Delegated perception: technical modification of sensory experiences

Abstract

The article describes the modification of sensual experience in human culture. Since a human is not only a being that has an organic body, but also a being that has an inorganic body (that means arsenal of the technical means used by him determine his life sometimes even more stronger than his biological structure) the sensuality of the human rooted in his biological nature receives the articualisation in technological samples. By means of the technology equipment, be it even primitive technology of imitation animals for the sake of survival or the developed craft art, or even machine-mechanic and computer-digital technology, the human creates first of all himself, implements himself into reality. Changes of sensuality forms are parallel to the change of technologies, mainly of record, storages and broadcasts of information technologies. Supplementing and transforming each other the technician of the oral story, technology of the letter, optical media technologies (in the widest range from scientific devices to the photo and television), modern interactive digital technologies (even computer games) lay borders of the sensual experience available to the human: borders habitual and clear – what orients it in the world. In article the method of historical and conceptual reconstruction is used: specific historical examples act at the same time as semantic models within which demonstration and interpretation of how the technicians used by the person modified his sensual experience is performed. To deliver a problem of technological registration and expression of sensual experience of the person in a historical and conceptual key means also to plan questions of what images, models, technicians, make habitable our bodies today – during the era of digital media, what world they create, by what rules perception, understanding and experience of this reality is performed? Vision of things is unavailable to us, they weren't as if far from us, out of that semantic aura which surrounds them, but the semantic aura, often blinds us imaginary self-evidence. As semantic completeness, as expression of reality in images, symbols, models, technology belongs to both our experience of the world and experience of ourselves. Today when even the biological body of the human becomes dependent on images and techniques of the bodies made and translate by technical devices, understanding of technology allows us to see another side of our experience, allows to clear our sources, formation history, intrinsic qualities and distinguish features. Technologies including modern digital media technologies, open for the human himself, acting as the instrument of self-knowledge. The human is in the dark of relative what feelings are available to him as they can be worried what they will be directed to until models of these feelings aren't shown to him by means of the technical devices used by him. The analysis of technology forms of sensual experience opens a way to understanding of a modern situation of expansion of mediareality that pretends to be our life-world.