Virtual reality, cyberspace, and embodiment: a historical debate with contemporary resonance

Abstract This article critically examines the evolution of digital embodiment within cyberspace and virtual reality (VR), analyzing how the narratives surrounding embodiment differ from the experiences of marginalized communities. Narratives of Cartesian disembodiment abounded in the discourse but overlooked that there was no true disembodiment in cyberspace, just anonymity coupled with an assumed identity that was often that of the white, male majority. Early proponents of VR saw it as an inherently embodied phenomenon, but this was supplanted by a dualist narrative that dominated pop culture and academia. As cyberspace evolved from text-based to pictorial, it was acknowledged that bodies impacted online experiences, but many insisted that this should not matter. In today’s cyberspace-VR merging, dominant players insist that the body should be celebrated, but this does not come coupled with measures to ensure that they are. This article reveals how virtual experiences reflect societal biases, despite narratives to the contrary, and calls for a conscious and inclusive approach to technology design to foster truly equitable digital spaces.