From 4363bc025af8519a12b42f5a0bfa55f218dd234a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Rogier Muller Date: Mon, 18 May 2026 15:04:08 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] Fix remaining Section 5 typos --- .../5-0-collaborative-technology-and-democracy.md | 10 +++++----- contents/english/5-1-post-symbolic-communication.md | 6 +++--- contents/english/5-2-immersive-shared-reality.md | 8 ++++---- 3 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-) diff --git a/contents/english/5-0-collaborative-technology-and-democracy.md b/contents/english/5-0-collaborative-technology-and-democracy.md index 2808401e..cc45d51c 100644 --- a/contents/english/5-0-collaborative-technology-and-democracy.md +++ b/contents/english/5-0-collaborative-technology-and-democracy.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ # Collaborative Technology and Democracy -This book was created to demonstrate ⿻ in action and as well as describe it: to show as well as tell. As such, it was created using many of the tools we describe in this section. The text was [stored on and updated](https://github.com/pluralitybook/plurality) using the [Git protocol](https://git-scm.com/) that open source coders use to control versions of their software. The text is shared freely under a [Creative Commons 0](https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/) license, implying that no rights to any content herein are reserved to the community creating it and it may be freely reused. At the time of this writing, dozens of diverse experts and citizens from every continent contributed to the writing as highlighted in our [credits](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/0-1/eng/?mode=dark) above and we hope many more will the continued evolution of the text after physical publication, embodying the practices we describe in our [Creative Collaboration](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-3/eng/?mode=dark) chapter. +This book was created to demonstrate ⿻ in action and as well as describe it: to show as well as tell. As such, it was created using many of the tools we describe in this section. The text was [stored on and updated](https://github.com/pluralitybook/plurality) using the [Git protocol](https://git-scm.com/) that open-source coders use to control versions of their software. The text is shared freely under a [Creative Commons 0](https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/cclicenses/) license, implying that no rights to any content herein are reserved to the community creating it and it may be freely reused. At the time of this writing, dozens of diverse experts and citizens from every continent contributed to the writing as highlighted in our [credits](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/0-1/eng/?mode=dark) above and we hope many more will the continued evolution of the text after physical publication, embodying the practices we describe in our [Creative Collaboration](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-3/eng/?mode=dark) chapter. Work was collectively prioritized and rewards determined using a "crowd-funding" approach we describe in our [Social Markets](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-7/eng/?mode=dark) chapter below. Changes to the text in future evolution will be approved collectively by the community using a mixture of the advanced voting procedures described in our [⿻ Voting](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-6/eng/?mode=dark) chapter below and prediction markets. Contributors were recognized using a community currency and group identity tokens as we described in our [Identity and Personhood](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/4-1/eng/?mode=dark) and [Commerce and Trust](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/4-3/eng/?mode=dark) chapters above, which in turn was used in voting and prioritization of outstanding issues for the book. These priorities in turn determined the quantitative recognition received by those whose contributions addressed these challenges, an approach we have described with others as a "[⿻ Management Protocol](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4688040)".[^PMP] All this was recorded on a distributed ledger through an open-source protocol, [GitRules](https://gitrules.ai/), grounded on open-source participation rather than financial incentives. Contentious issues were resolved through tools we discuss in the [Augmented Deliberation](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-4/eng/?mode=dark) chapter below. The book has been translated and copy-edited by the community augmented by many of the cross-linguistic and subcultural translation tools we discuss in our [Adaptive Administration](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-5/eng/?mode=dark) chapter. @@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ Work was collectively prioritized and rewards determined using a "crowd-funding" To support the financial needs of the book during the publication process, we harnessed several of the tools we describe in the [Social Markets](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-7/eng/?mode=dark) chapter. We hope to harness technologies from the Immersive Shared Reality chapter to communicate and explore the ideas from the book with audiences around the world. -For all these reasons, as you read this book you are both learning about the ideas and evaluating them on their merits and at the same time experiencing what they put into practice, can create. If you are inspired by that content, especially critically, we encourage you to contribute to the living and community managed continuations of this document and all its translations by submitting changes