In his article ‘The Metaverse: Surveillant Physics, Virtual Realist Governance, and the Missing Commons,’ Andrew McStay addresses an entwinement of ethical, political, and metaphysical concerns surrounding the Metaverse, arguing that the Metaverse is not being designed to further the public good but is instead being created to serve the plutocratic ends of technology corporations. He advances the notion of ‘surveillant physics’ to capture this insight and introduces the concept of ‘virtual realist governance’ as a theoretical framework that (...) ought to guide Metaverse design and regulation. This commentary article primarily serves as a supplementary piece rather than a direct critique of McStay’s work. First, I flag certain understated or overlooked nuances in McStay’s discussion. Then, I extend McStay’s discussion by juxtaposing a Lockean inspired argument supporting the property rights of Metaverse creators with an opposing argument advocating for a Metaverse user's ‘right to virtual abundance,’ informed by the potential of virtual reality technology to eliminate scarcity in virtual worlds. Contrasting these arguments highlights the tension between corporate rights and social justice in the governance of virtual worlds and bears directly on McStay’s assertion that there is a problem of the missing commons in the early design of the Metaverse. (shrink)

The creation of a Metaverses as an alternative to everyday reality heralds the first practical expression of transhumanism. The Metaverse is not, as is generally understood, an alternative reality similar to the virtual world of “Second Life”, but rather a pretended “extension” of our daily life. The Metaverse heralds the ubiquitous presentation of an augmented reality that will be essential for work and private life. In this paper we will analyse the possibilities this new technology offers for both (...) the improvement of our well-being and also greater social control and the manipulation of our feelings and desires with particular focus on the possible impact on individual identity, privacy and political consciousness. (shrink)

This paper argues that there are value and design-based problems in current ambitions for the Metaverse. With the Metaverse deepening longstanding commercial surveillance practices, the paper focuses on data protection harms from biometric and emotion data, the gauging of first-person perspectives, and sensitivities around profiling of avatars. The paper advances two notions to address harms and data protection: _surveillant physics_ and _virtual realist governance_. _Surveillant physics_ refers to surveillance informing the laws of how that reality operates: this is (...) a useful concept given the granular control that platforms have over virtual worlds and the laws by which they function. _Virtual realist governance_ builds on the longstanding principle of virtual realism and David Chalmer’s recent theorising of Reality+ that demands that the virtual is taken to be real, meaning that experiences of virtual objects and what occurs in-world are treated as meaningful. The paper progresses to further consider governance questions, both around technical and ethical standards, but also data protection ideas such as personal data stores, and data trusts, that were not conceived as Metaverse-based ideas, but have greater chance of being realised as basic premises of the Metaverse are being designed. Although this paper is regretfully pessimistic, finding that a root problem of current ambitions for the Metaverse is that the public good and the commons are missing, it sees virtual realist scope for modes of resistance unseen in other digital realms. (shrink)

The metaverse concept constructs a virtual world parallel to the real world. The social economic dynamics model establishes a systematic model for social economic dynamics simulation that integrates macroeconomy and microeconomy based on modeling mechanism of the new theory of value by analogy with Newtonian mechanics and the modeling approach of Agent-based computational economics. This article describes the SED model’s modeling mechanisms, modeling rules, and behavior equations. At the same time, this article introduces the methods, testing standards, and some (...) typical cases about using the SED model to generate the economic digital twin systems. By doing so, we hope to demonstrate that the method of computer simulation experiment based on the SED model is a scientific empirical method, which has more advantages than the existing empirical research methods in economics. The SED model, which can be fully used to form an economic engine and construct a virtual economic system by digital twin method, can be integrated with the extant physical engine in the metaverse concept to build a virtual world consisting of physics, economy, culture, and politics that is close to and coexists with reality. (shrink)

The Metaverse, an emerging digital realm seamlessly merging the physical and virtual domains, has garnered considerable attention for its potential to profoundly reshape multiple aspects of our daily lives. Within the realm of Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) procedures, the Metaverse presents a groundbreaking shift, poised to revolutionize how businesses approach risk management, employee training, and environmental impact monitoring. This abstract provides a succinct overview of the transformative potential of the Metaverse in HSE, with a particular emphasis (...) on its capacity to redefine training, real-time data visualization, remote operations, and collaborative decision-making. The incorporation of the Metaverse into HSE practices holds the promise of enhancing security, ensuring the well-being of employees, and advancing environmental sustainability across industries as it continues to evolve. The Metaverse stands as a permanent and persistent multiuser environment, seamlessly bridging the realms of physical reality and digital virtuality, representing a post-reality cosmos. Anchored in the convergence of technologies, including virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), it enables diverse multimodal interactions with digital objects, virtual environments, and individuals. Consequently, the Metaverse stands as a permanent multiuser platform interlinking a network of socially interactive, networked immersive worlds, facilitating fluid, real-time user-centered communication and dynamic engagement with digital elements. Avatars, once confined to individual virtual worlds, now possess the ability to transition seamlessly between multiple virtual realms. In its current iteration, the Metaverse encompasses social, immersive VR platforms collaborating with open game worlds, MMORPGs, and AR-based collaborative spaces. (shrink)

This book offers an extensive assessment of the nature and feasibility of the metaverse and is the first to critically examine its social and ethical implications. The metaverse is, in essence, an envisioned future merger of virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) and the internet, enabling real-time immersive interaction and activities like work, play, socializing, and entertainment. Major tech companies like Meta, Microsoft, Apple and NVIDIA have been investing billions in metaverse technologies, with generative AI accelerating (...) progress. This book examines how these efforts could culminate in the metaverse, exploring its potential forms, implications, and the social and ethical challenges it may pose—along with recommendations for responsible innovation. The book is aimed at stakeholders shaping the metaverse—developers, creators, investors, business leaders, and thought leaders in technologies like VR, AR, Web3, blockchain, and AI. It also serves scholars and students in applied ethics, the social sciences, and the humanities, including fields such as media studies, psychology, and law. General readers interested in the metaverse and emerging technologies will find it both accessible and engaging. Endorsements: "In this book, the talented and eloquent philosopher Philip Brey carefully explains the history and ideas behind the metaverse, and the prospects for its further development and adoption. That detailed information, meticulously presented, makes this a valuable read. But that is just the start. In later chapters, Brey just as skillfully describes the opportunities and vulnerabilities that a metaverse is likely to generate. These chapters are thorough, precise, and offer profound insights into our possible futures. Some of the possibilities are exciting. Others are frightening." –Keith W. Miller, University of Missouri–St. Louis. (shrink)

