Boundaries of Self and Reality Online Implications of Digitally Constructed Realities

As technology continues to rapidly advance, individuals and society are profoundly changed. So too are the tools used to measure this universe and, therefore, our understanding of reality improves. Boundaries of Self and Reality Online examines the idea that technological advances associated with the Internet are moving us in multiple domains toward various "edges." These edges range from self, to society, to relationships, and even to the very nature of reality. Boundaries are dissolving and we are redefining the elements of identity. The book begins with explorations of the digitally constructed self and the relationship between the individual and technological reality. Then, the focus shifts to society at large and includes a contribution from Chinese researchers about the isolated Chinese Internet. The later chapters of the book explore digital reality at large, including discussions on virtual reality, Web consciousness, and digital physics.

1. The Dimensions of Cyberpsychology Architecture

Section A. Self Online 2. Understanding the Self Through the Use of Digitally Constructed Realities 3. Flipping Out: Avatars and Identity 4. Avatar Lives: Narratives of Transformation and Identity 5. Internet Use and Self-Development in Chinese Culture 6. Beyond the Boundaries of the Game: The Interplay Between In-Game Phenomena, Structural Characteristics of Video Games, and Game Transfer Phenomena 7. The Self–Other Topology: The Politics of (User) Experience in the Like Economy 8. The Shadow of Technology: Psyche, Self, and Life Online

Section B. Simulation or Reality? 9. The Video Gaming Frontier 10. The Incarnated Gamer: The Theophoric Quality of Games, Gaming, and Gamers 11. Games, Dreams and Consciousness: Absorption and Perception, Cognition, Emotion 12. Looking for the Ultimate Display: A Brief History of Virtual Reality 13. Virtual Reality Wave 3 14. Internet Dreaming—Is the Web Conscious? 15. The Information Age, Virtual Reality, and the Bigger Picture

Dr. Gackenbach received her Ph.D.in 1978 in Experimental Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently a Professor at MacEwan University. She has taught and done research at the post-secondary level both in the US and in Canada for 40 years.

As well as being a past-president of the International Association for the Study of Dreams, she has numerous professional publications and on dreams and in the last decade on video game play. Dr. Gackenbach is editor of “Sleep and Dreams: A Sourcebook” (1986) for Garland Publishers. She co-edited “Conscious Mind, Sleeping Brain: Perspectives on Lucid Dreaming” (1988) for Plenum Publishers; “Dream Imagery: A Call to Mental Arms” (1991) for Baywood Publishers. Her first authored book is “Control Your Dreams” (1989; 2012) for Harper-Collins. She was invited in 1992 to present her work on lucid dreaming to the Dalai Lama at a conference on sleeping, dreaming, and dying.

Dr. Gackenbach’s interests have shifted to computer-mediated communications. In this regard she has edited a book from Academic Press (1998; 2007), “Psychology and the Internet: Intrapersonal, Interpersonal, and Transpersonal Implications” and co-wrote a book called “cyber.rules” for Norton publishers (2007) with examines healthy and unhealthy internet use.

Dr. Gackenbach’s most recent research interest combines her dream and technology interests examining the dreams of video game players. She has released two related books. One was co-written with her gamer son, Teace Snyder, on the effects of video game play, “Play Reality”. She also has an edited book “Video Game Play and Consciousness” from NOVA publishers. Both books came out in 2012. She has pursued an active research program into gaming and dreams expanding it in recent years to include social media usage. Over her 40 year career she has 54 peer reviewed articles, 31 book chapters and 10 books with two translated into Chinese, one into German and one into Arabic.

• Cyberpsychology architecture
• Video games as a tool for self-understanding
• Avatars and the meaning behind them
• Game transfer phenomena
• A Jungian perspective on technology
• Politics of social media
• The history and science of video game play
• Transcendent virtual reality experiences
• The theophoric quality of video games