Reality and the connection to virtual life are two seemingly contradictory worlds, but they are increasingly interwoven and raise deeper questions about human existence in a philosophical discourse.

What is reality? Traditionally, reality is understood as the physical, tangible life in which we immerse ourselves through our senses in a world that seems concrete to us - nature, interpersonal contact, the physical spaces and objects we interact with. But this idea of reality is increasingly being challenged by the existence of virtual worlds. Virtual life - whether through the internet, social media, virtual reality (VR) or video games - creates a new kind of existence that can often seem as real to us as physical life.

In virtual space, there are no physical boundaries. You can teleport to another location in a matter of seconds, take on new identities and experience a wealth of information and impressions that often seem unattainable in physical life. But this freedom is also linked to a question: What distinguishes the virtual world from the “real” world, and can the virtual be considered a form of reality?

The construction of reality is in many ways based on subjective perception. What is real for us is created by our consciousness - by our experiences, memories and sensory perceptions. When a person experiences feelings of joy, sadness, fear or connection in virtual space, these emotions are no less real just because they are conveyed through digital platforms. Virtual reality, it could be argued, expands the spectrum of human experience and challenges the definition of 'reality'. What we recognize as real is becoming increasingly complex.

Being in the virtual also leads us to the question of identity. In digital worlds, we have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves, to create avatars that are different from our physical selves, and to form relationships that exist beyond physical boundaries. This form of self-creation can be liberating, but also carries the risk of alienation. When the self we create in virtual space diverges from physical reality, we can ask ourselves: Who am I really? Am I the body that exists in the physical world, or am I the digital self that lives in virtual spaces?

This creates an area of tension: digital existence can seem like an escape from the physical world, an escape from the shortcomings of real life, from the limitations of the body and the material world. But the more we immerse ourselves in these virtual worlds, the more the boundaries between escape and reality become blurred. What if the virtual world takes on a deeper meaning for us than the physical one? Could it be that we experience a new form of connectedness in the digital world that we have lost in our physical lives?

Virtual life and connectedness: In the digital world, we often experience a paradoxical form of closeness and distance. Through social networks, messaging apps or virtual platforms, we can be in constant communication with other people, even if they are thousands of kilometers away. But this kind of connection is often fleeting and superficial. The depth of human relationships, physical presence and non-verbal signals of togetherness can never be fully replaced by the virtual.

On the other hand, the virtual can also create a deeper, almost spiritual form of connection that goes beyond physical presence. People find like-minded people in digital communities, sharing thoughts, ideas and emotions in a way that is often not possible in the physical world. In this sense, virtual reality creates new spaces for collective experience and human interaction that have the potential to transform the traditional understanding of community.

The virtual as an extension of the real: Instead of seeing the virtual as a contrast to reality, it could also be seen as an extension. Technology enables us to expand, enrich and reinterpret what we perceive as reality. The virtual world is not a substitute for physical life, but an additional dimension that offers new perspectives on human existence. In an increasingly digitalized world, the boundaries between what we consider “real” and “virtual” are blurring and we are faced with the task of integrating these new realities into our understanding of self and being.

In the end, one could say that both physical and virtual life are facets of a broader reality that is increasingly shaped by our perception, our actions and our consciousness. The question is not so much which of the two worlds is more 'real', but how we can live an authentic, connected and meaningful life in both worlds.