[Paper Review] "Felt Presence vs. Relational Illusion vs. Communication Interpretation"

In digital media environments, humans don''t have a single unified experience but simultaneously experience different levels of cognition. We feel "like we''re there" in virtual space, feel "like we''re interacting" with certain entities, and furthermore interpret that entity as "speaking to us." These three experiences are explained by Presence, Parasocial Interaction (PSI), and Paracommunication respectively — not simply parallel concepts but structurally connected cognitive processes. Presence (first layer): the most fundamental level — users'' psychological state of actually existing in that space within a mediated environment; sensory immersion based on spatial presence; "feeling like I''m inside it" in VR or game environments; Presence redefines "where" humans are. Parasocial Interaction (second layer): experiencing interaction with specific entities despite no actual interaction; users form emotional connections feeling they are in relationships with broadcasters, YouTubers, or virtual characters; what matters is not whether actual interaction exists but the "feeling" of interaction; PSI operates at the relationship level, constructing "who" humans are with. Paracommunication (third layer — Tilo Hartmann''s extension): cognitive process of interpreting media entities'' behaviors and responses not as mere output but as meaningful communication; users accept AI''s responses as messages with intention rather than data processing results — perceiving that the entity understands or is communicating with them; the core here is "meaning attribution" — humans project intention and context onto entities'' behaviors. Hierarchical connection: Presence creates environmental immersion → PSI builds on that → Paracommunication forms on top of PSI. AI design implications: this three-layer model explains why some AI interactions feel empty (Presence without PSI) while others feel uncomfortably intimate (all three layers activated simultaneously); optimal AI design matches the depth of engagement to the context — customer service AI benefiting from PSI but not necessarily paracommunication; companion AI potentially requiring all three layers to fulfill its purpose.