The Philosophy of Neurologically True Reality (And Sensoryfield Computing)
As we enter the Gemini (Mercury, Gemini, Apollo) phase of XR/spatial computing, I thought it would worthwhile to revisit the philosophy and goals of Neurologically True Reality (NTR), and why this has been a north star goal for me (and others I have worked with over the years). NTR leads to Sensoryfield Computing, which is the ultimate expression of where XR/spatial computing is heading.
Our physical Universe has had billions of yearly cycles to settle into its current state, and the human body and human brain have had millions of yearly cycles to evolve into a state of equilibrium and balance with the physics and peculiarities of the Universe.
We humans (being inventive and clever and also being part of the Universe) have really started to unravel the mysteries and science of the Universe (or so we think), over the last few thousand years, but in an especially extraordinary burst over the last hundred years.
We think we know a lot, and maybe we do — but the smartest and wisest and the most humble of our greatest minds often discuss how little we actually know. As they ascend the Tree of Knowledge, they begin to realize how little they know, and how little we collectively actually know. The greatest minds become more modest and less arrogant as they gain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding (beyond data).
I believe deeply that we need to approach the very long and complex relationship between human brain and the physics of the Universe in the most respectful way possible. We exist because of that long and good relationship, and when we intervene (as we do with spatial computing and XR) in that relationship, we need to be quite thoughtful and cautious in our approach.
We have a history of inserting technology into the body and society— and our history is filled with many failures and pain. At some point we began to understand the concepts of biocompatibility and safety, designing elegant systems that the body can accept and not reject.
This philosophy extends to medical device design, especially BCI (Brain Computing Interfaces), XR/spatial computing (XR is a form of BCI), and AI (Artificial Intelligence). It can be applied to many areas, but I am focusing on these three.
When we apply this thinking to current XR/spatial computing design (summer 2023), we see three major paths up the mountain:
(1) See the real world directly, and stimulate the human visual system and the visual cortex in the most natural way possible (mimic the signals of the Universe needed by the brain as close as we can in all ways). This relies on our growing knowledge of neuroscience and designing new technologies to conform specifically to the needs of the human body. Well designed analog glasses and sunglasses enter the relationship between Universe and human, with the best designs doing so in a manner which does no harm.
(2) See the world through an intermediary — a screen-which leverages all that we know about current display design and cameras and sensing. This leads to quicker results which may satiate a good segment of the market — but it breaks our long and fruitful relationship with the Universe, especially as we consider the idea of all-day, everyday, everywhere.
(3) Directly intervene in the brain, and stimulate the visual cortex directly- Some see this as the far goal for all of us, but I tend to think of this primarily for those with significant medical issues, who need such an intervention to regain a normal life.
All three paths require significantly more debate about both the philosophy and science of what we are doing. We are moving faster in many areas than our collective understanding and wisdom is progressing.
I am in favor of innovation, speed, and reaching for what’s next. But I also know that we need more of the technology field to approach these areas (XR/spatial computing, BCI, AI, and many others) with more modesty, greater curiosity, and with a deeper respect for the whole system (our biology, our psychology, people, our social systems, our world, the Universe). This kind of thinking can often be at significant odds with shipping a product by a certain date, budgets, project constraints, boards, investors, shareholders, customers, and the overall free market. But good teams can be thoughtful in their design trade-offs and find a working balance at every step.
And we will also come to things that we should do not do at all. And the bravest will see that, and walk us back to the path where life flourishes.
R. Abovitz
June 8th, 2023
Earth & New Storyworlds
