Of media and mediums: illusion and the roots of virtual reality in Victorian era science, social change and Spiritualism

ABSTRACT Drawing upon historical archives and through the lens of the experiential media theoretical framework, this paper presents findings that reveal the confluence of factors from the Victorian Era (VE) that laid the foundation for contemporary virtual reality (VR). Prior research has identified the stereoscope as a key technology from the 19th century as a precursor to VR. But this investigation finds that the foundations of 21st-century VR lie much deeper and wider in VE technology, science, social movements, and the development of illusion.