Page - 161 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/01

Bridging Real and Virtual: A Spiritual Challenge | 161www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 159–181 user perceptions of the surrounding world. in short, analysis and critique of Ar will require an approach that is different from that used for VR. Apple’s wa- gering on Ar over Vr requires an uncompromising clarity of design not unlike Apple’s decision (as of 2016) to not mix touch screens (iPad) with personal com- puters (MacBook), while others, like Microsoft, offer a mixed operating system that blends a touch interface with the traditional keyboard and mouse (surface Pro). Only time will tell whether the clean break between Ar and Vr will hold. reViViNG QUestiONs the installation of Vr in current culture raises familiar questions: Are the con- cerns debated in previous decades still valid in light of current experiences? Does Vr enhance or detract from reality? What connects the virtual with the real, and vice versa? How subjectively private is the VR experience? Does any- one think Vr can become a spiritual practice that heightens the sense of reality? this attempt to answer such admittedly big questions begins with an over- view of discussions that took place in 1999 and in which the author participated. the concerns raised in 1999 will be compared with immersive experiences using current Vr gear. the immersive experiences will be sprinkled with the language of contemporary archetypal psychology, drawing on James hillman, thomas Moore, Ginette Paris, and thom Cavalli.7 following in the footsteps of Carl Jung, archetypal psychology points to certain primal values championed by renais- sance scholars that can serve today as resources for envisioning Vr as a tool for spiritual evolution. the argument contends that the architecture of virtual worlds invokes much of the architecture of the natural world as perceived by antiquity (and retrieved by renaissance scholars like Marsilio ficino). the pri- mal elemental correspondences that bridge the real and the virtual allow virtual constructs to manifest aspects of the already given universe. With this strategy, primal elements serve as a bridge connecting real and virtual experiences. the bridge also suggests ways to create a focused and informed soulful practice that deepens sensory appreciation of the natural world. through heightened awareness of the primal elements of experience, the cybernaut or Vr traveler, like the renaissance magus, aims for psychological balance by applying simple meditative techniques post headset immersion. Unlike other media, Vr deals explicitly with becoming more fully present as an actively engaged participant. Deliberate ritualized activity after wearing the headset can deepen the sense of presence that occurs within and beyond the technology. 7 Iconic texts for this group include the anthology of James Hillman’s work Moore 1997; also Moore 2015, Paris 1998, and Cavalli 2002.