Der Schnabel des Adlers und die Nase des Menschen : Können wir uns in einen Vogel einfühlen?

Recent developments in image-making techniques – like the virtual immersive 360° environments to be experienced via HMD (head mounted displays) – tend to blur not only the threshold separating the sphere of the image from that of reality, but also the threshold dividing the different animal species. This paper addresses some case-studies of such environments, particularly focusing on bird flight simulators such as like “Eagle Flight” by Ubisoft or “Birdly” by Somniacs. Through the lens of classic interpretations of the experiential relationship between human and non-human species (from Uexküll to Nagel), I will try to explore the possibility of a bodily human-animal empathy.