Lombard discussed presence in technology as realism. He said illusions are the most powerful when these two factors are both present. The next topic was presence as immersion. According to Lombard, this occurs when all of your senses become totally immersed in the medium and you are not fully aware of the unmediated world. He gave the example of simulator rides that incorporate actors into the virtual environment to further the experience.
Participants can reach a point where they become fully emerged into an artificial environment.
The next item addressed was presence as a social actor within a medium. Lombard's used virtual pets as an example for this concept. According to Lombard, some people may not have a high presence experience, which results from the form of the medium, content and the characteristics of the medium user. Lombard says that the concept of presence is very important for three reasons. It is central in relating to many fields, will be increasingly common and has many potential effects.