The phenomenon of immersion mainly appears and relates to human existence in the interactive electronic environment. Immersion can produce an experience of electronically generated reality, which consists of feelings similar to those known from the experience of the physical world and can influence our sensuous and intentional attitude. A person enters the electronic world, frequently finding there the value of being and a sphere for her/his own activity, which can release personality and produce the kind of emotional attitude which sometimes (...) possibly does not appear in the physical world. Immersion was also described in electronic interactive art as a phenomenon which operates on the basis of aesthetic experience, where it is connected with feelings of being surrounded by outside influences, or with the “absorption” of perceiver by the work of art. The description of immersion on the basis of interactive artbecame the foundation for treating it as a general feature of art and also makes it possible to treat art as an immersive environment, where immersion becomes a historical notion, shaped by the historical development. (shrink)

The paper shows the history of the Academia Electronica – a virtual department of the Jagiellonian University, which has been in operation since 2007 in Second Life 3D graphic environment. The contributor focused on the transformation it underwent and problems which have been addressed for 14 years. Three aspects of the analysis have been identified with the first one concerning the philosophy of virtuality, the second – teaching in the 3D graphic environment, and the third one revealing the social importance (...) of an open university. This text is autobiographic, which means that it includes short memories on a number of events related to the development of the Academia Electronica as a university alongside the contributor’s personal reflections based on his long staying in the Second Life world. (shrink)