Published in JFWTC inhouse journal Vol3 Issue 3 2007
Two articles in two separate issues
of Science, constitute very captivating
reading. July 27th issue of
Science carries a review on the enormous
possibilities a Virtual World can provide. William Sims
Brainbridge, the author is with the
Information and Intelligence systems Division of the National, Science
Foundation, USA Goethe Univ. ,
Maiz and Olaf Blanke is from the Dept.
of Neurology University Hospital, Geneva
The first article deals with
“Virtual World”. Most of us have had a
dose of this through “Matrix “a movie
which powerfully presented this concept.
The story is set in the 2199 when mankind is
reeling under the threat of a complete
take over by intelligent machines. The
machines, in an effort to subjugate the mankind, have designed the Matrix, a virtual world and
the trapped, hapless humans believe that they are living in the real world. The
saviour Neo, fights against odds to snap the spell and bring deliverance to
all. Much earlier in a Walt Disney
movie, TRON, an Master Control Program
(MCP) digitizes Flynn, the slighted
scientist and the MCP condemns him to
play virtual games till death. But
ultimately Tron rescues Flynn by destroying the MCP. Even prior to this we have had glances of a
virtual world in “Alice
Currently World of Warcraft (WoW)
and Second Life (SL) are the popular online role-playing internet games set in virtual world. Bainbridge argues that virtual world need not
be confined to cybergames and science fiction, but can be effectively used
to generate quantitative data for social
, behavioral and economic sciences. In fact National science Foundation ,
USA has provided support to
set up two educational virtual worlds “River City
And that is where the investigations of “Video
ergo sum” team snugly fit in. Simulating an expansive three
dimensional ambience is one thing and
being in there as a “virtual body” is altogether different matter. How does
self awareness manifest itself in such ambience? The team set out to seek
answers through a carefully
designed clinical experiment,. They simulated a virtual reality around
participants and conducted a modified
version of the “rubber hand Illusion”
experiment. (A cleverly designed
experiment which tricks the brain into accepting the rubber hand as
one’s own).
The present experiment involved a three dimensional rear view
of the participant himself and
synchronous and asynchronous multisensory inputs such as vision and touch. The experiments per se were very simple; but
had to be carefully conducted. Analysis
of participants’ responses has led the team to conclude that the brain can be cleverly tricked into being
in an “ out of body” state.
Conflicting multisensory signals
led the participant to feel the image
seen in front is the real self. The team believes the temporo-parietal
junction in the brain has a big role to
play in inducing the “out of the body
experience”.
But what is relevant here is the
fact that through conflicting sensory
signals and appropriate imagery “there,
that is me” feeling can be
generated. As Bainbridge suggested, the
potential lies far beyond the boundaries of the entertainment zone.
Are we getting closer to understanding ourselves through a virtual
presence in a virtual ambience?
References:
1. The scientific
research potential of virtual worlds;
William Sims Bainbridge Science 27th July Vol. 317, pages
472-476
2. Video Ergo Sum :
manipulating bodily self consciousness;
Bigna Lenggenhager, Tej Tadi, Thomas Metrzinger, Otaff Blanke , Science
24th August 2007, Vol. 317, pages 1096-1099
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