ABSTRACT
Virtual reality, in essence, is an ambiguous concept. It is difficult to fully distinguish between what comes under technology (virtual reality as a set of computer, mechanical, electronic, etc. tools) and what comes under experience (virtual reality as a subjective construction). The concepts of immersion and presence, defined in different ways by different authors, are a sign of this ambiguity. Here, we will try to contribute to a clarification regarding this objective/subjective duality. We propose that immersion should be reserved for the description of the objective characteristics of a virtual reality device, and that presence should be described as the effect that this immersion produces on the behaviour of the subject.
