Presence in XR

The presence of a user in an experience is ultra critical in extended reality. They may choose to use one or more of their five senses as they look around, listen, touch, taste, or smell their environments. How can one determine what actual reality is when you look at an experience from multiple perspectives?

Merriam-Webster defines 'presence' as: the fact or condition of being present or the part of space within one's immediate vicinity.

Let's take an adventure to explore how projections and misdirection can create a convincing presence for extended reality.

Projections

Consider for a moment how YOU specifically create presence in an extended reality experience. Take note of the ways that you catch a user's attention. In extended reality, an external source is used to project a reality into others. These projections may provide realistic visuals, sounds, interactions, scents, or flavors.

Many external stimuli can be carefully created for the user or even adapt to the user. Think about the sounds, jingles, colorful effects, scents, tone, messaging, flavors of the programming. Consider how many of these external stimuli project a version of reality that will alter how a person perceives reality.

Visuals

What kind of images have been project it into you to create or describe a reality that you believe?

Imagery can cause you to fear, be excited, get angry, feel sad, feel pity, or motivate you to do your part. Think carefully about the number of things that you’ve been convinced to do just because some expert told you to do it. How often does do you need an authoritative voice or to be the authoritative voice? Have you ever questioned the reality that is projected into you?

When one creates presence with visuals, you can create magical, fearful, exciting, terrific, an amazing world. With this in mind, you can immerse someone by enhancing the visuals with an additional sense such as hearing or touch. Think about the latest newscast that you might have watched.  Would the messaging be the same without the audio and just the visuals? Think about the last time that you were so convinced of a story that only existed in your mind or was created by an external source. Then, when you look up this information, you find out that it actually wasn’t true.

Sounds

What's very powerful about the hearing sense is that something can be repeated to you over and over and over until it becomes your reality. You can hear from others or from your devices. If something is repeated, does that make it true? How many times does it have to be repeated until one's perception of something changes?

You can notice how audio, hearing, or sounds can enhance one's presence within an environment. Head outside and find somewhere to lay flat and motionless. Close your eyes and notice the sounds that might be taking place around you. Observe the direction that they are coming from then speculate what could be the source of that sound.  Stay there for a moment longer to notice some of the more faint sounds.

‍How could you tell that these were faint sounds? At what point did you notice the sounds that your body was making? Did you have to listen to them carefully to notice it?

Another very subtle way of establishing presence for the situation is to shift the music. Consider watching commercials or visiting event venues. Consider how a light and happy theme could shift the reality of a somber event. Speculate what mysterious and intriguing music could do for the user's presence within an environment. How can one's perception of the mood and scene shift as the background soundtrack of reality shifts? 

Interactions

How can interactivity create a sense of presence for the user?

They may perceive that they are taking action or determining an outcome or influencing an outcome. Are those all the possible outcomes or are they only interacting with the approved ones? It's as if they are given a multiple choice exam and asked to give the textbook answer or approved answer. Other interactions includes swiping, drawing, tapping, liking and so forth. This could create that illusion that they are driving an algorithm versus contributing to an experience that might be predetermined.

Observe carefully the content that goes viral. Notice how it gets pushed to people through recommendations, suggestions, or engagement.  Consider how the replies and reactions enable the content to get projected into one's reality. Do these all happen by chance or do they support another agenda?

Consider this for a moment in a game. The developers have thought out and prepared for specific scenarios and outcomes. Quite often a gamer can figure out these situations and take the necessary actions to make something happen. Or they can try to break the system or deviate from the system. One might observe how one's reality might have a lot of interactivity built in to get you to the same outcomes.

Scents

What kind of scents create notable changes to a user's facial expressions or proximity to the scent? Observe how scents can bring people closer or keep them further apart in an extended reality situation. Wonderful scents can transform an entire experience to make it magical and mysterious. Other scents can easily shift people away from the source of the scent. Take the opportunity to reflect upon some of the most memorable experiences and the scents associated with them.

During the next trip to a shopping center or crowded area, focus on the different scents in your extended reality. Describe them and articulate how certain scents may enhance or detract from your experience in that moment. Scents can establish a strong presence in an area especially if they create a harmonious environment.

