Hyperreality

Term for cultural process of shifting ideas of reality

This article is about the concept of hyperreality as it applies to philosophy and sociology. For hyperreality in art, see Hyperrealism (visual arts). For hyperreality in music, see Hyperrealism (music). For hyperreal numbers in mathematics, see Hyperreal number.

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Hyperreality is a concept in post-structuralism that refers to the process of the evolution of notions of reality, leading to a cultural state of confusion between signs and symbols invented to stand in for reality, and direct perceptions of consensus reality.[1] Hyperreality is seen as a condition in which, because of the compression of perceptions of reality in culture and media, what is generally regarded as real and what is understood as fiction are seamlessly blended together in experiences so that there is no longer any clear distinction between where one ends and the other begins.[2]

The term was proposed by French philosopher Jean Baudrillard, whose postmodern work contributed to a scholarly tradition in the field of communication studies that speaks directly to larger social concerns. Postmodernism was established through the social turmoil of the 1960s, spurred by social movements that questioned preexisting conventions and social institutions. Through the postmodern lens, reality is viewed as a fragmented, complimentary and polysemic system with components that are produced by social and cultural activity. Social realities that constitute consensus reality are constantly produced and reproduced, changing through the extended use of signs and symbols which hence contribute to the creation of a greater hyperreality.

## Origins and usage

[edit]

The postmodern semiotic concept of hyperreality was contentiously coined by Baudrillard in Simulacra and Simulation (1981).[3] Baudrillard defined "hyperreality" as "the generation by models of a real without origin or reality";[4] and his earlier book Symbolic Exchange and Death. Hyperreality is a representation, a sign, without an original referent. According to Baudrillard, the commodities in this theoretical state do not have use-value as defined by Karl Marx but can be understood as signs as defined by Ferdinand de Saussure.[5] He believes hyperreality goes further than confusing or blending the 'real' with the symbol which represents it; it involves creating a symbol or set of signifiers which represent something that does not actually exist, like Santa Claus. Baudrillard borrows, from Jorge Luis Borges' "On Exactitude in Science" (already borrowed from Lewis Carroll), the example of a society whose cartographers create a map so detailed that it covers the very things it was designed to represent. When the empire declines, the map fades into the landscape.[6] He says that, in such a case, neither the representation nor the real remains, just the hyperreal.

Baudrillard's idea of hyperreality was heavily influenced by phenomenology, semiotics, and the philosophy of Marshall McLuhan. Baudrillard, however, challenges McLuhan's famous statement that "the medium is the message," by suggesting that information devours its own content. He also suggested that there is a difference between the media and reality and what they represent.[6] Hyperreality is the inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced societies.[7] However, Baudrillard's hyperreality theory goes a step further than McLuhan's medium theory: "There is not only an implosion of the message in the medium, there is, in the same movement, the implosion of the medium itself in the real, the implosion of the medium and of the real in a sort of hyperreal nebula, in which even the definition and distinct action of the medium can no longer be determined".[8]

Italian author Umberto Eco explores the notion of hyperreality further by suggesting that the action of hyperreality is to desire reality and in the attempt to achieve that desire, to fabricate a false reality that is to be consumed as real.[9] Linked to contemporary western culture, Umberto Eco and post-structuralists would argue that in current cultures, fundamental ideals are built on desire and particular sign-systems. Temenuga Trifonova from University of California, San Diego notes,

> [...]it is important to consider Baudrillard's texts as articulating an ontology rather than an epistemology.[10]

## Significance

[edit]

Hyperreality is significant as a paradigm to explain current cultural conditions. Consumerism, because of its reliance on sign exchange value (e.g. brand X shows that one is fashionable, car Y indicates one's wealth), could be seen as a contributing factor in the creation of hyperreality or the hyperreal condition. Hyperreality tricks consciousness into detaching from any real emotional engagement, instead opting for artificial simulation, and endless reproductions of fundamentally empty appearance. Essentially (although Baudrillard himself may balk at the use of this word), fulfillment or happiness is found through simulation and imitation of a transient simulacrum of reality, rather than any interaction with any "real" reality.[11]