Metaverse is to build a virtual world that is both mapped and independent of the real world in cyberspace by using the improvement in the maturity of various digital technologies, such as virtual reality, augmented reality, big data, and 5G, which is important for the future development of a wide variety of professions, including education. The metaverse represents the latest stage of the development of visual immersion technology. Its essence is an online digital space parallel to the real (...) world, which is becoming a practical field for the innovation and development of human society. The most prominent advantage of the English-teaching metaverse is that it can provide an immersive and interactive teaching field for teachers and students, simultaneously meeting the teaching and learning needs of teachers and students in both the physical world and virtual world. This study constructs experiential situational English-teaching scenario and convolutional neural networks –recurrent neural networks fusion models are proposed to recognize students’ emotion electroencephalogram in experiential English teaching during the feature space of time domain, frequency domain, and spatial domain. Analyzing EEG data collected by OpenBCI EEG Electrode Cap Kit from students, experiential English-teaching scenario is designed into three types: sequential guidance, comprehensive exploration, and crowd-creation construction. Experimental data analysis of the three kinds of learning activities shows that metaverse-powered experiential situational English teaching can promote the improvement of students’ sense of interactivity, immersion, and cognition, and the accuracy and analysis time of CNN–RNN fusion model is much higher than that of baselines. This study can provide a nice reference for the emotion recognition of students under COVID-19. (shrink)

In recent years, the metaverse—some form of immersive digital extension of the physical world—has received much attention. As tech companies present their bold visions, scientists and scholars have also turned to metaverse issues, from technological challenges via societal implications to profound philosophical questions. This article contributes to this growing literature by identifying the possibilities of two dystopian metaverse scenarios, namely one based on the _experience machine_ and one based on _demoktesis_—two concepts from Nozick (_Anarchy_, _State_, _and Utopia_, (...) Basic Books, 1974). These dystopian scenarios are introduced, and the potential for a metaverse to evolve into either of them is explained. The article is concluded with an argument for why the two dystopian scenarios are not strongly wedded to any particular theory of ethics or political philosophy, but constitute a more general contribution. (shrink)

As Bitcoin continued to make headlines in 2021, additional digital assets such as non-fungible tokens brought more users into the blockchain ecosystem. As more individuals and entities took a closer look at the use cases for blockchain technology, the term metaverse began to emerge across news outlets and social media platforms. With Mark Zuckerberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, announcing that the organization would become a metaverse company and change the organization’s name to Meta, this announcement came (...) with some criticism in that the Meta metaverse would be centralized. In this case study, the current state of nation-states was viewed through the lens of Hobbes’ The Leviathan to assess whether decentralized metaverses will transition to a Digital Leviathan using Bit. Country-a metaverse within the Polkadot blockchain ecosystem. The case study was conducted through interviews and uncovered that the quadruple bottom line implemented in conventional business could be transferrable to a digital world built on various blockchains, non-fungible tokens, and governance in a Digital Leviathan governed by the people. (shrink)

Purpose This study aims to present a review and analysis of research on metaverse and Sustainability, also reflecting its connection to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach A bibliometric and TCCM (Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology) mapping using the SPAR-4-SLR protocol of 72 journal articles indexed in Scopus published over 2004–2024 was conducted. Findings The study presents an integrative review of research on the metaverse–sustainability nexus. By categorising current research into four leading clusters (Technology Integration for Sustainable Systems across (...) Sectors; Sustainable Urban Development and Smart Cities; Digital Transformation in Education and Organisations; Future Research and Emerging Areas in Digital Innovation), reframing sustainability as a construct reliant on governance and institutions rather than technology, mapping studies against SDGs and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors, and proposing a comprehensive agenda for future research, this study organises what has previously been a disparate field, both synthesising current literature and pointing to future directions for theory building and empirical research. Research limitations/implications Articles published in SCOPUS-indexed journals between January 2004 and September 2024 were only considered, which poses a key limitation for the study. Practical implications The UN’s SDGs could be advanced through metaverse applications ranging from immersive learning experiences (Goal 4) to simulating climate risk exposure and creating digital twins of smart energy-efficient cities (Goals 9, 11 and 13). For businesses, extended reality, artificial intelligence and blockchain can improve ESG outcomes such as traceability, sustainable supply chains and waste reduction. But risks around data privacy, algorithmic bias, energy consumption and governance must be managed by policymakers. Furthermore, by embedding low-carbon technologies, transparent institutions and participatory governance into the metaverse from the outset, this study can avoid reducing digital inequities. Originality/value This review provides an intellectual mapping of the field, along with a critical assessment of its alignment with sustainability and the SDGs using the TCCM Framework. (shrink)

This article explores the philosophical and legal foundations of the Metaverse as an emerging socio-technological reality. It examines the co-evolution of technology, law, and society, emphasizing the need for new frameworks to address identity, subjectivity, and regulation in virtual spaces. Central to the analysis is the concept of Metasubjectivity, which affirms the ontological equality of humans, AI, and digital avatars. The study critiques classical anthropocentric paradigms and highlights postanthropocentric approaches that integrate ethical pluralism and algorithmic governance. Key risks, including (...) dehumanization, identity crises, and algorithmic discrimination, are discussed in the context of digital subjectivity and emerging e-jurisdictions. The study presents a philosophical model that integrates critical rationalism, process philosophy, and the e-jurisdiction legal paradigm, with the aim of ensuring fairness and balance in digital ecosystems. (shrink)

