If to speak metaphor language, the virtual novel is in many respects similar to a perestukivaniye of two prisoners imprisoned in the next cameras. Most likely, they will never see each other, but every day knock on the wall dividing them - to report news, to share thoughts, feelings, and all only to forget about the infinite loneliness, lack of communication from the world.
And it is easy to present that such prisoner when his "interlocutor" disappears will feel or suddenly will report – "now I will perestukivatsya with the neighbor at the left". Will seem to the poor creature as if took away that from him the little that it had, but a lot of things disappeared in this the little for it, to convince itself that it was just the knock in a stone wall more than nothing, it hardly sometime will be able.
Flight to the illusory world, infantile escapism, fantastic passion of the exile imprisoned in close walls for fears and complexes, undercover dissatisfaction with family life, himself, by life in general … Unless there is no incredible irony that in our corrupted century at last the Platonic love became possible? But the Platonic love necessarily, not because of moral purity, and owing to specific circumstances, and in it is felt someone's ironical sneer too...
In fact the virtual novel is a modern myth, conditional realization of romantic ideals in the conditions of almost total pragmatism. It is impossible to underestimate prevalence of this phenomenon at all. According to poll among regularly communicating on the Internet - 60% of respondents directly admit that they endured virtual novels, 35% hold back personal experience and only 5% claim that the concept of the virtual novel is unfamiliar to them.
There is nothing new, by the way, in this modern phenomenon. In good old times the men unfamiliar with each other and women conducted long love correspondences too, sent portraits, frankly told about themselves and about the life. If to forget about features of outlook of people of that era, it is necessary to recognize that there are practically no differences – all this the same "a fascinating game", the same "the spiritual union", the same "communication of two souls".
Quite perhaps, development of computer technologies in the future will allow the people scattered in space to communicate so as if they are nearby, and virtual sex at the level of feelings what will not differ from sex real in any more. So far it did not happen, the most real what the virtual lover – a curl of hair of the beloved in a post envelope can count on. In this meaning of a possibility of the modern man are also limited, as well as at his far ancestor.
So in what the virtual novel differs from real?
Some claim that there are no differences - for those who really love, these are the same feelings, the same pain. Others are convinced that virtual love – nonsense, absurdity, a dummy. The third consider that the virtual love happens also to real people - when love not the person, but an image (virtual) in the perception. We perceive people through sense organs, they by means of which in a brain there is a certain virtual picture which we consider reality say, but most often it is just the illusion absolutely not similar to what is actually … Both those, and others, and the third are in own way right.
In virtual communication the people can be themselves, without being afraid of sneers. It is not terrible to people to speak about intimate, to be extremely sincere therefore the feeling is created (illusion?) proximity which in reality is reached far not at once.
In reality we communicate with the person, obtaining information for all sense organs – we judge the person on his appearance, a mimicry, gestures, intonations, etc. (though this our judgment not always corresponds to the truth). In the virtual it is possible "to mask", a tax of more favourably, to allocate strong and to hide the weak parties. The purpose at the same time can be any - from little flirtation which perfectly tones up, before fraud and even cybervampirism … Certainly, addresses virtual acquaintances many people who are sincerely wishing to find "soulmate", but is not always possible to distinguish sincere from insincere.
It is difficult to overestimate an imagination role in development of the virtual relations. The real person is shown only through the thoughts, emotions expressed in writing. Therefore each virtual interlocutor in many respects - a secret, a riddle. Unclear always attracts, the riddle demands an answer. We unconsciously attribute to the virtual interlocutor own thoughts, feelings, aspirations, we conjecture, we dream, we allocate him with the thought-up qualities, we compensate for the deficiency of information on the interlocutor by means of imagination - and we fill, certainly, with information, desired for ourselves. Once the nonexistent person in our reality can be for us the most real, the best, the loved one on light.
In effect, the virtual novel is a novel with own ideal, the novel with itself. From there are inevitable disappointments arising during the real meetings. Statistically, about 90% of virtual partners are disappointed after the meeting with "love of all the life" in reality.
