Special issue: Presence and interaction

Over the last two decades, many researchers, artists and designers have explored the role of the sense of presence in interactive experience (so-called ‘mediated presence’). While there is still not a general consensus about what presence actually is, it is fair to say that most investigators agree about what it is not. Presence is not the degree of technological immersion, it is not the same thing as emotional engagement, it is not absorption or attention or action; but all of these and several other factors have a potential role in understanding the experience of presence in interaction.With its roots in the development of virtual reality technology, the study of presence has expanded into a range of application disciplines, such as psychotherapy, pain control, media studies, education, entertainment, the arts, data exploration, physiotherapy and sports training, and more. One of the most refreshing and stimulating aspects of presence research is the diversity of views and approaches brought to bear on its explanation and exploration, and this diversity is certainly reflected in the papers accepted for publication in the current issue. Even though the editors have a particular position in the debate between “Media Presence” and “Inner Presence”, they selected the best papers independently from the vision addressed by the authors. Our intention in this special issue is to give to the readers the last word about what is the best approach to deal with this fascinating topic.