We live in a time of rapid technological change, and the metaverse has opened an entire new dimension, conceptually changing how we will be interacting with virtual space and with each other. A combination of the metaverse with healthcare, variously referred to as “Meta-Health.” With the movement of the metaverse into practically every aspect of life in the modern era, its impact on healthcare is bound to be transformational. The concept of the metaverse is first introduced (...) through a short definition in this chapter and followed by a trace of its historical evolution. It then sets the step for the understanding of the relevance of the metaverse in healthcare, a synergy with revolutionary potential for changing patient care, education, and healthcare service delivery. The significant heart of such an exploration would be a reasoned, in-depth examination of Meta-Health applications. This chapter will give a deep dive into the virtual healthcare ecosystem with the help of VR-AR technologies. Among many other areas, the metaverse will revolutionize telemedicine, medical training, patient engagement, and data collection. However, at the same time, integrating the metaverse within the healthcare sector comes with several challenges. The chapter also tries to drive home a critical finding that these challenges come with immense opportunities. This chapter demonstrates through real-world examples and case studies how Meta-Health can already make concrete impacts today. It demonstrates how health providers, educators, and innovators are using virtual environments to enhance patient care, extend medical training, and develop virtual support communities. The chapter shifts forward on the horizon as it discusses future perspectives within the Meta-Health context: emerging trends, technological advancements, and, most importantly, the provocative promise of personalized medicine and patient-centric care. It does this as it brings to the front how much change likely will be not only in the health environment but also in the experience of every patient since Meta-Health empowers people to take responsibility for their well-being in completely new ways. (shrink)

Although the ‘metaverse’ is still the feverish pipedream of tech companies and venture capitalists, it is also a powerful imaginary for channelling enormous resources towards deepening and extending ongoing processes of digitalization and datafication. It is thus likely that an increasing amount of human activity – both professional as well as leisure-related – will take place in metaversal spaces, and that the paradigm of ‘Big Data’ is about to be expanded with massive amounts of new and varied or multimodal (...) data that capture even more (corporeal, sensorial, spatial, and temporal) information produced by and about people as well as their interactions as these unfold in (mixed) spaces over time. Much like the rise of big data, the emergence of metaversal data gives rise to important tensions and issues. From the perspective of critical data studies, media studies, and science and technology studies, this paper spotlights the role of data obtained about, in, and through metaverse technologies and environments as well as how this can be understood as both an intensification and extension of the datafication of social life, the quantification of research methodologies, and the exacerbation of social inequality. We discuss these issues through a series of six provocations that each address a distinct tension between metaverse data, the production of knowledge, research methodologies, and various social issues that are central to the datafication of contemporary societies. (shrink)

The development of immersive digital environments has become a significant direction in contemporary information technologies, with the metaverse emerging as a key framework for integrating social interaction and commercial activity within interconnected virtual spaces. This study examines the role of metaverse-based environments in marketing communication and brand management, focusing on how immersive platforms are used to structure consumer engagement and brand experience. Drawing on an analysis of academic literature, industry reports and selected case studies, the article compares global (...) patterns of metaverse adoption with practices observed among Polish brands operating on platforms such as Roblox and Fortnite. The findings indicate that while global implementations increasingly integrate experiential, transactional and data-driven mechanisms, Polish initiatives remain primarily engagement-oriented and exploratory. The analysis highlights key determinants shaping effective metaverse-based brand strategies and identifies structural, organizational and regulatory factors limiting wider adoption in the Polish market. (shrink)

The paper discusses the legal implications and challenges regarding metaverse-based trials that have been tested in countries such as Colombia and China. These trials demonstrate the potential transformation of judicial proceedings, but also raise various challenges, including reliance on technology developers and service providers for due process and challenges to traditional courtroom procedures. This paper analyzes these opportunities and challenges through a comparative legal perspective, and highlights regulatory suggestions for responsibly adopting such technology in trials. By addressing three perspectives (...) (technological, legal, and ethical considerations), the paper aims to examine how Cybernetic Avatars (CAs) may be integrated into legal procedures while ensuring technological, legal, and ethical considerations are met. (shrink)

In the last decades of the 20th century we have seen media theories and cognitive sciences grow, mature and reach their pinnacles by analysing, each from their own disciplinary perspective, two of the same core phenomena: that of media as the environment, transmitter and creator of stimuli, and that of embodied human mind as the stimuli receiver, interpreter, experiencer, and also how both are affected by each other. Even though treating a range of very similar problems and coming to similar (...) conclusions, this still has not brought these two disciplines closer together or resulted in their interdisciplinary approach. They did coalesce in regards to traditional media such as film, but more points of connection are needed for untangling interactive and immersive media environments and their effects on human cognition, action, and perception. With the rise of VR and VR-like systems, especially as they start to evolve into the Metaverse as their main platform of interconnectivity, the tissue of the body becomes almost physically intertwined with that of the virtual surrounding it inhabits through immersion. Simultaneously, the interest in these disciplines arises anew, and especially the need to use their concepts in an interdisciplinary way. This paper?s main interest is to bring these disciplines together in problematising the position of a physical body and its sensory-motor capabilities and their development within synthetic surroundings as Metaverse and anticipate potential downsides of Metaverse?s uncontrolled growth. We will do so also by looking into Metaverse as an artificial-life-like phenomenon, following artificial-life rules and evolving a completely new?corporeality?, a body which is completely adapted to virtual spaces. We call this body the Dry Body, an entity sharing cognitive resources with the physical body it is not a physical part of, but has to extend to. (shrink)

The aim of this chapter is to develop a deeper understanding of key features of the economy’s digital transformation and likewise consider their impact. Today, emerging and intrinsically linked phenomena such as cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and the metaverse are significantly altering the foundations of the economic system, the role of economic agents, the horizon for social action and modes of living in society more broadly. They are also redefining all other spheres of activity—such as politics, health, communication and (...) education—on the basis of economic values such as efficiency, efficacy or scarcity and, above all, techno-scientific values such as digital, virtual, neutral, objective, immediate, hyperconnected, hyper-datafied, hyper-automated, simultaneous and artificial. (shrink)

Personality disorders are usually treated with face-to-face sessions and/or digital mental health services. Among many schools of therapies, schema therapy stands out because rather than simply targeting the symptoms of PD, it cordially targets the cause of PD and heals the early maladaptive schema, thus is exceptionally good at soothing emotional disturbances before enacting cognitive restructuring, resulting in long-term efficacy. However, according to Piaget’s genetic epistemology, the unmet needs lie in the fact that the schemata that determine the adaptive behavior (...) can only be formed in the interaction with the real world that the patient is living in and reconsolidated by the feedback from the object world upon the patient’s newly-formed behavior. Therefore, in order to reshape the patient’s schema modes to support adaptive behavior and regain emotional regulation capabilities of the healthy adult, one may have to reconstruct the object world surrounding the patient. Metaverse, the bestowed successor to the Internet with the cardinal feature of “the sense of full presence,” can become a powerful tool to reconstruct a new object world for the patient with the prescription of a psychotherapist, so as to transform the treatment techniques in schema therapy into the natural autobiographical experiences of patients in the new object world, thus gradually reshape the patient’s schema modes that can ultimately result in an adaptive, and more inclusive, interaction with the real world. This work describes the underlying theory, the mechanism, the process, and ethical considerations of such promising technology for the not-too-far future. (shrink)

Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) have become the new buzzword for researchers, planners, policymakers, and industry experts when it comes to designing, planning, and managing sustainable and efficient cities. It encapsulates the last iteration of the technocratic and ultra-efficient, post-modernist vision of smart cities. However, while more applications branded as UDTs appear around the world, its conceptualization remains ambiguous. Beyond being technically prescriptive about what UDTs are, this article focuses on their aspects of interaction and operationalization in connection to people in (...) cities, and how enhanced by metaverse ideas they can deepen societal divides by offering divergent urban experiences based on different stakeholder preferences. Therefore, firstly this article repositions the term UDTs by comparing existing concrete and located applications that have a focus on interaction and participation, including some that may be closer to the concept of UDT than is commonly assumed. Based on the components found separately in the different studied cases, it is possible to hypothesize about possible future, more advanced realizations of UDTs. This enables us to contrast their positive and negative societal impacts. While the development of new immersive interactive digital worlds can improve planning using collective knowledge for more inclusive and diverse cities, they pose significant risks not only the common ones regarding privacy, transparency, or fairness, but also social fragmentation based on urban digital multiplicities. The potential benefits and challenges of integrating this multiplicity of UDTs into participatory urban governance emphasize the need for human-centric approaches to promote socio-technical frameworks able to mitigate risks as social division. (shrink)

We are likely to have immersive virtual reality and ubiquitous augmented reality in the coming decades. At least some people will use extended reality or “the metaverse” to work, play and shop. In order to achieve the best possible versions of this virtual future, however, we will need to learn from three decades of regulating the Internet. The new virtual world cannot consist of walled corporate fiefdoms ruled only by profitmaximization. The interests of workers, consumers and citizens in virtuality (...) require proactive legislation and oversight. -/- This white paper first addresses the central question the metaverse poses, whether virtual life is inherently more alienating and less authentic than face-to-face life experiences. This question is both a philosophical question about the nature of the good life and an empirical question about the accumulating evidence about the impacts of the digital on subjective well-being. -/- . (shrink)

The metaverse, enabled by technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and artificial intelligence (AI), challenges our traditional understanding of reality, identity, and corporeality. It offers immersive virtual experiences that blur the lines between the real and the synthetic, creating new opportunities for human interaction, expression, and self-exploration. In this paper, we explore (i) the technological advancements driving the development of the metaverse and its potential applications across various sectors; (ii) the avatar concept, a digital representation (...) of oneself within the metaverse, and its implications for identity and presence; and (iii) the profound impact on our perception and understanding of reality and the complex philosophical and ethical questions it raises. The metaverse stands as a novel frontier in human experience, presenting both opportunities and challenges. It demands a critical reassessment of how we perceive embodiment, awareness, and identity in this digital era. While we embrace its potential to expand human capabilities, we must remain mindful of its risks and ensure its ethical and responsible social integration. (shrink)

In this essay written for a general audience, the idea and concept of the metaverse is introduced and analyzed with particular emphasis on future forms of human interaction and sociality. The current state of exploitative data capitalism is criticized and used as a reference for questioning the dehumanizing view of people as mere data points in a possible "Metaverse" as envisaged by the likes of Meta, Inc., and other companies. The essay concludes by asking what could be a (...) good life in virtual environments. (shrink)

This article examines the legal and ethical challenges for the provision of healthcare in the metaverse. It proposes that the issues arising in the metaverse are an extension of those found in telehealth and virtual health communities, albeit with greater complexity. It argues that international collaboration between policymakers, lawmakers, and researchers is required to regulate this space and facilitate the safe and effective development of meta-medicine.

An exploration of the entirety of the conscious universe.

The study examine stakeholder trust and Metaverse CSR communication: a strategic analysis of nigerian consumer goods firms. Metaverse is agreed to be insistent and communicating virtual environment that offers firms a novel platform to disclose their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives in such a way that is transparent, engaging, and emotionally resonant. The theoretical reinforcement of this study is drawn from stakeholder theory and signaling theory. The study acknowledged that the rise of immersive technologies such as virtual reality (...) (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) has transformed how firms communicate their CSR initiatives to their stakeholders. Thus, digital transparency in Nigeria CG sector has become a strategic imperative, motivated by investor expectations, regulatory improvements, and consumer demand for ethical responsibility. The study concluded that Immersive CSR communication in the Metaverse has significantly influence stakeholder trust and firm level performance of Nigerian CG firms as indicated in the study. Through the integration of stakeholder theory and signaling theory, the study demonstrated that transparency, interactivity, and ethical engagement through the digital platforms has foster deeper relationships between customers, investors, and regulators. The study also accentuate that immersive technologies did not only improve brand authenticity and accountability but also serve as strategic outfits for market variation. (shrink)

