When I Enter Cyberspace, What Body Will I Inhabit?

Peter Heft's "VIRTUAL EMBODIMENT, OR: WHEN I ENTER CYBERSPACE, WHAT BODY WILL I INHABIT?" explores the concept of virtual embodiment through a phenomenological lens, specifically drawing on Maurice Merleau-Ponty's work.

The paper challenges the idea of disembodiment in virtual reality, arguing that entering virtual worlds involves a transformation of our bodily experience rather than its abandonment. Heft examines historical and speculative future virtual reality technologies, from early setups requiring physical interaction to advanced mind-computer transference. By applying Merleau-Ponty's concept of the body schema and phantom limb phenomenon, the author posits that even in fully immersive virtual environments, a "phantom body" or new form of embodiment emerges, shaped by the virtual world's solicitations. The source suggests that our presence in a world inherently generates a body, regardless of its physical nature.