Book Review: The Phenomenology of Virtual Technology

As virtual reality technologies insert themselves more and more into our lives, coming to terms with the implications of such technologies is imperative.My son received an Oculus headset two Christmas's ago.He was completely immersed-so much so, that as he fell asleep he fell into the virtual reality world, mumbling and moving to the game.In the space where he would normally be drifting off, his brain was clearly on overdrive to process the experience.I was deeply troubled.Clearly, the virtual environment had affected him deeply.Wanting to make sense of this phenomenon, when I learned of Daniel O'Shiel's work, I was immediately drawn.In The phenomenology of virtual technology: Perception and imagination in a digital age, O'Shiel's main premise that starts the book is that virtual technologies are impacting individuals and culture at large.