본 논문은 우리 삶의 일부가 된 3D 디지털 가상현실로서의 메타버스(metaverse)가 현실의 초월세계나 디지털 허구세계가 아닌, 인간과 기술, 실재와 가상이 상호침투하여 얽혀 있는 확장현실(XR)이 될 수 있는가를 살펴보았다. 이를 위해 세계가 주관적 실재나 객관적 실재로 환원될 수 없으며 이 둘이 감각적으로 연관되어 있다고 강조한 메를로퐁티의 '살(chair)의 감각학'을 이론적 토대로 검토하였다. 우선 기술적 도구는 몸도식의 실존적인 상징적 행위에 의해 문화를 창조하거나 변형시킬 때 맹목적인 도구적 사용을 넘어설 수 있다는 메를로퐁티 사유에 근거한다. 그 결과 게임, 소통, 업무가 하나의 플랫폼으로 총체화 된 메타버스는 (...) 기존 가상현실 게임의 ‘기능을 넘어’ 실존적인 문제들을 해결하는 정보기술사회의 상징적 문화가 될 수 있음이 밝혀진다. 그리고 메를로퐁티가 몸의 감각적 가역성에 기반해 현실과 잠재적 세계가 얽혀 ‘살의 형이상학적 구조’를 드러낸다고 본 거울의 기술·미학적 특징에서 사용자의 몸과 코드화된 잠재적인 것이 상호잠식한 것으로 체험되는 가상현실의 특징을 발견할 수 있다. 보는 주체와 보이는 객체 사이의 간극(écart)이 살의 경험을 가능하게 하듯이, 메타버스 프레임은 '코드화된 잠재적 살'의 차원이 감각적 실재성으로 체험될 수 있는 여백인 동시에 모든 매체에 내재하는 불투명한 애매성을 생성하는 영역으로 나타난다. 마지막으로 사용자의 몸과 디지털 가상기술의 상호 공조적 쌍이 구축하는 살적 환경으로서 메타버스가 현실의 문제들을 구체적으로 해결할 수 있는 확장현실이 될 수 있는가는 메를로퐁티의 철학에 많은 영향을 받은 시몽동의 기술철학에 나타난 ‘비결정의 여지’와 ‘미학적 사유’에 의해 해명된다. 기술적 대상의 비결정성은 종교적(주관적) 사유와 기술적(객관적) 사유로 분리된 사유의 단일성을 추구하는 미학적 사유에 의해 의미를 생산할 수 있는 잠재적 행위를 활성화시킨다. 이를 통해 기술과 문화는 내재적으로 연결되어 기술의 과진화와 그 부작용을 감소시킬 수 있다. (shrink)

Purpose This study aims to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of metaverse-based digital storytelling platforms designed to preserve and engage intangible cultural heritage (ICH). Using constructs such as perceived intangible value, emotional engagement, social presence, perceived cultural authenticity and ethical awareness, this study explores how users evaluate and engage with immersive cultural technologies. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual model was developed and tested using a quantitative research approach. The author gather data through an online survey administered to a prospective (...) sample of university students in Jordan, a demographic selected for their digital literacy and exposure to both cultural heritage and emerging technologies. A total of 211 usable responses were retained. To validate the proposed framework, partial least squares structural equation modeling was employed to assess both the measurement and structural models, and to examine the hypothesized relationships between key constructs. Findings The results reveal that emotional engagement, ethical awareness and perceived intangible value significantly influence users’ intention to adopt metaverse-based platforms for ICH. While perceived cultural authenticity shows a marginal effect, social presence does not significantly impact adoption intention. These findings highlight the centrality of emotional and ethical considerations in shaping adoption behavior within cultural storytelling contexts. Originality/value This study contributes a novel adoption framework that integrates emotional, cultural and ethical dimensions specific to the context of digital heritage. It expands existing technology adoption theories by incorporating constructs that are uniquely relevant to the metaverse and ICH. The findings offer both theoretical advancement and practical guidance for developers, designers and cultural institutions seeking to leverage immersive technologies for heritage preservation and engagement. (shrink)

How might we philosophize about the metaverse? It is traditionally held that the four main branches of philosophy are metaphysics, epistemology, axiology, and logic. In this article, I shall demonstrate how virtual walt-fictionalism, a particular version of virtual irrealism, is able to offer a straightforward, internally consistent, and powerful response about the metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology (ethics) of the metaverse. I will first characterize the metaverse in terms of a reality-virtuality (RV) continuum and distinguish between virtual realism (...) and virtual irrealism, before elaborating on the explanatory power and potential of virtual walt-fictionalism relative to the metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology (ethics) of the metaverse. (shrink)

Are digital subjects in virtual reality morally equivalent to human subjects? We divide this problem into two questions bearing, respectively, on cognitive and emotional equivalence. Typically, cognitive equivalence does not hold due to the lack of substantialist indistinguishability, but emotional equivalence applies: digital subjects endowed with face or language elicit emotional responses on a par with real-world pleasure, desire, horror, or fear. This is sufficient for projecting moral traits on avatars in the metaverse or on dialog systems based on (...) large language models. Our main case study is a chatbot trained on the chat history between a Canadian man and his deceased fiancée. To demonstrate emotional equivalence and the mechanism of moral transfer, we compare digital devices with the functioning of oracles in a story by Plutarch and in a narrative that draws on the book of Genesis. Finally, we note that, along with the projections of ethical issues, humans also tend to bring real-world solutions of moral conundrums into extended reality. We argue that the lack of cognitive equivalence makes such projections problematic as they lead to overpolicing and a sanitized metaverse. (shrink)

This chapter of the book The Metaverse: A Critical Assessment aims to answer the question what the metaverse is or could be. It first investigates this question through a history of the metaverse as an evolving concept and ongoing technological pursuit. Next, it explores the concept of the metaverse through key characteristics, such as immersiveness, persistence, interoperability, and multifunctionality, examining what they entail and how essential they are to defining the metaverse. Third, it examines the (...) key enabling technologies driving its development and use, including virtual and augmented reality, 3D modeling and animation, artificial intelligence, blockchain, Internet of Things and foundational infrastructure systems. The chapter concludes by proposing a definition of the metaverse, informed by the preceding discussion, while recognizing ongoing ambiguities in the terminology. (shrink)

Metaverse is an emerging trend these days. It reflects in every field, like education, entertainment, business, and even healthcare. As we can experience, the Healthcare industry is constantly transforming due to emerge of new trends and technologies like moving from X-Rays to digital reports and from telehealth to Virtual Reality. It is a vast digital shift from regular practices to innovative techniques for efficient healthcare services. Metaverse plays a significant role in changing healthcare because it connects innovative technologies (...) like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, IoT, Web 3.0, Quantum Computing, Robotics, etc. This book discusses the application area of utilizing Metaverse in Healthcare services. It focuses on various research trends and technologies related to implementing a metaverse in healthcare systems. It also covers challenges, emerging trends and techniques, and future directions for meta-healthcare systems. (shrink)

As the metaverse blurs the lines between physical and virtual realms, enhanced by haptic devices providing sensory feedback, it is poised to become integral to daily life. However, this new digital frontier is also a site for sexual violence. Women users increasingly report non-consensual touching, image-based sexual abuses and novel forms of gendered harm, often trivialised and inadequately addressed by current laws. Accordingly, this article proposes the new concept and terminology of ‘meta-rape’ to better capture the intense and embodied (...) nature of these forms of sexual violence. We also provide a new categorisation of experiences of sexual harassment and abuse in the metaverse, together with a comprehensive analysis of the role and application of criminal law in tackling meta-rape. We suggest, contrary to conventional approaches, that current criminal laws could apply to some forms of meta-rape. We also propose strengthening and future-proofing criminal law, with laws proscribing intimate intrusions. By reframing our understanding of meta-rape, we aim to address the prevalence and impact of these gendered and sexualised harms, providing robust avenues for victim redress and promoting safety and autonomy in emerging virtual spaces. (shrink)

