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2566398

From Telematic Man to Heaven in the Net

Another contributing factor to the cognitive ease of extending your body in this telematic space is the semiotic complexity of the bed that preoccupies the mind whilst the process of sensory shift takes place almost unnoticed. The telematic communication experienced is heightened when the technology involved is secondary to the primary point of importance – being the bed – i.e. the videoconferencing technology is deemed invisible by the sign of the bed, and users are often reluctant to enter Telematic Dreaming due the potential interaction that is being signified by the bed, and in a public space. So entering and exiting Telematic Dreaming are the most uncomfortable points for the audience. After the initial embarrassment has passed the audience member lying on the bed becomes less concerned with their local body and far more concentrated on their distant telematic one – and just as hard as it was to enter, it is to exit – in breaking your concentration and returning to the concern of your local body, in a bed, surrounded by other people, in a public space. Coincidentally many people who have experienced the installation found it extremely lifting in a psychological sense – well, transcending cultural and political obstacles in western society that prevent us from embracing complete strangers, whilst avoiding the dominance of a physical body does have its benefits and appeal.