Identity in the Metaverse vs. the Physical World?

Reality is what you make it.

So the new trend to inhabit an augmented reality in the metaverse has been on my mind buzzing around. The next generation has found it normal to interchange virtually through gaming platforms like Roblox and Discord. Statically, 2 out of every 5 individuals is a gamer and this extends to all age groups. I digress... In the metaverse, you can visit virtual worlds that are only limited by the creator's imagination. That includes the user's identity. When entering into many of the metaverse worlds, you must create an avatar that represents you, which leads me to my main question of many. "Who Are You in the Metaverse?"

In the metaverse, there is a cloud of ananymity when creating your avatar to present to the virtual worlds. Some may even come up with multiple identities that encapsulate their truest selves. With many claiming they feel more like their authentic-self in the metaverse than in "real" life. So that is a lot to unpack for starters. From that I can pull a few themes:

1. What is reality really?

2. Why would a person be their authentic-self in a virtual world, but not in the physical world?

3. How can we bring the authentic-virtual-self to the physical world?

Reality has been in question for millennia. My interpretation of reality is whatever you hold true. With that being the definition for me, that implies that the virtual world can also be reality.

So why would a person be their authentic-self in a virtual world, but not in the physical world? I guess the most obvious would be physical limitations. For example, my avatar would most-likely be my alter ego "Roxy" that has long dark Shakira thick wavy hair and covered with tattoos, not to mention a body with curves for days. My physical reality is a little different. I have long, light brown-bordering-on-blonde straight fine hair. I don't have even one tattoo and I have some curves. Although, I could attempt to get a perm and hair extensions or a wig to embody Roxy, it wouldn't be "real" to me. I could also get tattooed all over my body, but again, it's not for me in the physical world for a variety of reasons.

However, the character traits that Roxy bodes are not limited by my physicality. She is confident, talented, artsy, easy-going, and loving, not to mention a bad-ass rockstar musically! Basically, the person that I feel is at my authentic-core, but has been shutdown or stunted for whatever reason.

The question is why one would not embody theses qualities when they are a real possibility, not limited by laws of the physical world? I would say that shame is at the core of this disconnection with our truest authentic-self. We sometimes fragment ourselves based on what we have experienced personally or what we have witnessed as shameful. Our human coding draws us to connection and belonging. If we experience or witness a disconnection from the tribe, we will subconsciously avoid that disconnection, even if it isn't relevant anymore.

Bringing the characteristics of your virtual avatar to the physical world. A good exercise to embrace and embody your avatar's qualities is to simply write down what you like about your avatar. What are their greatest characteristics? What makes you feel authentic when you are embodying this character? Make a list and figure out what inherent qualities you have available to you in the physical world. If your avatar is powerful and ruthless virtually, maybe you in the physical world need to work on being more assertive and your self-esteem... With each quality, analyze what feeling is at the root of the characteristic. It will come down to feelings because they are the truest thing we have. The more you get in touch with the authentic-feeling of what makes you feel like you, you can then start incorporating that feeling into your physical world and creating your authentic-self and your own reality. Even in this physical world, you are only limited by your imagination.

For more help on embracing your authentic-self, keep an eye out for new blog posts.