The Reality-Virtuality Continuum as Flesh: A Phenomenological Interpretation of Mixed Reality

The Digital Revolution has given rise to a new era of perceptual experiences, marked by the convergence of analogue and digital dimensions into what is collectively known as Mixed Reality (MR). This paper explores the complexities of perception within digital environments, addressing fundamental questions regarding body and object experiences in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. The study aims to redefine MR by adopting a phenomenological perspective applicable to the intertwining of both analogue and digital dimensions. The reality-virtuality (RV) continuum is revisited, challenging the dichotomy between completely analogue and fully digital dimensions. Drawing inspiration from Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s concept of flesh, the paper proposes a phenomenological theory of perception rooted in the interconnectedness of living and non-living entities. This perspective fosters a posthuman reading of Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology, highlighting the co-participation of the extended body in analogue and digital environments. The study contributes to the understanding of transdimensionality within the MR spectrum, providing a new definition of the continuum as occurring between analogue and digital aspects (AD continuum). In conclusion, the AD continuum is presented as an amalgamation of the human living body and digital technology, offering new insights for the understanding of immersive MR environments.