The Metaverse: Exploring a New Reality and Understanding Its Impact

In the coming years, the metaverse is set to become a major focus of investment for leading technology companies, with billions of dollars being poured into its development. But what exactly is the metaverse, and why is it generating such excitement and interest? Let’s dive into this fascinating concept and explore its implications.

The term “metaverse” was initially coined by science fiction author Neal Stephenson in his 1992 novel, Snow Crash. He described it as a three-dimensional digital world, a shared virtual reality experience where people could escape from the mundane aspects of the physical world. However, given our recent experiences with the pandemic and the increased reliance on digital platforms, the idea of spending our entire lives in a virtual realm may not seem particularly appealing. In fact, studies indicate that excessive use of such platforms can lead to physical and psychological discomfort, commonly known as “Zoom Fatigue.”

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Neuroscience research has shed light on one possible reason behind this discomfort. Inside our brains, there are specialized neurons called “place cells” and “border cells” (also known as “GPS neurons”) that help us navigate and orient ourselves in space. These neurons play a crucial role in constructing our autobiographical memory, as we associate our identity with the places we frequent—a workplace, a stadium, a school, and so on.

When we engage in videoconferencing or use digital social platforms, our brain’s GPS neurons are not activated in the same way as they would be in physical environments. Instead, we experience multiple locations simultaneously, and our sense of location becomes tied to the space we can move through, rather than the space we see. These digital platforms can be considered “nonplaces,” lacking the ability to connect our experiences within them to our autobiographical memory. As a result, our days spent in these nonplaces can feel monotonous, leaving us empty and disconnected.

However, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), the core technologies of the metaverse, offer a different experience. They have the potential to activate our GPS neurons, creating a sense of presence in digital places. The metaverse being developed by technology companies goes beyond Stephenson’s vision by introducing the concept of “interreality,” where the virtual and physical worlds merge.

In the metaverse, our actions in the physical world directly impact our experience in the virtual world and vice versa. This connection is made possible through “digital twins,” virtual clones of real objects linked to their physical counterparts. By wearing hybrid glasses that enable both VR and AR, we can interact with people and digital objects in our physical environment or engage with real people and objects within virtual environments. For instance, our virtual avatar can mirror our movements in the real world, and actions performed in VR can have tangible effects on physical devices.

While this may sound like science fiction, many of the technologies required for the metaverse are already available or in advanced stages of development. Companies like Meta (formerly Facebook) are investing in hybrid immersive glasses, photorealistic avatars, wearable sensors, and more, all aimed at creating a sense of presence and enabling a seamless integration between the mind and the metaverse.

The remarkable aspect of the metaverse is its similarity to our own minds. Neuroscience research has shifted our understanding of the brain from being a mere information processor to being a simulator—a mental VR system. Our brains constantly generate predictions about the sensory stimuli we expect to encounter, allowing us to guide our actions and analyze the outcomes. The metaverse leverages this predictive coding mechanism, aiming to create digital content that aligns with our mind’s simulations of reality. When these predictions are accurate, we experience a strong sense of presence in the virtual environment, even though we know it is not real.

This transformative nature of the metaverse sets it apart from previous technologies. While television and social media are persuasive technologies, shaping our attitudes and behaviors, the metaverse has the potential to alter our perception of reality itself. By hacking key cognitive mechanisms such as spatial presence, brain-to-brain attunement, emotional experiences, and even body swapping, the metaverse can reshape how we think and feel. It offers the possibility of inducing emotions, altering our internal reality, and even changing our identity within a virtual context.

However, along with its immense potential, the metaverse poses significant risks. It can be used to manipulate behavior, emotions, and even our concept of reality itself. Without proper regulation and governance, the collection of user data in the metaverse could surpass the capabilities of current social media platforms, raising concerns about privacy and ethical implications. Addressing these challenges requires a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, involving stakeholders at a supranational level.

Surprisingly, the discussion around the impact and consequences of the metaverse is relatively limited, with governments and researchers showing little involvement. To fully grasp the complexities and possibilities of this technology, we need an integrated and multidisciplinary approach that combines expertise in technology, psychology, neuroscience, ethics, and more. Only by understanding the multifaceted nature of the metaverse can we navigate its challenges and unlock its transformative potential.

The metaverse holds great promise and presents us with an incredible opportunity to shape the future