Places of Mind: Implications of Narrative Space for the Architecture of Information Environments

Abstract

Virtual reality and cyberspace are extended spaces of the mind different from, yet related to, the spaces of fiction and ancient myth. These earlier spaces reveal how electronic media, too, may come to define our selves and our culture. Indeed, a better understanding of how we use space to think can lead to the design of better information environments. This paper will describe a range of traditional narrative spaces, revealing their varied relationships with the physical world. It will demonstrate the purposes of such spaces and how their function changes with their level of abstraction. A concluding review of current technologies will show how electronic environments carry on the traditions of these spaces in serving our cultural and psychological needs.