multireal

Multireal is a term used in contemporary philosophy, media theory, and technology to describe the idea that reality consists of multiple, coexisting layers or modalities that can be ontologically distinct yet intersecting. Proponents use the concept to discuss how mental states, social practices, and technological mediations can be realized across different substrates—for example physical matter, neural architectures, or digital environments—without reducing one layer to another. The term is not standardized and its emphasis varies by context.

In philosophy of mind, Multireal is related to multiple realizability—the notion that mental properties can be realized by different physical states. In ontology, it is used to argue for layered or composite realism, where physical reality coexists with experiential or informational realities. In technology and media, multireal describes experiences or applications that blend real and virtual elements, such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and simulations, where users inhabit more than one real space at once.

Critics argue that the term is vague and risks conflating distinct notions of reality. Some scholars contend that multireal should be replaced by more precise concepts such as multiverse, real-virtual hybridity, or layered reality. Others see value in the term as an organizing heuristic for cross-disciplinary inquiry, design, and policy related to digital fabrication, AI, and pervasive computing.

Related terms include multiverse, multiple realizability, modal realism, simulation hypothesis, virtual reality, augmented reality, and layered realism.