While hyperreality is not a new concept, its effects are more relevant in modern society, incorporating technological advancements like artificial intelligence, virtual reality and neurotechnology (simulated reality). This is attributed to the way it effectively captured the postmodern condition, particularly how people in the postmodern world seek stimulation by creating unreal worlds of spectacle and seduction and nothing more.[12] There are dangers to the use of hyperreality within our culture; individuals may observe and accept hyperreal images as role models when the images don't necessarily represent real physical people. This can result in a desire to strive for an unobtainable ideal, or it may lead to a lack of unimpaired role models. Daniel J. Boorstin cautions against confusing celebrity worship with hero worship, "we come dangerously close to depriving ourselves of all real models. We lose sight of the men and women who do not simply seem great because they are famous but who are famous because they are great".[13] He bemoans the loss of old heroes like Moses, Julius Caesar and Abraham Lincoln, who did not have public relations (PR) agencies to construct hyperreal images of themselves.[14] The dangers of hyperreality are also facilitated by information technologies, which provide tools to dominant powers that seek to encourage it to drive consumption and materialism.[15] The danger in the pursuit of stimulation and seduction emerge not in the lack of meaning but, as Baudrillard maintained, "we are gorged with meaning and it is killing us."[16]

Hyperreality, some sources point out, may provide insights into the postmodern movement by analyzing how simulations disrupt the binary opposition between reality and illusion but it does not address or resolve the contradictions inherent in this tension.[17]

## Key relational themes

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The concepts most fundamental to hyperreality are those of simulation and the simulacrum, first conceptualized by Jean Baudrillard in his book Simulacra and Simulation. The two terms are separate entities with relational origin connections to Baudrillard's theory of hyperreality.

### Simulation

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Simulation is characterized by a blending of 'reality' and representation, where there is no clear indication of where the former stops and the latter begins. Simulation is no longer that of a territory, a referential being, or a substance; "It is the generation by models of a real without origin or reality: a hyperreal."[18] Baudrillard suggests that simulation no longer takes place in a physical realm; it takes place within a space not categorized by physical limits i.e., within ourselves, technological simulations, etc.

### Simulacrum

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The simulacrum is "an image without resemblance"; as Gilles Deleuze summarized, it is the forsaking of "moral existence in order to enter into aesthetic existence".[19] However, Baudrillard argues that a simulacrum is not a copy of the real, but becomes—through sociocultural compression—truth in its own right.

There are four steps of hyperreal reproduction:

1. Basic reflection of reality, i.e. in immediate perception
2. Perversion of reality, i.e. in representation
3. Pretense of reality, where there is no model
4. Simulacrum, which "bears no relation to any reality whatsoever"[20]

### Hyperstition

[edit]

The concept of "hyperstition" as expounded upon by the English collective Cybernetic Culture Research Unit generalizes the notion of hyperreality to encompass the concept of "fictional entities that make themselves real." In Nick Land's own words:[21]

> Hyperstition is a positive feedback circuit including culture as a component. It can be defined as the experimental (techno-)science of self-fulfilling prophecies. Superstitions are merely false beliefs, but hyperstitions – by their very existence as ideas –function causally to bring about their own reality.

> — Nick Land

The concept of hyperstition is also related to the concept of "theory-fiction", in which philosophy, critical theory and postmodern literature speculate on actual reality and engage with concepts for potentialities and virtualities. An oft-cited example of such a concept is cyberspace—originating in William Gibson's 1984 novel Neuromancer—which is a concept for the convergence between virtualities and actualities.[22] By the mid-1990s, the realization of this concept had begun to emerge on a mass scale in the form of the internet.

### Consequence

[edit]

The truth was already being called into question with the rise of media and technology, but with the presence of hyperreality being used most and embraced as a new technology, there are a couple of issues or consequences of hyperreality. It's difficult enough to hear something on the news and choose not to believe it, but it's quite another to see an image of an event or anything and use your empirical sense to determine whether the news is true or false, which is one of the consequences of hyperrealism.[23] The first is the possibility of various simulations being used to influence the audience, resulting in an inability to differentiate fiction from reality, which affects the overall truth value of a subject at hand. Another implication or disadvantage is the possibility of being manipulated by what we see.

