Some of the fantasy objects arising from cybernetic totalism (like the noosphere, which is a supposed global brain formed by the sum of all the human brains connected through the internet) happen to motivate infelicitous technological designs. For instance, designs that celebrate the noosphere tend to energize the inner troll, or bad actor, within humans.

Internet2 visiting scholar (1997–2001)
From 1997 to 2001 Lanier was the Chief Scientist of Advanced Network and Services which contained the Engineering Office of Internet2 and served as the Lead Scientist of the National Tele-immersion Initiative a coalition of research universities studying advanced applications for Internet2. Memberships
Lanier has served on numerous advisory boards including the Board of Councilors of the University of Southern California Medical Media Systems (a medical visualization spin-off company associated with Dartmouth College) Microdisplay Corporation and NY3D (developers of auto stereo displays). July 28–30 1992.

A pioneer in the field of VR Lanier and Thomas G. the first company to sell VR goggles and gloves. Lanier is also known as a composer of classical music and a collector of rare instruments; his acoustic album Instruments of Change (1994) features Asian wind and string instruments such as the khene mouth organ the suling flute and the sitar-like esraj.