As more and more acts of human beings are transposed into the virtual world, one of the questions that can arise is, what about our senses? The discussion might seem pointless since these virtual users, all of us, are human beings living in the real world! Except that in the light of my research work on Behavioral Differentiations between the Real and the Virtual, the question does arise. In my scientific publications (Touzeau, 2017, 2018, 2019 ) [1] and my books (Touzeau, 2015, 2018) [2] I advance theories on the behavior behind the screen and in particular concerning those of virtual addicts and cybercriminals. The "Avatarization" allowing to understand the profiles sometimes revealing themselves differently behind the screen, the "Transverse Zone" indicating the behaviors between the real and the virtual thanks to and because of the connected tool, and the "Virtual Intelligence" allowing to understand the intelligences developed in and because of the virtual space highlight so many behavioral differences between the real and the virtual that allow to rebound on the question of meanings in the virtual space. What happens to our senses in the face of the connected tool and does this have an impact on the future development of the human being?
The virtual space related to cyberspace that is what it is! There are several definitions and I think it is important to mention one, the one that I think is the most appropriate, in order to fully understand the universe.
I therefore propose this definition. Virtual space is an environment of connection between humans, without borders, with a limited and reduced time space, allowing itself to connect through mobile and connected objects (computer, smart phone, tablet, etc.).To put it another way, we are talking about a connection between humans who can communicate, inform themselves, do business, buy and sell, educate, exchange opinions, cultivate themselves, to love each other, etc. without seeing themselves in reality, without even sometimes having met each other.
It is this virtual relationship that we will try to understand through the senses that we have by basing ourselves not on the five commonly known senses, but on several human senses listed by physiologists [3,4,5]. It is in detail that we will compare what these meanings imply in the virtual compared to the real. We will use the definition from the Larousse French dictionary to define human senses: "Each of the psychophysiological functions by which an organism receives information about certain elements of the external environment, whether physical (sight, hearing, sensitivity to gravity, touch) or chemical (taste, smell).
The senses are more or less part of each of us. They all exist in us without realizing it or de- veloping them. Thus, several senses have been chosen in or- der to reveal the relevance of this reflection of the senses in the virtual space that applies to every human being living in the real and user of the virtual.
The view
The view in virtual space is a used meaning and probably the one that is most used. We look at his connected tool, we watch videos, we read articles, we chat... The view is the meaning that makes it possible to live in this virtual universe. It is not necessary to see the other the human. Friendships and sometimes even love were born from the virtual, without seeing each other physically. However, the deployment of seeing yourself virtually by webcam for example is common. We see each other by interposed screen, limiting in fact the vision according to the size of the screen, the connection, the pixels among others. Thus, the view is a meaning that perfectly exists in the virtual world with filters, i.e. without seeing in real life which can be compared to an image that you perceive without being per- feet or clear.
The hearing
A meaning that already belongs on the phone. Knowing that the connected tool often allows telephone communications thanks to Skype, Whatsapp, Viber, sometimes with the possibility of video, in fact hearing is already part of the virtual space since the creation of voice communication tools. This meaning in this space tends either to be sharpened to better understand the emotions of the other person, or to atrophy itself by not managing the listening well, which can sometimes be too strong, especially when it comes to music. Never the- less, this meaning is very real and sometimes even has development potential. It is possible that on the basis of the VAKO or VAKOG criteria (NLP, 4), people who are more auditory develop more hearing through these connected tools than the view for the visuals behind the virtual space. The view being for recall in the virtual less clear-cut by the filters to see it- self through interposed screens.
The sense of smell
They’re very clearly, we cannot consider in the virtual world that this meaning exists since it has still not been able to be reproduced in spaces other than those we live in. A perfume revealed in a video can awaken memories and emotional triggers that may make you want to escape that memory or, on the contrary, relive it by wanting to smell the perfume in question, such as that of a flower.
The taste
This sense does not exist anymore than the sense of smell in the virtual world but can stir the taste buds more than the sense of smell in the sense that hunger, envy, greed can arouse a taste desire by watching a video or reading a recipe. What the sense of smell will not bring up much.
The touch
This meaning is one of the most important missing meanings in the virtual world. Touching is essential for the affective and emotional, a need often expressed or carried out spontaneously in the real world. But beyond that to also reassure or challenge. For example, in love, the virtual can create an emotional lack of not being close to the other, of feeling his kisses, etc. In the case of emotional scams, where my theory on "Avatarization" is clearly put forward, it is clearly expressed by the victim who fell in love virtually. Without seeing the other one except possibly by webcam. We notice that the need to get closer to the body of his virtual love is strongly felt. These victims added that they wanted to see and touch their chosen one of hearts in reality without delay. It is therefore interesting to focus on touch, which is the most important lack of senses in the face of cyber attacks, among other things. The notion of perceiving a human being in the sense of seeing, touching, even feeling him, which is essential needs in close relationships, is non-existent in the virtual world. But to create an emotional transposition into reality of certain emotionally fragile profiles. We know that the notion of being close to the people you love most, such as your loved one, children, requires physical contact to complete this need for proximity. A physical contact that brings well-being and comfort, which is part of comfort zone 1.
