International Journal of Advances in Psychology, 2012, 1: 6-9 - 1 - -6- Published Online July 2012 http://www.ij-psychol.org The Virtual Reality in a Context of the “Mirror Stage” Aron Brudniy , Angelina Demilhanova Psychology department, American University Central Asia, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Psychology department, Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University, Bishkek Kyrgyzstan Email: gelya1981@gmail.com (Abstract) This article is about the virtual reality of computer games and the peculiarity of its influence on personal identity. And, for the first time, the virtual reality analyses in context of the well-known Lacan’s Mirror stage. The methods of research were: the content analysis, and the psychodiagnostic method. The main conclusion is: that people, who play the computer role games, have the changing of the self identification. It can develop in appearance of additional personal identification. This mechanism of such identification is similar to the identification mechanism which takes place in early childhood at the “Mirror Stage” described in works of Jacques Lacan. Keywords: Mirror Stage; Identification; Virtual reality; Additional Personal Identification. 1. INTRODUCTION It is very popular now to speak about the virtual reality. Especially is popular the researchers of the reality created with computers. The virtual reality closely concerned with the game’s phenomenon today. But, in spite of such widely interests to the theme of virtual reality, the psychological mechanisms of involving to the artificial game reality is poor analyzed. So, the purpose of our research is the influence of the virtual reality on psyche of the person who plays the computer role games. The hypothesis of research: active and continuous participation of individuals in role games leads to changes in perception of self identification and emergence of additional forms of self identification. The definition of the term “virtual reality” is very varied. There are different interpretations of this term. We interpret the virtual reality as combination of 3 perspectives. From the philosophic perspective - the virtual reality is possible area the subject interacts with. From the technical perspective - the virtual reality concerned with computer technologies and how this interaction occurs. From the psychological perspective - the virtual reality understands as artificial modification of the reality and how the person behaves to this modification (for example sleep, fantasy, myth, psychopharmacological action – drug or alcohol intoxication). We think, that the virtual reality is interaction of these 3 perspectives (Figure 1). Virtual reality Psych ologi ca l persp e cti ve Ph il oso p hic p e rspectiv e Technical perspective Figure 1. The construct of virtual reality We define the virtual reality as the area created with computer technologies and sensed as real existence. It is well known that the virtual reality can influence on personal identification. The identification is the process of the forming personality’s self conception. The identification mechanism was described by Jacques Lacan. He described it in "The Mirror Stage as formative of the function of the I as revealed in psychoanalytic experience". It is a phase in which the subject is permanently caught and captivated by his own image [1]. This stage occurs anywhere from 6-18 months of age. For Lacan, this act marks the primordial recognition of one's self as "I," although at a point before entrance into language and the symbolic order. This stage's misrecognition or méconnaissance (seeing an ideal-I where there is a fragmented, chaotic body) subsequently "characterizes the ego in all its structures". In particular, this creation of an ideal version of the self gives pre-verbal impetus to the creation of narcissistic fantasies in the fully developed subject. That fantasy image of oneself can be filled in by others who we may want to emulate in our adult lives (role models, et cetera), anyone that we set up