through a git pull request or by reaching out to one of the many contributors to become part of the community. We hope as many criticisms of this work as possible will be inspired by the open-source mantra "so fix it!" +For all these reasons, as you read this book you are both learning about the ideas and evaluating them on their merits and at the same time experiencing what they put into practice can create. If you are inspired by that content, especially critically, we encourage you to contribute to the living and community managed continuations of this document and all its translations by submitting changes through a git pull request or by reaching out to one of the many contributors to become part of the community. We hope as many criticisms of this work as possible will be inspired by the open-source mantra "so fix it!" --- @@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Mathematically, this idea is known as "[supermodularity](https://cip.org/supermo [^supermodular]: Divya Siddarth, Matt Prewitt and Glen Weyl, "Beyond Public and Private: Collective Provision Under Conditions of Supermodularity" (2024) at https://cip.org/supermodular. -This chapter, which lays out the framework for the rest of this part of the book, will highlight why collaboration across diversity is such a fundamental and ambitious goal. We then define a spectrum of domains where it can be pursued based on the trade-off between depth and breadth of collaboration. Next, we highlight a framework for design in the space that navigates between the dangers of premature optimization and chaotic experimentation. Yet harnessing the potential of collaboration across diversity also holds the risk of reducing the diversity available for future collaboration. To guard against this we discuss the necessity of *regenerating* diversity. We round out this chapter by describing the structure followed in each subsequent chapter in this part. +This chapter, which lays out the framework for the rest of this part of the book, will highlight why collaboration across diversity is such a fundamental and ambitious goal. We then define a spectrum of domains where it can be pursued based on the trade-off between depth and breadth of collaboration. Next, we highlight a framework for design in the space that navigates between the dangers of premature optimization and chaotic experimentation. Yet harnessing the potential of collaboration across diversity also holds the risk of reducing the diversity available for future collaboration. To guard against this we discuss the necessity of *regenerating* diversity. We round out this chapter by describing the structure followed in each subsequent chapter in this part. ### Collaboration across diversity: promise and challenges @@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ But the hardest differences to bridge are typically those related to systems of Solidarity and culture are so challenging because they stand in the way not of specific agreements about information or goals but of communication, mutual comprehension, and the ability to regard someone else as a partner capable and worthy of such exchange. While they are in an abstract sense related to beliefs and values, solidarities and culture in practice precede these in human development: we are aware of our family and those who will protect us and learn to communicate long before we consciously hold any views or aim for any goals. Being so foundational, they are the hardest to safely adjust or change, usually requiring shared life-shaping experiences or powerful intimacy to reform. -Beyond the difficulty of overcoming difference, it also holds an important peril. Bridging differences for collaboration often erodes them, harnessing their potential but also reducing that potential in the future. While this may be desirable for protection against conflict, it is an important cost to the productive capacity of diversity in the future. The classic illustration is the way that globalization has both brought gains from trade, such as diversifying cuisine, while at the same time arguably homogenizing culture and thus possibly reducing the opportunity for such gains in the future. A critical concern in ⿻ is not just harnessing collaboration across diversity but also *regenerating* diversity, ensuring that in the process of harnessing diversity it is also replenished by the creation of new forms of social difference. Again, this is analogous to energy systems which must ensure that they not only harvest but also regenerate the sources of their energy to achieve sustainable growth. +Beyond the difficulty of overcoming difference, it also holds an important peril. Bridging differences for collaboration often erodes them, harnessing their potential but also reducing that potential in the future. While this may be desirable for protection against conflict, it is an important cost to the productive capacity of diversity in the future. The classic illustration is the way that globalization has both brought gains from trade, such as diversifying cuisine, while at the same time arguably homogenizing culture and thus possibly reducing the opportunity for such gains in the future. A critical concern in ⿻ is not just harnessing collaboration across diversity but also *regenerating* diversity, ensuring that in the process of harnessing diversity it is also replenished by the creation of new forms of social difference. Again, this is analogous to energy systems which must ensure that they not only harvest but also regenerate the sources of their energy to achieve sustainable growth. ### The depth-breadth spectrum @@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ But for all the debate between the proponents of "deliberative" and "electoral" Yet aiming at "improving" this trade-off requires us to specify at least something about what would count as an improvement. What makes a collaboration good or meaningful? What precisely constitutes social difference and diversity? How can we measure both? -One standard perspective, especially in economics and quantitatively inclined fields is to insist that we should specify a global "objective" or "social welfare" function against which progress should be judged. The difficulty, of course, is that, in the face of the limitless possibilities of social life, any attempt to specify such a criterion is destined to crash land on the shores of the unknown and possibly unknowable. The more ambitiously we apply such a criterion in pursuing ⿻, the less robust it will prove, because the more deeply we connect to others across greater difference, the more likely we are to realize the failings of our initial vision of the good. Insisting on specifying such a criterion in advance of learning about the shape of the world leads to premature optimization, which prominent British computer scientist Tony Hoare once labeled "[the root of all evil](https://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1513451)".[^Hoare] +One standard perspective, especially in economics and quantitatively inclined fields, is to insist that we should specify a global "objective" or "social welfare" function against which progress should be judged. The difficulty, of course, is that, in the face of the limitless possibilities of social life, any attempt to specify such a criterion is destined to crash land on the shores of the unknown and possibly unknowable. The more ambitiously we apply such a criterion in pursuing ⿻, the less robust it will prove, because the more deeply we connect to others across greater difference, the more likely we are to realize the failings of our initial vision of the good. Insisting on specifying such a criterion in advance of learning about the shape of the world leads to premature optimization, which prominent British computer scientist Tony Hoare once labeled "[the root of all evil](https://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1513451)".[^Hoare] [^Hoare]: Randall Hyde, "The Fallacy of Premature Optimization" *Ubiquity* February, 2009 available at https://ubiquity.acm.org/article.cfm?id=1513451. diff --git a/contents/english/5-1-post-symbolic-communication.md b/contents/english/5-1-post-symbolic-communication.md index 8906c5f9..5ece3d58 100644 --- a/contents/english/5-1-post-symbolic-communication.md +++ b/contents/english/5-1-post-symbolic-communication.md @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ # Post-Symbolic Communication -Overlooking Tokyo, nestled within the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation ([Miraikan](https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/)) lies [The Park of Aging](https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/exhibitions/future/oipark/), a realm where time bends into the distant future, offering a rare portal to your mind and body after years worn by aging.[^Odaiba] Visors blur vision, mimicking cataracts. Sounds are stripped of high pitches. In a photo booth that mirrors the trials of aged perception, facial expressions are faded and blurred. The simple act of recalling a shopping list committed to memory becomes an odyssey as one is ceaselessly interrupted in a bustling market. Walking in place on pedals with ankle weights on and while leaning on a cart simulates the wear of time on the body or the weight of age on posture. The Park of Aging is not just an exhibit, but an immersive conversation across time; a dialogue with your older self through the senses of sight, sound, and the aches and pains of age. This journey of empathy extends beyond the future self, to also foster a deeper connection with a present overlooked cohort: the elderly. +Overlooking Tokyo, nestled within the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation ([Miraikan](https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/)) lies [The Park of Aging](https://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/exhibitions/future/oipark/), a realm where time bends into the distant future, offering a rare portal to your mind and body after years worn by aging.[^Odaiba] Visors blur vision, mimicking cataracts. Sounds are stripped of high pitches. In a photo booth that mirrors the trials of aged perception, facial expressions are faded and blurred. The simple act of recalling a shopping list committed to memory becomes an odyssey as one is ceaselessly interrupted in a bustling market. Walking in place on pedals with ankle weights on and while leaning on a cart simulates the wear of time on the body or the weight of age on posture. The Park of Aging is not just an exhibit, but an immersive conversation across time, a dialogue with your older self through the senses of sight, sound, and the aches and pains of age. This journey of empathy extends beyond the future self, to also foster a deeper connection with a present overlooked cohort: the elderly. The Park of Aging is a poignant example of proprioceptive, post-symbolic communication, where participants receive information through an intimate, sensorial experience beyond merely interpreting words and symbols, utilizing all sensemaking of the body; the Park immerses participants in the sensations of being old, unlocking the first-hand experience of the deteriorating senses, including seeing and hearing words and symbols. @@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ The Park of Aging is a poignant example of proprioceptive, post-symbolic communi Temporal conversation with aging, experiences of proprioceptive, non-symbolic