline cloaked inwards the invisibility of the perfect erasure of its medium-ness.

I was intrigued to larn that at that spot direct keep been people inwards the past times who direct keep considered the possibility for to a greater extent than spiritual representation inside our communication. For example, “The mystics of ages past times – such every bit Swedenborg, the esoteric philosopher of the eighteenth century – had a term for this radically antisemiotic trend of communication. They called it the ‘language of the angels’” (59); and, “Pierre Lévy… believes that the expressive potential of the figurer volition hold upwards improve served past times a graphic linguistic communication that he calls ‘dynamic ideography’ than past times alphanumeric symbols” (60). I grip inwards regulation amongst this approach; i.e. I retrieve that if i wants to pattern a spiritual object, technology, or experience, i needs to evaluate the ways inwards which the foundation of that object/technology/experience stand upwards for the essential spiritual principles i wishes to hold upwards acquaint inwards the finally product. But I retrieve inwards damage of the Internet, nosotros are far past times the indicate of (what Lanier would call) “lock in,” too at that spot is no means to alter the symbols that nosotros work to communicate inwards that space. The remaining options for us direct keep to create amongst structural changes, important how that communication occurs, rather than its encryption.

Bearing this inwards mind, I industrial plant life this quote specially fascinating too poignant: “This VR relation to infinite is totally dissimilar from what nosotros experience inwards the ‘cyberspace’ of the Internet. Cyberspace projects non a continuous territory but a relatively liberate internet made of links too nodes, of routes too destinations, amongst zip inwards between. The destinations, or sites, may hold upwards centers of interest, but the connecting routes are not. Travel from site to site is non a voyage through a developing landscape but an instantaneous jump that negates the body, since cloth bodies tin movement through infinite solely past times traversing it i indicate at a time. The criterion metaphor for cyberspace travel, surfing, gives a faux impression of continuity” (73)…. In the nonspace of cyberspace, move fourth dimension is wasted time, since at that spot is zip to encounter betwixt the nodes” (74).

This pattern embodies too inwards plow promotes a value prepare whereby speed, efficiency, too past times extension profit, are at the exceed of the hierarchy. I retrieve – though possibly I’m non qualified to tell so – that appointment amongst engineering scientific discipline that emanates these values piece of cake too subconsciously affects our powerfulness to appreciate alternative values. In other words, the to a greater extent than nosotros engage amongst engineering scientific discipline where the journeying is a distraction too a hindrance, is it getting harder for us to relish the journeying inwards other areas of our lives? My indicate is, at that spot must hold upwards a to a greater extent than spiritual pattern alternative that could promote a divergence prepare of values. How tin nosotros arrive hold back similar this – Ryan’s – vision?: “It would non thing where nosotros ended; the pleasance would hold upwards the ride itself, the experience of existence carried away past times a smoothen but mighty force” (74).