Flavors

The sense of taste can be the most powerful one to bring a person to the present moment. Look at someone's face as they enjoy the latest bite of the meal or dessert that they have been searching for. Consider how often people will venture off into different realms to specifically try certain types of cuisines. The wide range of flavors usually follow the scents of an environment to create a true moment for many individuals. It can remove many distractions and remind people to be present. Establishing presence through food and flavors is a skill that chefs refine as they shape this extended reality.

Misdirection

Many of these senses can also create an illusion of reality. Consider carefully who is creating this reality for you. When it comes to misdirection, there are many actors in plain sight. There is a famous life motto of, "fake it until you make it". Ponder how often someone builds their life around this principle. Ask deeply or question them further about how many are doing exactly this since they influence and shape other realities.

Other times, people are doing their research on sponsored resources only to repeat the same information without investigating any details about it. It happens time and time again for decades in one's reality. Question deeply the people who have provided you the information for your education. How much do you think they actually know about this reality? How much do you think their knowledge is dependent on someone else's reality? How much information is actually referencing other slightly biased information?

With all of this information from many sources, each decision from the past continues affect the present and future. Much of the information actually shifts you away from the most important moment: the present. Notice how all of the senses can remind the user of a past, present, or future. Many of the senses can shift the user from focusing on now to focusing on any other moment in their extended reality. When one can perceive reality where time is an illusion, then the presence within an environment can truly be refined and optimized.

If you are depressed, then you are living in the past.

If you are anxious, then you are living in the future.

If you are at peace, then you are living in the moment.

Keep this saying in your mind as you reflect upon how often misdirection plays a role in creating true presence within an environment. Many details can encourage mind to wander. So, if an extended reality experience can create an environment that enables the user to stay in the present, then it can deliver a magical experience.

Lost in the past

Reflect carefully upon one’s ability to create in this moment.  When you walk past or observe someone, really ponder to see if they are in this moment. Quite often they might be thinking of something in the past or the future. They could be depressed about something that might not have taken place or concerned about an event that they missed out on. If you don’t believe me, watch their eyes. Sometimes they may be lost in thoughts, trying to remember something, or even preparing a reply for someone.

When one is lost in thoughts, they might be remembering some reality that no longer exists. They also be feeling an emotion that reminds them of any time other than now.  They might be putting together some puzzle that caught their attention. They might be wondering about another person. Or they might be thinking about how they even got to this point in life. All of those things shift their presence away from this moment.

For any experiences, the use of a past can be meaningful for flashbacks, history, reminders, supplemental story line and so forth. A very subtle way to indicate the past is to include a grayscale filter or some other color scheme that is different in clarity from the present.

Fantasizing the future

The future appears to have all sorts of excitement since it brings endless possibilities. Sometimes all of the possibilities bring up feelings of anxiety. Anxiety to the point where one cannot take action. Many people spend quite a bit of energy worrying about situations that may never happen. Many live entire lives in the future and completely skip out on living in the present. Some wonder about traversing through time, so they can figure out what the appropriate or best outcome could be.

With certain actions, it can forever alter a future. Some might feel afraid to take any action because of a future that they may or may not be able to handle. It’s all a matter of perspective when it comes to the choices that you make in this reality. There will be some paths that open up because you took specific actions, while other close because of it. Make sure to trust your gut or intuition to take action when something is meaningful to you. It addresses the urge or tendency to blame others for one's actions.

In extended reality experiences, there can be the option to save or bookmark, so that one could try out multiple scenarios or events. Thus, they can show the magnitude of the decisions one makes for any type of experience and add a level of replayability to any journey. If actions have consequences, then make sure to include that in the experience that you create. If actions do not have consequences, provide scenarios for the user so they are aware of what might take place due to their decisions. It can create a fun and meaningful learning experience when that takes place.

Discovering the present

In extended reality, many do not even realize that they are in it. Extended reality can be used interchangeably with simulation or matrix. When you start to live in the present, you start to notice certain details that indicate to you the reality isn't what it seems. You might also notice that everything has been designed to draw you away from this moment. When you can actively block out these distractions, you will find an incredible sense of beauty, detail, joy, calmness, and peace in the present. When you appreciate that this moment will never happen again, it truly changes your presence.

In many experiences, one can add different visuals, sounds, interactions, scents, or flavors to distract or focus for an individual. Carefully consider how to merge multiple senses to draw their attention to this moment right now. A wide range of combinations will guide an individual on where to focus their mind. With practice, you can focus your mind for a beautiful adventure in between the physical and non-physical realms.