And still it is impossible to forget: in network we communicate not with the phantom, not with a fruit of the imagination, not with the robot, and with the living person. We live another, not lived in reality life, in parallel helping the virtual interlocutor to feel the same. If to decide on a meeting, then the virtual novel will cease to exist, or will develop into real. Or communication will continue only in virtual reality, and over time will become rare, will not stop absolutely yet.
At some point the virtual relations "exhaust", possibilities of communication at distance are quite limited. Here it should be notedit should be noted concentration, conciseness in time of love feeling. The virtual novel develops very quickly – feelings reach peak for few days, and "expiration date" of the virtual relations usually does not exceed half a year.
How to explain the emotional depth and special credibility of such communication? Why the spiritual proximity often arises in the virtual, and not only at lonely and unhappy?
In 1973 the scientists made very curious experiment. It was offered to strangers of a different floor to spend hour in the dark room, at the same time without following any rules regulating their behavior in relation to others. After an hour of participants one by one will bring out of the room, and they will have no opportunity to meet in the future. One more group which participants were not in dark, and in the lit room was at the same time gathered. Participants of this group just sat and talked. But in experimental group there was an aspiration to intim and tenderness. They talked less, but spoke more "about the most important". Also spoke sincerely. 90% of participants intentionally touched somebody, 50% embraced neighbors. Without suspecting that, experimenters simulated a situation of modern virtual society.
That we became interested in the person in reality, he has to be in close proximity to us, often with us contact and be physically attractive. Therefore, a huge number spiritually close to us, but people unattractive externally remains out of our attention. In virtual reality the possibility of acquaintance to potentially loved one many times over increases.
And at last, it is important to note that virtual space as if the magic mirror, shows the person with other and the party, unusual for him. Kind of he did not try to be himself, will differ all the same in network communication from himself real. Communication between it and its virtual embodiments can be compared to communication between the writer and his characters. For example, the real person is married and happy in marriage, but it is applicable to its virtual embodiment very conditionally.
Virtual novels are created by people both lonely, and family. Lonely - when internal or external difficulties do not allow to find the real partner, and for family it is a safe way to remove stress which is saved up in couple or that "something does not arrange to give a signal" to the husband or the wife – "me in you".
Whether the real partner can consider the virtual relations treason? "Yes, the virtual relations on the party is a treason" - 74% of respondents answered. Certain participants of this poll consider that spiritual treason "the most real from which is the most sick".
Consequences of such unfaithfulness are obvious: virtual novels promptly come out on top in the list of the reasons of disorder of the relations.
In conclusion we will define positive and negative aspects of the virtual novel.
Pluses
Virtual communication more honest, sincere and confidential. The invisible beings who did not coincide with you pass by, and understanding it is possible to entrust intimate.
The virtual novel does not oblige to anything. It is much easier to leave the virtual partner, than from real – it is enough to press the button.
The circle of contacts of the person extends, and his life becomes emotionally nasyshchenny, the life experience is gained - in much more convenient and readily available form, than it is possible in the real world. For a considerable part of people (especially for people with psychological complexes, physical defects, etc.) the virtual relations are nearly the only opportunity to work in society as equals with others and to have a normal circle of contacts.
Minuses
Outright correspondence even if has no sexual nature, is quite dangerous. To choose the "safe" interlocutor quite difficult.
The most erogenous zone in a human body – a brain. The straight talks baring soul sometimes excite stronger, than sex. But not all virtual interlocutors are ready for transfer of the relations in reality. And to a depression nearby, and in certain cases – and to a frank mania.
As a rule, the virtual relations are deprived of depth and gravity. The fact that it is possible to terminate them from any party at any time without explanations and special efforts, of course, urges forward feelings, but if the person wishes to remain in the virtual world, so in reality you are not necessary to it.
In the virtual world we fall in love with the image of the prince charming (princess) created in own brain, and the ordinary person comes to a meeting.
It is possible to argue much on whether the virtual novel is considered full – the right answer on this question is known by nobody. The true love can arise anywhere - and on the Internet too. The main thing is to understand, your virtual relations and as you see their future are how IMPORTANT for you. There is a set of examples when people found each other in the Internet. And if you decided to try the happiness - good luck to you searching, but do not forget about care and that in most cases the virtual novel without real continuation – no more than mutual self-deception.