This chapter of The Metaverse: A Critical Assessment explores the potential benefits and risks of the metaverse for individuals and society at large. At the individual level, the central question is whether the metaverse can enhance human well-being; at the societal level, whether it can contribute to the public good by strengthening key social institutions such as education, healthcare, and democratic governance, as well as supporting civic life and environmental sustainability. The first section focuses on individual well-being, (...) examining how metaverse use may both support and undermine aspects such as pleasure, health, achievement, meaning, personal growth, and social connection—with particular attention to risks for mental health and social well-being. The next section assesses the metaverse’s potential to serve the public good by evaluating its impact on domains like work, education, healthcare, public discourse, and civic engagement. It also considers whether the social and political structures within the metaverse can promote social cohesion and resilience and democratic governance. The final section addresses the metaverse’s environmental implications, recognizing sustainability as a critical component of the public good. (shrink)

This chapter of The Metaverse: A Critical Assessment explores how the metaverse can be developed and governed responsibly. Responsible development and governance involve not only maximizing potential benefits but also proactively mitigating risks by upholding rights, maintaining ethical standards, and promoting individual and collective well-being—ensuring that the metaverse serves the public good. It also requires meaningful engagement from all stakeholders involved in its design, deployment, and use. To support this, the chapter presents strategies, guidelines, and methods for (...) addressing social and ethical challenges across the metaverse’s lifecycle. Key questions include: How can social and ethical risks be effectively identified and mitigated? What roles and responsibilities do different actors hold, and how can they collaborate toward shared goals? The chapter begins with a general multistakeholder framework for responsible governance, followed by approaches to responsible development and operation. Each section considers the actions key actors can take—and the responsibilities they bear—to ensure the metaverse evolves in a just, inclusive, and accountable way. (shrink)

This chapter of The Metaverse: A Critical Assessment addresses the question of whether—and under what conditions—a metaverse will emerge. It begins by examining the driving forces behind its development, focusing on potential benefits for users and society. These include general advantages, such as enhanced cognitive support and novel experiences, as well as sector-specific improvements in areas like healthcare, commerce, and education. The chapter argues that the metaverse offers meaningful benefits over current technologies.It then considers the business case, (...) concluding that while technological and investment challenges are likely surmountable, user acceptance may prove the most significant barrier. The analysis identifies key obstacles in user acceptance and explores how they might be overcome. Next, the chapter situates the metaverse within four broader technological and societal trends, each of which supports the plausibility of its eventual realization. These trends highlight the metaverse not as an isolated phenomenon but as part of a wider digital, social, and economic evolution. The chapter concludes with a tentative answer to the central question—“Will there be a metaverse?”—offering a balanced assessment of its prospects as a future digital platform. (shrink)

Purpose With significant industry interest and funding toward the metaverse, it is also important to understand the opportunities, challenges and threats (OCT) of metaverse adoption. Considering the novelty of the technology and its limited existence in the real world, this study aims to identify the driving forces (opportunities) and restraining forces (challenges and threats) of metaverse adoption using force field theory and their linkages through expert study. Design/methodology/approach An empirical-qualitative research design is applied based on 30 cross-disciplinary (...) experts’ views in the digitalization area from various industries. Findings A total of 11 salient factors were obtained, and the linkage and key driving factors were analyzed using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) and MICMAC. The variables that fall in level VII is “Cyber Threat” and, in level VI, the variables include “Digital Novice” and “Technostress.” Level V includes the variable “Interactivity,” and Level IV includes “Enjoyment.” Variables that fall under Level III include “Switching Cost” and “Social Acceptance,” and Level II comprises “Escapism” and “Cyber Sickness” and Level I comprises “Convenience” and “Swift Guanxi.” Research limitations/implications The study establishes contextual linkages between the identified metaverse variables using a TISM-MICMAC-based approach along with force field analysis theory. TISM results in a digraph representing the structural relationship among the factors, and the classification of these factors based on their dependence and driving powers are obtained using MICMAC analysis. The division of levels for variables in the proposed TISM model and their interconnections across multiple hierarchies provide valuable insights for researchers. Practical implications The study may help brands to take measures to adopt the metaverse in their organizations, gain full benefit and secure a strategic position in the market by gaining a competitive advantage. Further studies can extend the results by analyzing and contrasting the OCT variables of metaverse adoption. Originality/value This paper contributes to the body of knowledge to explore and link the OCT of metaverse adoption in businesses that require strategic attention and offers the groundwork for future investigations into adopting Metaverse. Prioritizing interventions can be strategically mapped out by understanding the hierarchy and relationship of these variables. The study also contributes to the force field analysis theory by applying it to the metaverse context, which is used within limits. (shrink)

Purpose This study aims to examine the psychological barriers to Metaverse-based education, focusing on the impact of technophobia and digital fatigue constructs. While the metaverse offers innovative educational experiences, these psychological factors may hinder its adoption, necessitating a deeper understanding of their influence. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quantitative research approach utilizing a survey methodology to examine how technophobia and digital fatigue shape students’ perceptions of metaverse-based education. Data were gathered from university students with prior experience with (...) virtual learning platforms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted using SmartPLS 4.0 to evaluate the relationships among key variables, ensuring a robust analysis of the proposed model. Findings The findings reveal that technophobia impacts students’ perceptions of ease of use, while digital fatigue adversely affects their perceived usefulness. Furthermore, perceived ease of use improves perceived usefulness, and both factors play a crucial role in shaping students’ intention to adopt metaverse-based education. These results underscore the significant influence of psychological barriers on technology acceptance within digital learning environments. Originality/value This research expands the discussion on metaverse adoption in education by incorporating psychological factors into existing technology acceptance frameworks. Identifying critical psychological barriers offers valuable insights for educators, policymakers and platform developers to enhance accessibility, reduce digital fatigue and optimize the usability of metaverse-based learning environments. (shrink)