communication today are ubiquitous and include meditation, psychedelics, religious experience, romantic intimacy, dance, yoga, combat, and sports. Not coincidentally, these experiences which harness information gathered from many senses including proprioception (“higher-bandwidth communication”) are also correlated with long-lasting human bonding and connection when shared. Perhaps it is the diversity of information simultaneously presented to the senses (depth) that contribute to the significance of the experience and therefore strength of connection and “union.” -Technological innovations such as neural interfaces, mediated reality, and generative foundation models (GFMs) expands the possibility space of post-symbolic communication, where unions within oneself and among people can occur not only in person, but across temporal, physical, and social distance facilitated by technology. In this chapter, we describe these technologies and explore their frontiers. We examine how these technologies could revolutionize interpersonal connections, education, and collaboration by enabling the transmission of thoughts, feelings, and sensory experiences beyond the compression of words and symbols. We consider the opportunities to rectify cultural misunderstandings and conflicts by fostering profound empathy and shared experience. Yet, in a space where ideas flow as seamlessly as emotions, we must also explore the risks of this level of connectivity, including surveillance, homogenization, disconnection and oblivion. +Technological innovations such as neural interfaces, mediated reality, and generative foundation models (GFMs) expand the possibility space of post-symbolic communication, where unions within oneself and among people can occur not only in person, but across temporal, physical, and social distance facilitated by technology. In this chapter, we describe these technologies and explore their frontiers. We examine how these technologies could revolutionize interpersonal connections, education, and collaboration by enabling the transmission of thoughts, feelings, and sensory experiences beyond the compression of words and symbols. We consider the opportunities to rectify cultural misunderstandings and conflicts by fostering profound empathy and shared experience. Yet, in a space where ideas flow as seamlessly as emotions, we must also explore the risks of this level of connectivity, including surveillance, homogenization, disconnection, and oblivion. [^Odaiba]: The entire artificial island of Odaiba on which Miraikan sits is something of a monument to ⿻. It contains a monument to [Doraemon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doraemon), a Manga robotic cat from the future who in Japanese cartoons of the 1970s returned to guide the imagination of children in the present, who has been a [major inspiration](https://www.klook.com/en-US/activity/96105-the-doraemon-taipei-2023/) in Taiwan. The largest mall on the island is named [DiverCity](https://www.tokyo-odaiba.net/en/genre/%E3%83%80%E3%82%A4%E3%83%90%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B7%E3%83%86%E3%82%A3%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC-%E3%83%97%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B6/) and is devoted to the role of diversity in innovation. @@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Post-symbolic communication, a term coined by Jaron Lanier , ventures beyond the - Sports: in team sports, players develop a keen sense of each other's presence and movements. Teammates often anticipate each other's actions and work as a cohesive unit, relying on signals communicated through sound, movement, and hand gestures. This synchrony is somewhere between dance and combat, also fueled by common purpose. - Romantic intimacy: through touch, eye contact, and emotional vulnerability, partners create a unique, shared experience. Attention to the internal experience of a partner is critical to a successful bond, building proprioceptive empathy that demands perhaps the deepest mutual trust and understanding humans are capable of.[^Clancy] - Religious experience: in mystical practices like [Sufism](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkuimX1bh6g), participants collectively engage in rituals like whirling and chanting. These shared spiritual practices engage the senses in the same way, and create a sense of unity and connection with something greater than oneself, fostering community not just among people, but with a greater spiritual presence. -- Yoga: in a yoga class, practitioners move together through sequences of poses, guided by the rhythm of their breath. Despite the individual nature of the practice, there is a collective harmony in the movements and the shared goal of health and peace, as well as a heightening nervous system through stretches and poses. This shared physical and meditative experience fosters a sense of communal energy and focus. +- Yoga: in a yoga class, practitioners move together through sequences of poses, guided by the rhythm of their breath. Despite the individual nature of the practice, there is collective harmony in the movements and the shared goal of health and peace, as well as a heightening nervous system through stretches and poses. This shared physical and meditative experience fosters a sense of communal energy and focus. Each of these contexts illustrates how shared experiences, beyond the scope of verbal communication, can create deep bonds and understanding between participants through intensive, shared sensorial inputs. Yet, communication can also happen within oneself (or between oneself and the spiritual world), as a form of introspection, yielding some of the most profound and transformative experiences. diff --git a/contents/english/5-2-immersive-shared-reality.md b/contents/english/5-2-immersive-shared-reality.md index 29a97d57..f392da00 100644 --- a/contents/english/5-2-immersive-shared-reality.md +++ b/contents/english/5-2-immersive-shared-reality.md @@ -2,17 +2,17 @@ "Stand up and face the mirror", the at-first innocent but gradually more-threatening refrain, echoes through Courtney Cogburn's [*1000 Cut Journey*](https://www.gamesforchange.org/games/1000-cut-journey/).