Being There: Implications of Neuroscience and Meditation for Self-Presence in Virtual Worlds
Carrie Heeter, Marcel Allbritton
Journal For Virtual Worlds Research October 30, 2015 DOI: 10.4101/jvwr.v8i2.7164 (opens in new tab)
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractThe brain and body work together to create a felt sense of presence in the material or virtual world. The brain generates bodily feelings that represent emotions and thoughts, and directing attention to present-moment bodily sensations produces embodied presence. Meditation increases the capacity for embodied presence. Virtual worlds are experienced through a system grounded in bodily sensations. This essay explores implications of neuroscience and meditation for designing and studying self-presence in virtual worlds, explaining presence as a dynamic internal process resulting from sustained directed attention.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Argues that presence in virtual worlds is a dynamic internal process of sustained directed attention grounded in bodily sensations, and that meditation can enhance this capacity. |
Abstract
New discoveries in neuroscience show that the human brain and body work together to experience and evaluate emotions and thoughts and to create a felt sense of presence in the material (or virtual) world. The brain engenders (creates) bodily feelings that represent emotions and thoughts. By directing attention to present moment bodily sensations we experience embodied presence. Practicing meditation increases the capacity and propensity to experience embodied presence. Virtual worlds are experienced by the human system that is deeply grounded in bodily sensations. In this essay we explore the implications of neuroscience and meditation for designing and studying self-presence in virtual worlds. We explain how presence is a dynamic, ongoing internal process that is the active result of sustained directed attention.