How Do We Embody Our Narratives?

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive experiences that provide unique opportunities for self-transformation, allowing people to both experience and co-author narratives in ways difficult to parallel in more traditional media. Many VR experiences place the user in a virtual world where they are embodied as an avatar. Avatar customization allows users to express and explore aspects of their identities that might otherwise be invisible or difficult to convey through corporeal representation, such as invisible disability, neurodiversity, and chronic pain. This may manifest through affordances translated relatively 1:1 (e.g., clothing) or affordances that expand the bounds of possibility (e.g., enabling the simulation of movements typically restricted by chronic pain). Many physical and technology-based spaces were created to support narratives that elevate able-bodiedness and neurotypicality, and expansion toward inclusive customization will also transform possibilities for inclusive storytelling. Future research should continue to investigate how advances in user customization of avatars shape embodied experiences in immersive narratives.