eery, from the Rensselaer PolytechnicInstitute in Troy says ^whereas in fiction we imagine and empathize, incyberspace we are supposed to ^actually^ step into the other world.^This means that the other world is not created in our minds, but isalready there. We have to move in that world and take part in it, notonly with our mind, but by using our senses, such as seeing, hearingand touching. These are our navigation tools. This world is imaginaryin the way that it is not of something real, but a result of theprogrammer of that worlds imagination. It is ^virtual.^In previous developments, such as theatre, novels and cinema wepassively follow a linear storyline, with a start and an end. Theauthor of it predetermines all the happenings in a particular story. Wehave no participation in the play, but identify with it and ourimagination creates a generic feeling that we are a part of the story.In virtual reality however, we do participate actively in a non-linearstory, we are a part of the plot. How the story evolves, depends onwhat we do, and when we do it. What we get to see of the story, dependson where in the virtual world we are. We are able to see, hear andtouch the elements in the story and interact with them. We have becomeone of the actors, with the freedom to rewrite the play along the way!Human beings are social creatures that like to communicate. ^Becausecomputers make networks, VR seems a natural candidate for a newcommunications medium^ (Heim, Michael 1993). Just as the Internet hasbecome our time^s biggest communication network, virtual reality couldhave a great impact on how we share information. Imagine a meeting withpeople from all parts of the world in a virtual room, or playingcricket with people from Pakistan.As mentioned above, we identify with stories, and also the characterswithin them. We often think ^if I were him,^ or ^if I looked likethat,^ then ^I would.^ We imagine and wish for a moment that we weresomething else...
