place illusion (PI)

the feeling of existing in a place

Place illusion (PI) was put forward by Mel Slater as one of two illusions that contribute to a sense of presence. It is often discussed in conjunction with the Plausibility illusion (Psi):

While PI is about how the world is perceived, the Plausibility Illusion (Psi) is about what is perceived.¹

We suggest that PI should be treated as binary – it is a qualia associated with an illusion. Either you get the illusion or you don’t – you cannot partially get an illusion. ²

1. Slater, M. “Place Illusion and Plausibility Can Lead to Realistic Behaviour in Immersive Virtual Environments”Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009 Dec 12; 364(1535): 3549–3557 Pg 8.
2. Slater, M. “Place Illusion and Plausibility Can Lead to Realistic Behaviour in Immersive Virtual Environments”Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2009 Dec 12; 364(1535): 3549–3557 Pg 11.