The audience can interpret different messages depending on the ideology of the entity behind an image. As a result, power equates to control over the media and the people.[24] Celebrities, for example, have their photographs taken and altered so that the public can see the final result. The public then perceives celebrities based on what they have seen rather than how they truly are. It can progress to the point where celebrities appear completely different. As a result of celebrities' body modifications and editing, there has been an increase in surgeries and a decrease in self-esteem during adolescence.[25] Because the truth is threatened, a similar outcome for hyperreality is possible.

## In culture

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There is a strong link between media and the impact that the presence of hyperreality has on its viewers. This has shown to blur the lines between artificial realities and reality, influencing the day to day experiences of those exposed to it.[26] As hyperreality captures the inability to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, common media outlets such as news, social media platforms, radio and television contribute to this misconception of true reality.[27] Descriptions of the impact of hyperreality can be found in popular media. They present themselves as becoming blended with reality, which influences the experience of life and truth for its viewers.

Baudrillard, like Roland Barthes before him, explained that these impacts have a direct effect on younger generations who idolize the heroes, characters or influencers found on these platforms. As media is a social institution that shapes and develops its members within society, the exposure to hyperreality found within these platforms presents an everlasting effect.[28] Baudrillard concludes that exposure to hyperreality over time will lead, from the conservative perspective of the institutions themselves, to confusion and chaos, in turn leading to the destruction of identity, originality and character while ironically still being the mainstay of the institutions.

### Social media and public image

[edit]

The hyperreality environment on the internet has shifted dramatically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, so much so that it has an influence on the Italian Stock Exchange in 2021.[29]

The Hollywood sign

The Hollywood sign in Los Angeles, California, itself produces similar notions, but is more a symbol of a facet of hyperreality—the creation of a city with its main target being media production.[30]

### Disneyland

[edit]

Both Umberto Eco and Jean Baudrillard refer to Disneyland as an example of hyperreality. Eco believes that Disneyland with its settings such as Main Street and full sized houses has been created to look "absolutely realistic", taking visitors' imagination to a "fantastic past".[31] This false reality creates an illusion and makes it more desirable for people to buy this reality. Disneyland works in a system that enables visitors to feel that technology and the created atmosphere "can give us more reality than nature can".[32] The "fake nature" of Disneyland satisfies our imagination and daydream fantasies in real life. The idea is that nothing in this world is real. Nothing is original, but all are endless copies of reality. Since we do not imagine the reality of simulations, both imagined and real are equally hyperreal, for example, the numerous simulated rides, including the submarine ride and the Mississippi boat tour.[8] When entering Disneyland, consumers form into lines to gain access to each attraction. Then they are ordered by people with special uniforms to follow the rules, such as where to stand or where to sit. If the consumers follow each rule correctly, they can enjoy "the real thing" and see things that are not available to them outside of Disneyland's doors.[33]

### Examples

[edit]

* A high end sex doll used as a simulacrum of an unattainable partner.[34]
* Weak virtual reality.[35]
* Works within the spectrum of the Vaporwave musical genre often encompass themes of hyperreality through parody of the information revolution.[36]
* Heidiland, is a region in eastern Switzerland named after the "Heidi" novels by Johanna Spyri, encompassing alpine landscapes, villages, and recreational areas inspired by the story's setting. The labels throughout the village attraction treat Heidi as a historical figure with few hints of make-believe. [37][38]
* The restaurant Chain, which features nostalgic callbacks to real fast food chains (in particular Pizza Hut) though is a pastiche of fast food restaurants from a previous era. [39]

## See also

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* Allegory of the cave
* Authenticity (philosophy)
* Database consumption
* Escapism
* Augmented reality
* Hyperconsumerism
* Hypersociability
* Immersion (virtual reality)
* Life imitating art
* Marx's theory of alienation