As for challenging a person, I ask the question if doing cyber bullying, for example, would not be a way of playing a virtual game. Let us say a fight without the bodies seeing and touching each other but in the spirit of fighting and defeating the opponent! According to the comments collected by some Hats and in particular cyberbullyers, the attacks behind the screen were a way of fighting as if on a battlefield and victory was more than necessary.
The proprioception
Avatarization" still plays an important role in this sense. Since it allows to develop and play roles in and through virtual space. But the narcissism that can also be developed here because of and thanks to "Avatarization" could modify proprioception. From the weakling, the virtual can allow to consider one self and live an Apollo, for example. This is how proprioception could be understood, in the absence of other understandings.
The balancing perception
The question that arises is, considering that the body moves little behind the screen does this sense atrophy or develop, on the contrary, other sensors of equilibrium perception? The Transverse Zone" one of my theories explaining that the perception of the environment and its physical behavior in relation to the virtual connected in reality are changing due to the connected tool, could give answers to this meaning on the question of its evolution. The profile of the Hat or the person addicted to the virtual suggests several probabilities of relationship to the balance between the real and the virtual.
The thermoception
Does not run in the virtual and could not mention any lack except to desire a coconut tree beach to change the perpetual snow in its environment.
The nociception
The virtual cannot have an impact on this meaning since it concerned his own person. However, when we receive bad written comments about ourselves from social networks, when we read fake news when what we have experienced is not described in the press, when we are shocked by news or hate comments on the Internet, our bodies can perfectly feel this meaning sometimes tenfold compared to reality. First of all, because we live the situation that comes to us from the virtual, but concerns us as human beings living in the real world and secondly because of what some people evoke feeling and being reached directly by words that come from the virtual world. As if they were living them in the real world or more. This is in contradiction with some cybercriminals who act in the virtual world against their victims without considering them as human beings, like a virtual game. For example, cybercriminals faced with their victims of cyber bullying or emotional scams did not understand why their target committed suicide. Some Hats replied: "But it wasn't serious, we were playing"! In another senses lists [5] the perception of time is evocated. I choose to develop this sense
The perception of time
In one of my scientific publications, I mentioned that time in the virtual seems to me not to correspond to time in the real and, could deserve a new calculation corresponds to the virtual environment. In fact, time in virtual space is fast, sometimes futile and does not really stay. There is no future in itself, but a past because all the writings remain. The present is spontaneous. Since the perception of time is specific to everyone in reality, here again, what perception does it have in the virtual world? If time does not pass quickly enough for me, will the spontaneity of the virtual force me to prefer the use of cyberspace to fill my boredom? On the other hand, wouldn't the cyber space going too fast be lost while surfing? Based on some scientists suggesting that we have more than 10 senses, I quote from this article: "Some are inclined to extend this list even to 21 senses, including hunger, thirst, sense of depth, sensitivity to electricity or even sense of danger and intuition ( often called the sixth sense)" [6]. Considering that humans live in real space, can virtual addiction make them forget hunger? Wouldn't the illuminated screen of the screen change the direction of the electricity?
It is argued in many newspapers that most children and adults eat in front of their screens [7]. Is the notion of eating the same in its own definition as being supported by your connected tool? Concerning sensitivity to electricity, let us note the visual disorders that we ourselves suffer and are characterized by doctors [9]. Thus, wouldn't the virtual here again modify our sense of sight, which could be an adaptation rather than exclusion? So many analyses of the senses, whether they are 5, 10, 21 and more, that would deserve that researchers, physiologists among others, consider in front of and in the cyber, virtual space.
The reflection of understanding the senses in the virtual allows us to ask ourselves several questions, including the one that consists in understanding human evolution in the face of the connected tool. How are we going to change, in particular by integrating that in the end very little meaning is used in the virtual world? What will happen genetically? How will human relations adapt to this virtual element? With regard to the study of the meanings identified and indicated in the discussion, we could consider that in the end only two senses are fully used, namely sight and hearing. But what if we analyzed and observed the senses differently in the face of cyberspace? Other than what we have learned from our codes, our education and our culture. Otherwise, possibly redefining the senses in and for virtual space!
Does this imply a lack of use of meaning? Does the virtual also hinder human relations as they are done in reality? Do our hunger, sight, hearing adapt more than they fade in the face of cyberspace? One of my discoveries that has become theory is the "Virtual Intelligence" (Touzeau, 1 and 2) which is a family of intelligence to be added to Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences [9]. What if the senses also have to develop new definitions or redefinitions?
Cyberspace is an environment in its own right that is different from our real space. We live, in a way even if our life is physical is only in reality, in these two spaces, which are so different and even opposed. What we discover as a user of and in cyberspace, forces us to discover new behaviors, new ways of living, thinking, emotions, language, rhythm of life. What if this cyber space, of which little useful senses are used in real space, were to develop new ones? I wonder if when we teleport our bodies, some senses such as smell will be active. In fact, because the virtual is used, we may be able to reconsider the fact that finally, the senses are active through the virtual! The senses in virtual space have many secrets to share with us that it seems interesting to discover them
