Page - 166 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 03/01

166 | Michael R. Heim www.jrfm.eu 2017, 3/1, 159–181 conversations even when awakening from sleep. the body feels “weightless, feeble, unable to resist”. here “the self feels de-centered, disseminated in the flux of intellectual or imaginary inputs, information, and media events”. We feel in danger of losing our anchor in the real life situations of our bodies and the persons around us. VirtUAL ArChiteCtUre The essays by Elisabeth Kraus and Elisabeth List raised two major concerns about Vr: ecstatic drug-like escapes that can damage personal life, and body amnesia that over time weakens sensory grounding, respectively. Both Kraus and List (K&L) deal with large, qualitative hazards, but the K&L hazards are not inconsistent with the empirical safety warnings listed in the user guide provided by the manufacturers of samsung Gear headsets:19 • A comfortable virtual reality experience requires an unimpaired sense of mo- tion and balance. Do not use the headset when you are: Tired; need sleep; under the influence of alcohol or drugs; hung-over; have digestive problems; under emotional stress or anxiety; or when suffering from cold, flu, head- aches, migraines, or earaches, as this can increase your susceptibility to ad- verse symptoms. • Just as with the symptoms people can experience after they disembark a cruise ship, symptoms of virtual reality exposure can persist and become more apparent hours after use. these post-use symptoms can include exces- sive drowsiness and decreased ability to multi-task. these symptoms may put you at an increased risk of injury when engaging in normal activities in the real world. • take at least a 10 to 15 minute break every 30 minutes, even if you don’t think you need it. Each person is different, so take more frequent and longer breaks if you feel discomfort. you should decide what works best for you. • People who are prone to motion sickness in the real world also have a height- ened risk of experiencing discomfort while using the Gear Vr. such individuals should take extra care to read and follow these warnings carefully. • We recommend consulting with a doctor before using the Gear Vr if you are pregnant, elderly, have psychiatric disorders, suffer from a heart condition, have pre-existing binocular vision abnormalities or suffer from a heart condi- tion or other serious medical condition. 19 these warnings appear in the booklet entitled “Getting started Guide” that accompanies the Gear Vr and can also be found in a slightly different version at www.oculus.com/warnings.