A major concern surrounding the metaverse is that users may face significant threats to their individual rights, including pervasive surveillance, manipulative immersive advertising, and various forms of harassment or abuse within virtual environments. This chapter of The Metaverse: A Critical Assessment explores these risks and considers strategies for protecting five key rights: security, privacy, freedom, equality, and property. In immersive environments, security extends beyond traditional cybersecurity to include harassment and stalking that can feel immediate and personal. Freedom encompasses (...) not only speech but also movement, behavior, and presence—each vulnerable to monitoring, censorship, or manipulation. Privacy is under intense pressure, as platforms can collect and analyze biometric, behavioral, and emotional data in real time. Equality is at risk due to barriers to access to virtual spaces, embedded biases in platform design, and biases in moderation practices, potentially reinforcing real-world disparities. Finally, property rights grow more complex as users invest in virtual assets and identities that may lack clear ownership protections and remain subject to platform control. The chapter highlights the need for proactive safeguards to ensure that individual rights are upheld as immersive digital environments continue to evolve. (shrink)

The progress in technology witnessed over the past three decades surpasses the entire technological evolution of the preceding two millennia. The rate of innovation in certain sectors has been so exponential that its ripple effects have significantly impacted other domains. One such domain experiencing a profound transformation is the field of surgery, thanks to the advancements in digital technology and the Internet, which are revolutionizing nearly every aspect of human activities. With this current state as a foundation, what can we (...) envision for the next 30 years? The term “metaverse” first made its appearance in 1992 in the novel Snow Crash written by science fiction author Neal Stephenson. In his novel, the Metaverse is a computer generated a world that exists parallel to ours, rendered as a perfectly round black sphere that would surpass the circumference of the Earth if compared in size. Envision a highly evolved metaverse that transcends the constraints of dimensions and geographical boundaries. In this metaverse, patients undergo virtual surgeries, experiencing digitized and simulated procedures before undertaking actual surgical interventions. Meanwhile, surgeons engage in psychomotor acceleration programs, enabling them to acquire skills in a matter of months rather than years, all within a hyperconnected world. This future holds the promise of unifying and seamlessly integrating these currently disparate elements. New industries will emerge, built upon the integration of these interconnected domains and this new generation of data. However, we must also ponder the role of the digital technology that we are familiar with today and grapple with its ethical implications.In this chapter, we delve into the theme of the digital, metaverse, and mixed reality as the dawning of a transformative era that will interconnect all existing realities, including, of course, the realm of neurosurgery. The chapter unfolds in three parts: The first part delves into the psychological and ethical aspects specifically related to neurosurgical training. The second part scrutinizes the evolution of digital and physical simulation in support of cadaver-free training. Finally, the third part provides profound insights into the potential integrated evolution of training, patient care, and data-driven AI applied to surgical education. Through this exploration, we aim to shed light on the intricacies and possibilities that lie ahead as we embark on this transformative journey at the intersection of digital technology, the metaverse, and neurosurgery. (shrink)

This commentary examines the challenges faced by metaverse platforms in cross-border content moderation, focusing on the implications for freedom of expression and nondiscrimination. It highlights the difficulties in determining what to remove for which users as well as how to do so, which has serious implications for freedom of expression and our shared sense of reality. Proto-metaverse platforms such as Roblox and Minecraft face similar questions, but have not yet encountered major cross-jurisdictional issues because, as looking at traditional (...) social media platforms reveals, content moderation is not merely a question of law and policy, but also of geopolitics and government priorities. To avoid a “lowest common denominator effect” where freedom of expression is infringed upon worldwide and discrimination is entrenched, this commentary argues that metaverse platforms must clarify their moderation policies, assess their entry into specific markets based on local laws and their own values, and be prepared to exit overly restrictive markets. (shrink)

This chapter explores the contribution of the metaverse for the public sector. For this purpose, a capability map is created that classifies and describes business capabilities for different areas of the public sector. We discuss several possible metaverse applications for Germany’s Federal Employment Agency and describe how they can be implemented using interactive learning games.

With Facebook’s name changing to Meta, the metaverse concept has become popular again. There are many indications that the current fashionableness of the metaverse is not driven by technical factors, rather related to the public hype. To clarify the reasons for the increasing popularity of the concept, this study develops a model based on embodied social presence theory. We surveyed 292 metaverse users, and analyzed the obtained data using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results show (...) that the main technical factors influencing the metaverse popularity do not significantly predict users’ embodied presence and embodied co-presence, while users’ imagination positively predicts their embodied presence in the metaverse and positively influences users’ willingness to continuously participate through the multiple mediating effects of embodied presence and co-presence. The results of this study confirm, to some extent, that user imagination triggered by public opinion drives the popularity of the metaverse. (shrink)

This study presents an interdisciplinary examination of the intersections between human capital theory, philosophical interpretations of property, and contemporary housing and aspirational patterns in Germany and the United Kingdom. Drawing upon classical economic thought, Hegel’s philosophy of right, and Marx’s theory of alienation, the analysis demonstrates that falling homeownership rates and the reorientation of youth aspirations toward non-material domains reflect the structural impossibility of realizing Eigentum—property understood as an extension of personhood. These developments exemplify what Marx termed Eigenschaftslosigkeit, the condition (...) of being divested of essential human attributes. The findings reveal a social configuration in which the Hegelian conception of Eigentum as a universal medium for freedom has been systematically denied to younger generations while the Marxian prospect of collective emancipation remains unfulfilled. The paper does not claim that virtual environments directly substitute for material property; rather, it proposes the metaverse as a conceptual horizon that illuminates the compensatory logic of a generation structurally excluded from Eigentum. (shrink)

