Employing Extended Reality (XR) to Expanding Narratives of Place-Making, Spatial Presence and Immersive Experience

Abstract

Extended Reality XR, which encompasses various forms of virtual reality VR and augmented reality AR, has emerged as a powerful experimental tool in design and environmental psychology research due to its ability to produce comprehensive and immersive experiences for users through narratives. A strong sensation of spatial presence, which may be viewed as a subjective sense of space cognition and its surroundings, is one sign of a good XR experience. Despite the fact that XR research has shed light on numerous elements that may affect presence and place-making in XR environments, there is still much to learn about the varied phenomenology of narrative possibilities that ensure a successful immersion experience. The paper focuses on extended reality and how it influences how we create spaces, feel present in our surroundings, and have an immersive experience. In this paper, the concepts of place-making and spatial presence were examined in relation to how people might create a consistent sense of reality during both real-world and virtual experiences. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ideas of place-making, presence, and immersion experience as they have been developed in XR research while also addressing variables that could affect expanding narratives. The study covers major elements of the "place" literature, connects them to the idea of presence, and then exhibits their use in the context of extended reality. It also discusses the phenomenological properties of presence in human consciousness. A user study conducted through a designed immersive experience as a simulation to some spaces of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Samples of users’ responses were collected through a survey addressing their perceptions of the virtual visit. The study showed that place-making and spatial presence in extended reality work as a link between real-world locations and virtual attributes. When moving from the real world to the virtual one, boundaries become more fluid, themes can be developed, and virtual spaces mimic the real spaces. The study outline proposals for further work and lays out some ideas for future research.