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VIRTUAL AND “REAL” WORLDS: THE PROBLEM OF CORRELATION AND PERCEPTION // ΠΡΑΞΗMΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2023. Issue 3 (37). P. 142-158

The most common definitions of virtual reality state it as created artificially (by technical means) and open for interactions with the subject (the one who perceives it) with the help of the sensory organs. That is, this artificially created reality acts for the subject as a certain sign, which is visually accessible and somehow interpreted — it has meaning and value for the subject. Thus, the key to understanding virtual reality is the aspect of its artificially created and interactive nature, which differs from ordinary, “real” reality. But this reality is non-authentic, artificial. What does “non-authentic” mean? Does this mean that it is false or illusory? That it does not “actually” exist? Reality is often understood as something external to the subject, which they perceive and where exist as a part at the same time. Thus, the real is the perceived. Further, the real can be material and abstract, created by nature or people (by itself in both cases). Fundamental reality is understood as some primary physical scene of actions, phenomena, and processes, which was not created by man and itself serves as a condition for the creation of everything else, including man. Virtual reality stands up to this primary reality. It is secondary, created artificially on the basis of the primary one (and, as they say, with the help of technical means). What does “artificially created with the help of technical means” mean? Obviously, it stands for commonly called cultural objects created by people as opposed to those created by nature itself. The question is what part of culture to separate from “real” reality and place in the realm of the virtual one. Based on the analysis of the many-worlds interpretation hypotheses and the simulation hypothesis, the article shows that any virtual (in the sense of possible) reality is real and even necessary. Furthermore, without resorting to such strong hypotheses, the universe as a space of information (as bits and logical operations on them) allows us to consider both potential and actual realities equally. In digital code, the whole possible reality (in this respect, it is virtual) is potentially presented to us, and, thus, it has already been realized (the same applies to the wave function). The interpreter— the one who gives meaning to signs and their sequences (both for oneself) – shares the final opinion of what is considered real . But some different realities talk is not relevant here — all are dual concerning each other.

Keywords: virtual reality, reality, simulation, universe, information, many-worlds interpretation