How Real Can Virtual Become?

It is a widespread notion that heightening the perceivable ''realness'' - the iconical similarity between virtual reality (VR) and reality - would improve presence, i. e. the impression of realness. If it were like this, VR would be a minor type of reality as long as it were distinguishable from reality. However, which sense would a VR environment make, if it were possible to let it seem indistinguishable from reality? On the example of virtual moral experiments, the article shows that awareness of the virtual state is crucial for creating presence.