This post will change your perspective on virtual reality.

The term “virtual” has carried the meaning of “being something in essence or effect, though not actually or in fact” since the mid-1400s.[1] In the computer sense—meaning “not physically existing but made to appear by software”—it has been in use since 1959. Wikipedia

Given that more than 60 years have passed since the term was coined in this context, isn’t it time to reconsider what virtual reality truly means in 2020?

Interestingly, just eight years later, another key concept emerged—the meme. Both of these terms are central to this discussion.

For those who distrust Wikipedia, there is always Encyclopedia Britannica. However, even Britannica defines virtual reality as originating in 1987, viewing it solely through the lens of technology and computers. In both cases, virtual reality is sharply contrasted with reality—a conception that is misleading and incorrect.

Virtual is Real

I could end this post by simply confronting the conventional definition of virtual reality with the concept of a meme. However, from the moment memes were recognized as the second replicator alongside genes, it should have become clear that: “imaginary reality” is just as real as “real reality.”

The dual nature of reality is a fact—one that is independent of idealism, realism, or objectivism, as debated in various philosophical schools.

But before moving forward, I must first establish the link between memetic reality and virtual reality.

A Houdini Trick: Breaking the Technological Frame

Now, here’s a simple mental trick in two steps:

• Stop associating virtual reality exclusively with technology, digitalization, and computers.
• Once you do that—voilà!—we arrive at the realization that virtual reality is nothing other than memetic reality.

Virtual is Memetic

Since virtual reality is memetic reality, all computer-generated realities, augmented realities, and other digital environments are, by definition, memetic facts.

To illustrate this, let’s start with branding.

• Brands are the virtual counterparts of products and services.
• This duality of reality is evident in the fact that:
• No brand can exist without its physical vehicle (product/service)
• No product or service can exist without its brand identity; both are real and interdependent.

Branding, Myths, and Memetic Reality

Brand formulas express themselves through stories. Let us compare the story of the AK-47 gun with that of Apple. The story of Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov is an interesting contrast to that of Steve Jobs:

• Jobs became a media icon, amassed great wealth, and was deeply embedded in social networks.
• Kalashnikov, on the other hand, was relatively unknown, made no fortune, and lived a solitary life under the Soviet regime.

Yet, despite their vastly different lives, the stories surrounding Apple and the AK-47 have both transcended history, becoming memetic myths.

Virtual is Not Fake

When myths enter the discussion, fake news inevitably follows—at least in common perception. But not for me. As I explained in No Fake – No Trust, all stories/news create reality. Therefore, I strongly disagree with Wikipedia’s definition of fake news as:

• “Not objectively true”
• “Folkloristic, imaginary, and fictional”

To be fair, in today’s climate, countering the dominant narrative on fake news is a bold stance. It takes an outsider perspective—like that of Andrej Drapal—to argue that:

• There is no such thing as “fake news.”
• All news, all stories, equally co-create reality.
• Perception is Reality

Science is valuable (as I fully respect it), but no authority can define absolute truth. Truth is intersubjective, and therefore, truth is memetic and mythic.

Myths, Archetypes, and Virtual Reality

To conclude, let’s connect:

• Memes
• Brands
• Virtual reality
• Myths
• Intersubjectivity

All of these come together in a larger memetic structure: Archetypes.

The importance of archetypes is best understood through Carl Jung. Had Jung lived in the age of memetics, he would have simply called archetypes memes, or better, memetic fields. Archetypes are the viruses of our mind, just as Richard Dawkins described in 1991, a decade before he converted to dry materialism.

The Scientific Resistance to the Dual Nature of Reality

There is abundant evidence to support the connections drawn in this post—for example, the well-established link between brands and archetypes.

However, I recognize that scientific reductionism and political correctness actively resist accepting a dual reality. Yet, they construct reality based on their own myths. And for now, they hold more power than the rest of us. So far.

Final Thoughts

I must extend my gratitude to Primož and the Guardiaris team for inspiring this post. Their daily work in virtual reality pushed me to rethink the entire issue.

And voilà—this post is the result.