A few months ago some friends and I were at a virtual reality centre.
They use the technology to help people re-habilitate chronic injuries through VR games.
We each jumped in to try out a rudimentary task-based game. You had to “fly” this plane-like contraption over a virtual valley and steer it through some colourful hoops.
Once strapped in with the glasses on, it took only 2-3 minutes for each person to pretty much lose touch with reality and the room we were actually in. Whoever was in the chair was sweating, jaw clenched, hollering, and trying to make it through the game.
Part of the value in enjoying fictional writing or experiencing virtual reality is realising that fact, truth, perception and imagination are often more intertwined than we think.
Ultimately, it’s the story we tell ourselves is the main driver of our actions and behaviour.