Bu çalışmada, varoluş kavramı felsefi açıdan detaylı bir şekilde ele alınarak, varoluşun günümüzün gittikçe sanallaşan insanı açısından ne anlama geldiği incelenmektedir. Varoluş kavramı, insanın varoluşunu ve yaşamını anlamaya yönelik felsefi bir kavramdır. Bu çalışmada Kierkegaard’ın varoluş aşamaları günümüz perspektifinden ele alınarak, insanlığın karşı karşıya olduğu mevcut dijital sorunlar ve değişim süreci incelenmektedir. Kierkegaard’ın varoluş aşamaları ışığında fiziksel dünyada yaşanan varoluş süreçlerinin, metaverse sanal evreninde nasıl gerçekleştiği değerlendirilmekte ve özellikle estetik varoluş üzerinde durularak ve bireyin sanal dünyada estetik varoluşu Kierkegaard’ın (...) betimlediği karakterler üzerinden haz kavramı temelinde tartışılmaktadır. Çalışmada, teknoloji, sanal evren, metaverse gibi kavramlar irdelenirken bu kavramlarla karşı karşıya kalan günümüz insanının varoluşunu algı tuzaklarına düşmeden ne ölçüde gerçekleştirebileceği Kierkegaard’ın Mefisto karakteri üzerinden ele alınmaktadır. Buna bağlı olarak teknolojinin gelişmesi ve varoluş kavramları ışığında, hız ve haz ekseninde konumlanan bir bireyin karşı karşıya olduğu psikolojik riskler, diğer insanlarla ilişkileri, kendisi ile olan ilişkisi, sosyal mecralar ile olan ilişkisi ele alınarak derin düşünmekten sürekli kaçınarak yüzeyselliğe ve hazzın büyüsüne sığınan insanlığın karşılaştığı tehlikeye dikkat çekilmektedir. Mefisto karakteri analizinin bu konularda hem aydınlatıcı hem de farkındalık yaratıcı olması amaçlanmaktadır. (shrink)

Examples of extended cognition typically involve the use of technologically low-grade bio-external resources (e.g., the use of pen and paper to solve long multiplication problems). The present paper describes a putative case of extended cognizing based around a technologically advanced mixed reality device, namely, the Microsoft HoloLens. The case is evaluated from the standpoint of a mechanistic perspective. In particular, it is suggested that a combination of organismic (e.g., the human individual) and extra-organismic (e.g., the HoloLens) resources form part of (...) a common mechanism that realizes a bona fide cognitive routine. In addition to demonstrating how the theoretical resources of neo-mechanical philosophy might be used to evaluate extended cognitive systems, the present paper illustrates one of the ways in which mixed reality devices, virtual objects (i.e., holograms), and online (Internet-accessible) computational routines might be incorporated into human cognitive processes. This, it is suggested, speaks to the recent interest in mixed/virtual reality technologies across a number of disciplines. It also introduces us to issues that cross-cut disparate fields of philosophical research, such as the philosophy of science and the philosophy of technology. (shrink)

본 논문의 목적은 새롭게 떠오르고 있는 메타버스 기술이 인간의 삶에 어떤 유용성이 있을지를 인문학적 관점에서 살펴보고 우려할 만한 점들을 비판적으로 검토하고자 하는 것이다. 오늘날 메타버스라는 새로운 기술 영역에 대한 관심이 높아지고 있다. 실제로 몇몇 대형 글로벌 IT기업들은 메타버스 기술의 선점이 무엇보다 중요하다는 이유로 메타버스 관련 플랫폼을 개발하면서 동시에 관련 기술들을 연구하는 신진 기업들을 사들이고 있다. 그러나 정작 메타버스에 대한 명확한 규정이나 설명도 제대로 이뤄지지 않았을 뿐 아니라, 메타버스 기술의 효용성, 즉 이 기술이 어떤 방식으로 우리의 삶에 기여를 하는가에 대한 판단 (...) 역시도 모호한 상태이다.BR 새롭게 등장하는 메타버스 플랫폼들은 기존의 물리적 세계와는 다른 법칙들을 가진 세상에 대한 인식을 가능하게 하며, 이로 인해 우리는 기존의 사유방식과는 전혀 다른 새로운 활동 방식과 판단 능력을 필요로 하게 될 것이다. 이러한 문제는 단순히 기술적 접근만으로 해결하기 어렵다. 메타버스 기술 개발이 추구하고 있는 방향이나 영향을 생각해 볼때, 이 기술의 발전이 인간의 삶에 미칠 영향에 대한 인문학적 고찰은 지금부터라도 본격적으로 다뤄보고 고민해야 할 필요가 있다. 무엇보다 메타버스의 발전의 방향성을 예측하고 이 기술이 인간의 삶에 어떤 긍정적인 혹은 부정적인 영향을 미칠지를 파악해야 앞으로의 기술 개발의 방향성을 제시하고 위험성을 대비할 수 있을 것이기 때문이다.BR 앞으로의 기술 발전을 통해서 더 실감나는 메타버스 세계가 구현된다면, 우리는 진정으로 메타버스 세계 안에서 현실과 거의 경계의 구별 없이 경제 활동과 사회 활동을 할 수 있게 될 뿐 아니라 물리적 세계와의 상호 연결 역시도 더욱 강화될 수 있을 것이다. 그런 상황에서 다양한 문화적 관계에 대한 올바른 이해와 건전한 교류가 제대로 이뤄지지 않는다면, 메타버스 기술은 우리 사회에 오히려 더 큰 위험이 될 수도 있을 것이다. 이러한 문제 해결을 위해 인문학은 메타버스 기술이 인간에게 미칠 영향 뿐 아니라 새로운 문화적 관계에 대해 더 깊이 탐구해야 할 것이다. (shrink)

With the rise of the metaverse concept, the virtual human sector has once again gained momentum, and virtual art is infused with new possibilities and hopes. The emergence of the virtual human Liu Ye Xi has broken through the domestic ceiling for virtual beings, opening up a narrative metaverse that presents new aesthetic changes characterized by immersion, interactivity, and hyperreality. From a rational and objective perspective, examining the new artistic space in the metaverse and engaging in aesthetic (...) reflection reveals two major issues: the invisible control of technology and the "hyperreality" of simulacra. (shrink)

As much as reality itself, its reflections and appearances have taken a significant place in philosophical discussions. While Plato's Allegory of the Cave is one of the first of these discussions, the philosophy of the virtual shows the final state of these discussions today. The virtual cave is the modern-day version of Plato's cave. Appearances in Plato's cave have their own mode of existence, and likewise, virtual objects in the virtual cave have their own mode of existence. There are many (...) philosophical similarities between the ancient cave and the virtual cave. So much so that, according to the first, the shadows in the cave are a different view of reality, while according to the second, the virtual images in the virtual cave are another view of reality. The philosophy of the ancient cave and virtual cave essentially point to the debates about what the nature of reality is. The ontological and epistemic dimensions of appearance and virtual image lead us to the discussion about the nature and whatness of reality. The most common and advanced virtual cave today is the metaverse. Metaverse consists of virtual communities that combine the reality of the physical world with the reality of the virtual world and are open to all kinds of manipulations. (shrink)