[^1,000-Cut-Journey] Simple words that invite the visitor to this immersive-reality environment to experience life through the eyes, ears, and body of Michael Sterling, a black man. Small moments of casual racism build to a crescendo of hopelessness and induce a pervasive sense of helplessness. Perception, or reality? It depends on whose shoes you're standing in. Some may kick off their shoes the moment they remove the VR headset, but for Michael Sterling, there's nothing he (or now you) can do to erase the footprints of direct experience. -In [*Becoming Homeless*](https://store.steampowered.com/app/738100/Becoming_Homeless_A_Human_Experience/), you look around your already-bare apartment to decide which possessions to sell next.[^Becoming-Homeless] You're losing your home, so it does not matter anymore, and you just choose something. Then, from the moment of actual homelessness, the downward spiral accelerates. you lose your dignity, your physical security, and your health in quick succession. No more hopes and dreams, thoughts and prayers cannot help you now. Your new daily grind rips 25 years off your life expectancy faster than "[Wolf of Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_of_Wall_Street_(2013_film))" [Jordan Belfort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Belfort) could uncork a bottle of champagne. "Good luck!" "Work hard!" and - sadly - "I love you!" are now just words you might have heard long ago, spoken to a person you can hardly remember. +In [*Becoming Homeless*](https://store.steampowered.com/app/738100/Becoming_Homeless_A_Human_Experience/), you look around your already-bare apartment to decide which possessions to sell next.[^Becoming-Homeless] You're losing your home, so it does not matter anymore, and you just choose something. Then, from the moment of actual homelessness, the downward spiral accelerates. You lose your dignity, your physical security, and your health in quick succession. No more hopes and dreams, thoughts and prayers cannot help you now. Your new daily grind rips 25 years off your life expectancy faster than "[Wolf of Wall Street](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wolf_of_Wall_Street_(2013_film))" [Jordan Belfort](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Belfort) could uncork a bottle of champagne. "Good luck!" "Work hard!" and - sadly - "I love you!" are now just words you might have heard long ago, spoken to a person you can hardly remember. --- -Immersive shared reality technologies unlocks a new chapter in human interaction, leveraging cutting-edge virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) systems. Unlike the deeply personal and sensorially rich exchanges of post-symbolic communication, shared immersive reality presents a broader canvas for human interaction, enabling people to engage in shared, multisensory experiences. This chapter delves into the landscape of immersive technologies, today’s applications, tomorrow’s potential, and the frontier. It shows how immersive technologies may facilitate shared experiences that blend physical and virtual reality, complementing and expanding human experience with interactions that surpass physical, spatial, and social limitations. Immersive shared reality (ISR) creates spaces where communities may converge for socialization, gaming, entertainment, and more, facilitating connections that, while less intense than symbolic communication, are meaningful and emotionally resonant. From virtual reality gatherings that unite people across the globe, to mass online gaming and virtual music festivals, these digital arenas extend the possibility space of shared human experience. +Immersive shared reality technologies unlock a new chapter in human interaction, leveraging cutting-edge virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) systems. Unlike the deeply personal and sensorially rich exchanges of post-symbolic communication, shared immersive reality presents a broader canvas for human interaction, enabling people to engage in shared, multisensory experiences. This chapter delves into the landscape of immersive technologies, today’s applications, tomorrow’s potential, and the frontier. It shows how immersive technologies may facilitate shared experiences that blend physical and virtual reality, complementing and expanding human experience with interactions that surpass physical, spatial, and social limitations. Immersive shared reality (ISR) creates spaces where communities may converge for socialization, gaming, entertainment, and more, facilitating connections that, while less intense than symbolic communication, are meaningful and emotionally resonant. From virtual reality gatherings that unite people across the globe, to mass online gaming and virtual music festivals, these digital arenas extend the possibility space of shared human experience. On the horizon, shared ISR is poised for rapid expansion. Technological advance will deepen the sensory integration of these virtual experiences, extending beyond sight and sound to include touch, smell, and even taste. This future, teeming with hybrid reality environments and emotional connectivity, heralds a new era of human interaction, where digital spaces not only simulate reality but enhance