How Are We Immersed In The Virtual World?

Joseph Nechvatal describes Imersion as 'the state of consciousness where awareness of phyiscal self is dimished or lost by surrounded in an engrossing total environment; often artificial'


When we are in the virtual world, we are 'immersed' in it. We often see the real world represented in the virtual world through things such as satelliete and world atlas view, but hhis is not how we experience the real world. Advances in technology through the use of google street view, closes the boundary between the how the real world can be represented in the virtual world. We become involved in the world we are taking part in.
 When we watch a film in 3D, are we still aware of out bodies or do we become immersed in the 3D world? Or a bit of both?

Osmose has 12 worlds or 'layers' seen through a head mounted display. What we see in osmose still depends on the your movements, and bodily functions, for example, breathing and changing direction. During Osmosis, all of your body and senses are Imersed. Everything you do in that world is affected in this world. You determine what you want to see in Osmose rather than in a movie where the director determines what you see. You create your own narrative in osmose compared to a movie where the narrative is already decided, and you have chocie but to immerse yourself in something that has already been given to you. In a sense, you could say Osmose gives you more freedom to create what you want to see rather than having to work with what you already have. For example in Osmose you are the only person - there is no other 'you', compared to a world like 'sim's or 'second life' where there is another you or 'avatar' which you have created to represent you to other people in the virtual world.

We also become Immsered through games which involve bodily functions. For example, the 'dance mat' game. You are still aware of your body, but you still become immersed in the act of dancing to achieve the full potential of the game.