How does Hyper-Reality in the Metaverse and its stimulus interact with normal cognition?

In the metaverse, the old notion of being "healthy, wealthy, and wise" breaks new ground. As opposed to the real world, in the new virtual world, people get a chance to alter and control reality according to their preferences by using digital identities. Digital identity relies on a cryptographic root of trust rather than a humanistic trust. A person can appear and be perceived as 'healthy' with a cool avatar in their virtual world interaction, which may not be the reality for many people. A 15-year-old can become a millionaire overnight by possessing an Axie Infinity NFT, so wealth can now also be about good timing and luck rather than from hard work and skill-building.

IQ and cognitive abilities, or wisdom in the metaverse, will depend on how we perceive and process the information being given to us. There are speculations that the metaverse may have some downsides because of its potential to isolate and disconnect people from the real world, however, we can't ignore the fact that it also opens up new possibilities for people to learn, share, and grow.

Social media has been known to be detrimental to our psychological health which raised questions about the metaverse as well, how will the ability to lead a whole new life in a virtual world impact our cognition?

It can be said, that like other forms of social media and digital escapism, its impact can be both positive and negative. the metaverse provides an opportunity to connect with people easily and is helpful for people who suffer from social anxiety, however people may run the risk of over-relying on virtual connections, which can reinforce the sense of isolation they experience from the world and lead to more severe difficulties. A controlled clinical trial showed that virtual reality helped people with delusions and hallucinations, and indeed people with many kinds of psychoses to cope.

On the positive side, the immersive experiences, which add a human touch to digital interactions, can be very helpful, especially in education and learning. Immersive learning has become more relevant and important in an era where attention spans are waning and hybrid workplaces are on the rise.

Studies show, that 90% of learning is more effective when we are actively practicing the skill and when we are teaching others. Unfortunately, most education still utilizes a passive approach to learning. The metaverse could provide an opportunity to change that and include more active ways of learning.

Studies have shown that active learning is far more effective than passive learning. The information which we gain when getting involved in any activity can be quickly absorbed and retained for longer.

Gaming is a major component of the metaverse. Studies have shown that playing video games may increase gray matter in the brain- associated with muscle control, memories, perception, and spatial navigation- and boost brain connectivity.

The University of Rochester found in a study that games, where reflexes, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination are challenged, provide tangible cognitive advantages that help us in everyday life. The gamers who love action games could make accurate choices more quickly than non-gamers or those who play slow-paced video games.

Connecting people through gaming could help them connect on a deeper level than they could have through existing social media environments. The reason virtual reality works so well has to do with the way the brain makes memories in relation to physical space.

Despite the possible benefits the metaverse could bring to community building and education, it could also face some challenges.

The metaverse will have to rely on the use of VR glasses. VR glasses should be limited to users above the age of 12.

In 2014, researchers at the University of California found that half of the neurons are likely to shut down while being in a Virtual reality environment, which is not safe for the developing brains of children (Findings). The headset manufacturers have also posted warnings on their products: " Children under the age of 14 should not use VR glasses". The warning and age limit may vary from 12 to 14 in the alerts by these brands - Samsung Gear VR, Google Daydream View, Sony PlayStation VR, HTC Vive, and Oculus Quest.

Another potential downfall of the metaverse is that though it may help certain people have meaningful reactions in a virtual world, a number of studies have shown that in-person connections reduce mental distress and are crucial for healthy brain development. It will be imperative for users to balance their time in the real and virtual world.

As with all forms of technology, the metaverse is going to have a mix of good and bad applications due to the opportunities for changing the way we shop, conduct business, meet, play games, make money, market trade, etc. We have to try and consider it the same way we do any other technological innovation. It can be used for good, so it has potential.

A fully developed metaverse requires common standards and protocols for building virtual worlds. In addition, regulatory bodies should establish a system of checking and monitoring how companies collect and manage the data they collect from users, especially for any centralized metaverse.