eric-matznerEric Metzner identifies as a Techno-Optimistic Futurist who sometimes works an entire second workday within VR exploring different ways to expand his mind. He’s pushing the limits of mental presence by using nootropic supplements for cognitive enhancement from his company Nootroo, experimenting with psychedelics and VR with the psychonauts from /r/RiftIntoTheMind, exploring sensory addition & biohacking with the Northpaw device, using EEG sensors and VR to have an embodied experience of neurofeedback, teaching himself how to type with one hand with a chorded Twiddler3 Keyboard, and Rapid Serial Visual Presentation to read up to 1000 words a minute using Virtual Desktop.

I had a chance to catch up with Metzner at an UploadVR party during GDC where he shared his explorations into the extremes of mental presence. For me, I’m interested in the balance between mental & social presence with embodied presence, emotional presence, and active presence. But Metzner wants to push the limits of what types of experiences are possible as well as use VR to help him focus on his learning practices.

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Part of the extremes of the air element is the risk of disassociation from his body and the real world, and Metzner is openly wondering whether or not reality is going to be able to keep up with how compelling VR is to him. He’s a part of an emerging group of Transhumanist Merry Pranksters of Silicon Valley experimenting with immersive technologies and daily habits to optimize productivity and happiness.

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Music: Fatality & Summer Trip

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Kent Bye
  • Marc Gelfo

    Fascinating and cool to hear you bring the air element into the discussion. Would love to see more content on the art & science of learning in VR/AR

  • Alex P

    Really Great Talk, love dis show.

    I wonder in the future if humans will exist principally in digital space, venturing out with avatars into the physical world….

    There been some studies that show some great learning improvements for Students when using VR.

  • Paul Acosta

    You should replace that VR Porn reddit link with a newer relevant community like VirtualX or something similar. Oculusnsfw is long dead…