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Lawson, Tony; Garrod, Joan (2001). Dictionary of Sociology. Fitzroy Dearborn. p. 114\. ISBN 9781136598456.
2. ^ Tiffin, John; Terashima, Nobuyoshi (2005). "Paradigm for the third millennium". Hyperreality.
3. ^ Pavlik-Malone, Lisa (2018). Minding Dolls: An Exercise in Archetype and Ideal. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 35\. ISBN 9781527511583.
4. ^ Baudrillard, Jean (1994). Simulacra & Simulation (PDF). The Precession of Simulacra: University of Michigan Press. p. 1\. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 9, 2012.
5. ^ Taylor, Victor E.; Winquist, Charles E. (2003). Encyclopedia of Postmodernism. London: Routledge. p. 183\. ISBN 0415152941.
6. ^ a b Encabo, Enrique (2018). Sound in Motion: Cinema, Videogames, Technology and Audiences. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 17\. ISBN 978-1527508743.
7. ^ Zompetti, J. P., & Moffitt, M. A. (2008). Revisiting Concepts of Public Relations Audience Through Postmodern Concepts of Metanarrative, Decentered Subject, and Reality/Hyperreality. Journal of Promotion Management, 14(3/4), 275–291. doi:10.1080/10496490802623762.
8. ^ a b Laughey, Dan (2010). Key themes in media theory. Maidenhead: Open University Press. pp. 148–149.
9. ^ Eco 1986.
10. ^ Trifonova, Temenuga (2003), "Is There a Subject in Hyperreality?", Postmodern Culture, archived from the original on December 4, 2021
11. ^ Goff, Graham C. (May 3, 2024). "Ascetic protestantism as fatal strategy: religious-economic conflict and the implosion of cultural value". Consumption Markets & Culture. 27 (3): 284–294\. doi:10.1080/10253866.2024.2313106. ISSN 1025-3866.
12. ^ Allan, Kenneth (2010). Contemporary Social and Sociological Theory: Visualizing Social Worlds. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. p. 311\. ISBN 9781412978200.
13. ^ Boorstin 1992, p. 48.
14. ^ Boorstin 1992, p. 49.
15. ^ Kincheloe, Joe (2008). Knowledge and Critical Pedagogy: An Introduction. New York: Springer Science+Business Media. p. 206\. ISBN 9781402082238.
16. ^ Pile, Steve; Thrift, Nigel (1995). Mapping the Subject: Geographies of Cultural Transformation. London: Routledge. p. 241\. ISBN 0415102251.
17. ^ Taylor, Victor; Winquist, Charles (2001). Encyclopedia of Postmodernism, Page 2. London: Routledge. p. 183\. ISBN 0415152941.
18. ^ Baudrillard, Jean (1994). Simulacra & Simulation (PDF). The Precession of Simulacra: University of Michigan Press. p. 1\. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
19. ^ Deleuze, Gilles (1990). "Appendix 1: The Simulacrum and Ancient Philosophy". The Logic of Sense. Columbia University Press. p. 257\. ISBN 978-0231059831.
20. ^ Mann, Doug. "Jean Baudrillard". A Very Short Introduction. Retrieved March 16, 2013.
21. ^ Carstens, Delphi (2009). "'Hyperstition: An Introduction' Delphi Carstens Interviews Nick Land".
22. ^ Holt, Macon (2020). "Hyperstitional Theory-Fiction".
23. ^ "11 The Gulf War Did Not Take Place", Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings, Stanford University Press, pp. 231–253, May 1, 2002, doi:10.1515/9781503619630-014, ISBN 9781503619630, S2CID 246263911, retrieved April 12, 2022
24. ^ Bordon, Yvonne (January 21, 2013). "T cells take a break from IL-7". Nature Reviews Immunology. 13 (2): 71. doi:10.1038/nri3388. ISSN 1474-1733. PMID 23334243. S2CID 9536781.
25. ^ Ozimek, Phillip; Bierhoff, Hans-Werner (October 2, 2020). "All my online-friends are better than me – three studies about ability-based comparative social media use, self-esteem, and depressive tendencies". Behaviour & Information Technology. 39 (10): 1110–1123\. doi:10.1080/0144929X.2019.1642385. ISSN 0144-929X. S2CID 199008994.
