Brainstorm (1983) & Empathy, Inc. (2018): Virtual Reality Thrills & Dangers | EP03
- Mar 18, 2021
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 10
Virtual Reality and Human Experience.
In this episode of Journey Through Sci-Fi, we continue our exploration of the virtual reality subgenre by looking at two films that imagine technology capable of letting people experience the world through someone else’s senses.
Virtual reality stories often focus on simulated worlds, but these films explore something slightly different: recorded human experience.
What if technology allowed us not just to watch someone else’s life, but to feel it?
First we discuss Brainstorm (1983), the ambitious science-fiction film directed by visual-effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull. The story follows a team of scientists who invent a device capable of recording a person’s sensory experiences and emotions so that others can replay them directly in their own minds.
Then we explore Empathy, Inc. (2018), the indie sci-fi thriller about a struggling investor who backs a startup developing extreme virtual reality technology. The company claims its system allows wealthy clients to experience the lives of less fortunate people, but the technology hides a far darker truth.
Together these films explore the idea that virtual reality could become the ultimate empathy machine — a technology capable of sharing human experience itself.
Because here on Journey Through Sci-Fi, we explore the history of science-fiction cinema one subgenre at a time.
Listen to the full episode below:
What We Discuss In This Episode
In this episode we talk about:
Early cinematic visions of virtual reality technology
Whether technology could allow people to experience other people’s lives
The ethical implications of recorded human experience
VR as entertainment versus VR as manipulation
Why virtual-reality stories often blur the line between empathy and exploitation
Brainstorm (1983) – Recording Human Experience
Directed by Douglas Trumbull, Brainstorm imagines a revolutionary technology capable of recording and replaying a person’s sensory experiences.
The system allows users to experience another person’s thoughts, emotions and physical sensations as if they were their own.
At first the invention seems like an incredible scientific breakthrough. But as the technology develops, it becomes clear that such a device could have disturbing consequences.
The recordings begin to capture increasingly intense experiences — including fear, pleasure and even death itself.
The film raises a haunting question: If we could experience someone else’s life perfectly, would that change how we understand humanity?
Empathy, Inc. (2018) – Extreme Virtual Reality
Decades later, Empathy, Inc. revisits similar ideas through a darker modern lens.
The film follows Joel, a disgraced venture capitalist who invests in a mysterious VR startup promising “extreme virtual reality” experiences.
The company claims its technology allows wealthy clients to temporarily inhabit the lives of poorer people, experiencing their struggles first-hand in order to gain empathy.
However, as Joel investigates further, he discovers the technology may not be a simulation at all.
Instead, the company may be doing something far more disturbing — raising unsettling questions about exploitation, privilege and the ethics of immersive technology.
Virtual Reality and Empathy
Both Brainstorm and Empathy, Inc. explore a fascinating possibility: that virtual reality could allow people to truly experience life through someone else’s perspective.
This idea sits at the heart of many VR stories.
Could immersive technology increase empathy by letting people experience the lives of others?
Or would it simply become another form of entertainment — turning real human experiences into something to be consumed?
Continuing Our Journey Through Virtual Reality
This episode is part of our Journey Through Virtual Reality series, where we explore how science-fiction cinema has imagined digital worlds, simulated environments and immersive technologies.
From early experimental films to modern indie sci-fi thrillers, these stories reveal how virtual reality continues to challenge our understanding of experience, identity and reality itself.
Explore more Journey Through Sci-fi series
About Journey Through Sci-Fi
Journey Through Sci-Fi is a podcast exploring the strange, visionary and world-changing history of science-fiction cinema.
Each series focuses on a different sci-fi subgenre, examining the films and ideas that shaped the genre - from classic cinema to modern science-fiction storytelling
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