The title "Towards a consensual hallucination" is a reference to Burning Chrome by William Gibson in which he refers to cyberspace as a "mass consensual hallucination". In 1982, as the networking technology and protocols firmed, and the cost of hardware made it readily available both in businesses and homes, Gibson surmised that our imaginations would fill in the gaps and create layers of experiences on top of what is ultimately non-existent space. Cyberspace is our way of understanding and giving shape to what is actually some very dry and tedious technology.

Hallucination is defined as an experience involving the perception of something not really present.

The internet has become the consensual hallucination. We have created structures to replicate physical reality in digital environments - websites are designed to recreate retail, leisure, education and social activities. It is very human to project our expectations of what things should be based upon how it has always been.

So 30 years on from Gibson’s mass hallucination, the internet is a daily staple. What are the next 30 years going to bring? I believe that we have reached a tipping point where we have begun to expect our real life to be shaped by cyberspace. In other words, internet-born cultural constructs will bleed through and influence our behavioural norms.

 

Via ddrrnt