26. ^ Payne *, James E.; Waters, George A. (March 2005). "REIT markets: periodically collapsing negative bubbles?". Applied Financial Economics Letters. 1 (2): 65–69\. doi:10.1080/17446540500047403. ISSN 1744-6546. S2CID 153682988.
27. ^ Bursztyn, Leonardo; Rao, Aakaash; B. Y., George (September 8, 2018). "Social Media and Xenophobia: Evidence from Russia". AEA Randomized Controlled Trials. doi:10.1257/rct.3066-1.0. S2CID 240204013. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
28. ^ Marchenkov, Vladimir (2002). "Art and Religion in the Age of Denounced Master-Narratives". Philosophy in the Contemporary World. 9 (1): 71–82\. doi:10.5840/pcw2002918. ISSN 1077-1999.
29. ^ Lazzini, Arianna; Lazzini, Simone; Balluchi, Federica; Mazza, Marco (August 10, 2021). "Emotions, moods and hyperreality: social media and the stock market during the first phase of COVID-19 pandemic". Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. 35 (1): 199–215\. doi:10.1108/aaaj-08-2020-4786. hdl:11380/1279945. ISSN 0951-3574. S2CID 238654072.
30. ^ Campbell, Elaine (April 2010). "The future(s) of risk: Barthes and Baudrillard go to Hollywood". Crime, Media, Culture. 6 (1): 7–26\. doi:10.1177/1741659010363039. ISSN 1741-6590. S2CID 145639692.
31. ^ Eco 1986, p. 43.
32. ^ Eco 1986, p. 44.
33. ^ Eco 1986, p. 48.
34. ^ Burr-Miller, Allison; Aoki, Eric. "Idollators and the Real Girl(s): Males Performing Traditional Femininity for Heterosexuality's Sake". Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 94th Annual Convention, TBA, San Diego, CA. Allacademic.com. Retrieved May 23, 2009.
35. ^ Lisewski, Andreas Martin (2006). "The concept of strong and weak virtual reality". Minds and Machines. 16 (2): 201–219\. arXiv:cs/0312001. doi:10.1007/s11023-006-9037-z. S2CID 513665.
36. ^ Harper, Adam (December 7, 2012). "Comment: Vaporwave and the pop-art of the virtual plaza". Dummy. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2014.
37. ^ Kim, Dave (November 11, 2024). "I Gave My Son the Books I Loved. He Chose 'Heidi' Instead". The New York Times. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
38. ^ Solomon, Michael R. (2006). Conquering consumerspace: marketing strategies for a branded world. Broadway: Amacom. p. 30\. ISBN 978-0-8144-0741-7.
39. ^ Rao, Tejal (April 12, 2024). "A Hollywood Remake of Your Fast Food Memories". The New York Times. Retrieved April 12, 2024.

### Sources

[edit]

* Boorstin, Daniel J. (1992). The Image: A Guide to Pseudo-Events in America. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN 978-0-679-74180-0.
* Eco, Umberto (1986). Travels In Hyperreality (PDF). New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 21, 2013. Retrieved March 16, 2013.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Jean Baudrillard, (2001) "The Precession of Simulacra", in Media and Cultural Studies : Keyworks, Durham & Kellner, eds. ISBN 0-631-22096-8
* D.M. Boje (1995), "Stories of the storytelling organization: a postmodern analysis of Disney as 'Tamara-land'", Academy of Management Journal, 38(4), pp. 997–1035.
* Albert Borgmann, Crossing the Postmodern Divide (1992).
* George Ritzer, The McDonaldization of Society (2004). ISBN 978-0-7619-8812-0
* Charles Arthur Willard Liberalism and the Problem of Knowledge: A New Rhetoric for Modern Democracy. University of Chicago Press. 1996.
* Lazaroiu, George. "Cybernews and hyperreality." Economics, Management and Financial Markets 3, no. 2 (2008): 69.
* Pasco, M. O. D. (2008). Contemporary Media Society in the Age of Hyperreality. Prajñā Vihāra: Journal of Philosophy and Religion, 9(1).