Virtual Reality and Beyond
by George Parigian

While I don’t pretend to be able to predict precisely the direction that computer technology will go in with regard to virtual reality simulations, it is not hard to imagine some of the ways in which this technology will affect the evolution of human consciousness. To be sure there are daunting technological challenges, but if past history is any indicator, it is a certainty that those challenges will be met and overcome. Processing speed, and storage capacity continue to increase at a remarkable pace. All of the prerequisites for an “enhanced presentation of reality” are already in place. We experience what we call “reality” as filtered through our five senses. Although the attempt to “enhance” one or more of these senses has historical precedent, we are entering an age where the technology needed to do so in completely new and as yet undiscovered ways will be readily available. Until now individual senses such as sight or hearing have been enhanced artificially, but we are now at a point where deeply immersive environments will not so much enhance our senses, but rather present a reality which has been carefully manipulated to allow us to extract information that is specific to the facilitation of a certain task or learning goal.

Our brains have the ability to do this to a degree. For instance, we can be in a crowded room with many people talking loudly at once, but still be able to communicate with one or more persons, separating out the relevant conversation from the din in the background. We are constantly engaged in this “filtering” throughout the day in many subtle ways. We make distinctions about what is useful, relevant, strange, friendly, dangerous, or innocuous utilizing our innate ability to filter out stimuli in our environment. Where technology can help is in allowing us to analyze much more data, at greater speeds, by filtering out redundant or irrelevant data, and allowing us to focus on that information which fits within certain predefined criteria. It can also enable us to better utilize our primary representational systems for learning tasks and acquiring information. For example a person who is primarily kinesthetic could have information presented to them in a manner in which they could interact with the data in some tactile format, the visually oriented individual would have the data presented in a format tailored to his representational system such as pictures or symbols, and the auditory oriented individual would take advantage of a presentation in which sound was the predominant representational modality. To be sure this is possible in a normal environment, but obviously is greatly enhanced in an immersive virtual or augmented reality environment.

These virtual environments would block out external stimuli, while allowing the individual to interact with the data in ways, which would otherwise not be possible. New models of learning would emerge which would overcome inefficiencies in the learning process that have up until now, held many individuals back. Such immersive virtual reality environments could potentially address dyslexia, attention deficit syndrome, autism, and other challenges to learning.
There are several variants on the theme of virtual reality. There is augmented reality, in which data are represented visually and overlaid onto an individual’s visual field, such as in a “heads up” display where the image is projected and seems to float in the air. This technology is being explored for use in automobiles, and is I believe already in use in the ultra sophisticated avionics systems of the latest jet fighter aircraft. This would allow pilots access to enhanced presentations of data with which they can make faster and more accurate decisions regarding targeting and evasive maneuvers, and would be a significant advantage in combat. Here again, reality per se is less important than a representation of that reality that will facilitate the achievement of a goal, which in the case of the pilot is to more successfully engage and destroy the enemy. So in essence, in these models reality, or rather the representation of reality (as presented to the individuals senses) is being manipulated for a specific purpose. Remember that in concept, this is not new, but in it’s implementation, present and near term technology make this a very dramatic improvement over previous systems.

The immersive nature of virtual reality lends itself to enhancements in communication because in this environment more senses can potentially be engaged. This would be especially true in interpersonal communication. Consider phone conversation. In this instance the lack of visual contact eliminates the ability to discern body language, which is a very subtle but powerful component of communication. By bringing sight as well as sound into the medium, communication is enhanced. How would virtual reality improve upon this? Possibly by providing for some kind of tactile component in addition to the sight and sound. Touch communicates powerfully also. Touch uses physiokinetic and neuropsychological cuing, tactile perception and response to communicate emotion and feeling. Again, there are technological challenges to be met in order to develop this tactile component, but they will indeed be solved, perhaps by approaches that encompass new technology for neurophysiological interfaces which will directly link mind with machine!

The practical technical problems and cost with regard to implementing fully immersive virtual reality systems have in my view been responsible for the fact that this technology has so far had limited commercial applications in the public realm. The equipment is cost prohibitive for the average individual, and the experience falls far short of the promise of this technology. I believe that the long term success of virtual reality as a popular and affordable tool rests with a new interfacing technology, which will take the place of the expensive and somewhat cumbersome equipment presently needed, and develop a safe, effective, direct neural interfacing system. Interestingly, this system would leverage existing and near future term microprocessor technology to enable real-time direct (but buffered) neural interfacing, which would bring the benefits of an enhanced presentation of reality to the mass market. This new approach would redefine the concept of virtual reality, because the immersive environment would not be created externally, but rather would be created in the mind of the individual via neural inputs, while simultaneously blocking out external stimuli.

The downside to this technology is an increased danger of misuse, which is certain to become an issue in the near future. There will be a battle for the control of the production, programming, and access to this technology, for it will represent the most dramatic leap forward in the history of communication since the development of language. It is potentially far more powerful and wide ranging in it’s effects, because it could engage an individual’s cognitive processes with total efficiency, altering consciousness, imparting information, controlling neurophysiology, ect. It is at this point where the evolution of human consciousness will be thrust dramatically forward into an uncertain future at once dazzling in potential and frightening in possibilities. This future is coming, and it will arrive faster than we might imagine! Overcoming the technological challenges that will be encountered will be far less difficult, than dealing with the unintended consequences of a technology, which everyone will want to control, but no one will be able to. The implications of a technology powered by microprocessors whose processing capabilities are growing exponentially, is nothing less than staggering.

For more information about this topic, reference these links.

Virtual Reality - Playing in the M.U.D.'s
On The Net - Resources in Virtual Reality
Hot Virtual Reality Sites
Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality

 

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