Déjá vu: reviving experiences in virtual reality environments

Abstract

This article discusses the use of Virtual Reality (VR) as a media platform for recording and preserving past experiences with spaces, objects, activities and even people. It debates on its potentialities as a multisensory interface that stimulates the immersion feeling of the user in the communication flow environment. To conduct the essay, we present concepts on the use of media devices to safeguard facts and, consequently, people memories (McLUHAN, 1964; BARTHES, 1980); on digital culture (KERCKHOVE, 1995; LEVY, 1999) and, also, on VR environments (BURDEA, 2003; STEINICKE, 2016); to then apply exploratory observations to two simulations scenarios which, somehow, making use of electronic devices to preserve space and time notions of ephemeral places and activities, specifically: HMD and CAVE. Results show the mcluhanian premise – media as mankind extensions – makes perfect sense in VR environments, due to the multisensory stimuli produced in the user´s body, making her/him believe she/he participates in the experience, in a symbolic, but convincing, act of reliving past situations. It means, an electronic déjá vu.