360 GRADI MAGAZINE // March-April 2021

DEGOYA GALTHIE
Since the beginning of his appearance in the world, man has tried to
represent and tell his experience with different tools such as drawing,
photography, and cinema; at the base of this incessant search is
the desire to describe one’s inner world with ever greater levels of
fidelity. In our post-modern society, the most advanced frontier of
this research is represented by virtual reality. This technology allows
us to “immerse ourselves” in a computer-generated environment, in
which it is possible to move and interact as in reality.
Degoya Galthie,
Head Column
BRAIN, MIND AND
VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality has numerous applications ranging in different fields
and represents an advanced communication interface that allows
people to interact naturally at a distance. It is now a technology
growing in popularity in the entertainment industry, where it finds
applications and the video game sector, cinematography, theme parks,
and museums. Social networks, e-commerce, education, sport are just
some of the many areas that virtual worlds promise to revolutionize.
In the medical field, virtual reality is demonstrating excellent
potential with applications in neuroscience and psychotherapy.
In light of these premises, the goal I set myself in this section of the
magazine is to tell the “virtual revolution” through a perspective
that highlights the transformative impact of this technology on
the brain and human experience. In particular, I will investigate the
effects of virtual experiences on one’s real-world and highlight the
opportunities that virtual technologies can offer, and highlight the
potential risks they imply through a survey of the most advanced
research in psychology and neuroscientific field. Finally, I will try
to explain how simulation technologies are changing how people
communicate and interact, analyzing the opportunities and challenges
implied by the emergence of virtual worlds.
Degoya
18 360 GRADI