Mazdak Panjei
A Reflection on the Future of "Imagination" in Art
How Can We Prevent the "Death of Imagination in the Metaverse"?
Mazdak Panj-ei
Etemad Newspaper, 4th February 2025
Imagination has long been one of the most fundamental tools for humanity to understand, change, and recreate the world. This ability, which allows humans to create a world beyond existing reality, plays a crucial role in all aspects of life. From prehistoric cave paintings to scientific research, imagination has always been a bridge between the real world and the world of aspirations, ideas, and dreams.
However, with the emergence of worlds like the Metaverse, a new question arises: Can imagination maintain its former place, or will it undergo fundamental transformations?
The Metaverse is a world created by human imagination and given tangible form through technology. In this space, the boundary between imagination and reality becomes blurred, making what once existed only in the mind accessible in a concrete way. For instance, in the Metaverse, one can visit a museum in Paris through visual and auditory tools without leaving home. Additionally, individuals can live in this world without physical limitations; a blind person can see, a deaf person can hear, and someone with physical disabilities can move freely. These unprecedented possibilities transfer imagination from the mind to the tangible world, giving it an entirely new dimension.
However, this materialization of imagination also brings challenges. When imagination is transformed into reality through technology, will there still be room for fantasy within the human mind? Can the Metaverse, which is itself a product of imagination, serve as a new platform for generating imagination?
Philosophers like Immanuel Kant view imagination as a tool for connecting reality and subjectivity. Kant believed that imagination, by combining past experiences with new ideas, enables the concretization of concepts. However, in the Metaverse, many of these processes occur automatically; humans no longer need to gradually shape their mental images, as technology assumes this responsibility. This issue could lead to a decline in cognitive activities related to imagination, ultimately resulting in its gradual extinction.
In the Metaverse, environments and experiences are fully pre-designed and programmed for users. This could limit human imagination, as there is no longer a need to create personal mental images or narratives. Human imagination often stems from real-life experiences and encounters with nature, society, and deep human emotions. Spending excessive time in the Metaverse and overusing augmented reality tools may distance individuals from real-life experiences, reducing their sources of imaginative inspiration. Someone who spends most of their time in the Metaverse may struggle to perceive real sensations like touching objects, smelling flowers, or engaging in human connections, ultimately restricting their imagination.
In the Metaverse, people can rapidly and effortlessly achieve their desires and aspirations. This could diminish the drive to imagine a better future or create an ideal world. Imagination often arises from distancing oneself from pure reality. Writers and artists construct worlds beyond everyday experience through linguistic elements such as metaphor, allegory, and symbolism. However, if language and imagery in the Metaverse become overly explicit and stripped of complexity— as seen in many digital spaces today—how will imagination function? Will it still be possible to recreate mental worlds?
One might argue that if humans live in a world where all their dreams and desires are realized, they may no longer need imagination. This idea can be examined through the concept proposed by Darren Shu in an article. He argues that if a person in the Metaverse never encounters issues like poverty, homelessness, or social struggles, how can they truly comprehend these challenges? Such a scenario could weaken moral imagination—the foundation of empathy and the effort to improve the world.
On the other hand, living in a perfectly idealized world might lead to mental isolation. In such a situation, individuals would live solely within their constructed reality rather than engaging with real-world challenges. This isolation could lead to the "death of the mind," as imagination requires interaction with reality to survive.
Paul Ricoeur, the distinguished philosopher, believed that imagination cannot function without language. According to him, language is the medium that enables one to transcend reality and create a new world. However, in the Metaverse, language and imagery are often presented in their simplest and most direct forms. This simplification might restrict imagination, reducing it to a mere reproduction of what already exists.
Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that imagination is an inseparable part of the human mind. This remarkable faculty not only acts as a tool for creating new worlds but is also a fundamental aspect of human identity and creativity. Therefore, even in a world like the Metaverse, imagination can find a way to redefine itself.
To preserve and strengthen imagination in this new reality, spaces must be designed that allow for transcendence beyond materiality and entry into subjectivity. The Metaverse should, instead of offering ready-made answers, pose new questions that encourage thought and imagination. Only in this way can we prevent the "death of imagination" and safeguard it as one of the most essential human qualities.
www.davatmoaser.ir
#Literature_in_the_Metaverse
@mazdakpanjehee