it, bridging divides and fostering broader understanding. However, ISR also has its perils. From the widening of surveillance to virtual escapism, these challenges demand thoughtful consideration to ensure that our digital futures augment, rather than eclipse, the richness of human experience. ### Copresence today -Throughout history, of the most meaningful human experiences involve multisensory copresence. Religious observances often engage many senses in large groups. Clubs and parties are among the most treasured entertainment experiences because of their multisensory activation. Political rallies, group assemblies (whether at schools or for concerts), collective outings (hiking, sports, etc.) all engage a range of sense. +Throughout history, some of the most meaningful human experiences involve multisensory copresence. Religious observances often engage many senses in large groups. Clubs and parties are among the most treasured entertainment experiences because of their multisensory activation. Political rallies, group assemblies (whether at schools or for concerts), collective outings (hiking, sports, etc.) all engage a range of senses. Technology has increasingly played a role in facilitating such copresence, especially at a distance, in recent years. ISR refers to technology that creates a shared virtual environment where users can interact in real-time. This type of “reality” can be considered a subset application of Mediated Reality as illustrated in Figure A, a broader term that encompasses various technologies that mediate our perception of reality, including Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (a.k.a. VR, AR, MR). @@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ As these technologies mature, they are increasingly harnessed to not just simula As we gaze to the horizon of ISR, the very nature of communal experience and human connection undergoes a profound metamorphosis. Imagine stepping into a world where shared virtual spaces are not mere simulations, but extensions of our physical reality, offering experiences that are as rich and complex as those encountered in the tangible world. In this future, ISR technologies enable a fusion of senses, thoughts, and emotions. At the frontiers of ISR, we are not merely spectators but active participants in a revolution of multisensory integration.[^MultisensoryIntegration] -- Imagined worlds and shared dreams: More sophisticated and controlled use of sensory inputs (e.g. smell, taste, visual and auditory), will enable participants to generate and share realities that deeply resonate with participants’ emotions and memories. Such stimuli, when reactivated during sleep, not only can enhance these memories[^OlfactoryWearables], but facilitate sharing altered states of consciousness [^DreamEngineering] and shared lucid dreams [^RealtimeDreamDialogue]. Participants will be able to explore the subconscious playground of the human mind together. GFMs are already enabling users to "speak the world into existence" and as input modalities become richer, sharing imagination and dreams become every more possible.[^speak] +- Imagined worlds and shared dreams: More sophisticated and controlled use of sensory inputs (e.g. smell, taste, visual and auditory), will enable participants to generate and share realities that deeply resonate with participants’ emotions and memories. Such stimuli, when reactivated during sleep, not only can enhance these memories[^OlfactoryWearables], but facilitate sharing altered states of consciousness [^DreamEngineering] and shared lucid dreams [^RealtimeDreamDialogue]. Participants will be able to explore the subconscious playground of the human mind together. GFMs are already enabling users to "speak the world into existence" and as input modalities become richer, sharing imagination and dreams become ever more possible.[^speak] - Simulated worlds: Virtual environments can simulate realities—both the future and past—under different conditions. For example, participants will be able to experiment with scenarios of climate change, such as rising sea levels or the impact of extreme weather events, making distant concepts an immediate and personal experience, or potentially beneficial futures to plan to both achieve them and avoid unintended harm. With affective computing, the system may adapt to the environment based on the user’s response, physiology as well as memories or preferences, creating a feedback loop that heightens awareness and empathy. - Virtual design studios: Community members, architects, and engineers may come together to co-create the green spaces of tomorrow to redefine “planning.” Participants virtually touch the bark of trees slated for planting and inhale the fragrant blossoms intended for the gardens. Participant feedback can modify the simulation in real-time, enabling sensorial immersion into different visions for a project. Harnessing methods from our [Augmented Deliberation](https://www.plurality.net/v/chapters/5-4/eng/?mode=dark) chapter below, they could deliberate and see the possibilities for joint design come to life around them, printing the design on to physical space only having lived in it together virtually. - Collective memory palaces: Envision virtual environments where entire communities can deposit, share, and experience collective memories and knowledge. These memory palaces serve not only as repositories of communal wisdom but as spaces where individuals can relive historical events or explore the collective psyche of humanity, fostering a deeper understanding and connection across generations. They could also redefine the experience of memorializing collective traumas, allowing them to be told from a variety of perspectives quickly and flexibly.