Allow me to summarize this perspective as the future of "cognitive ergonomics" of sorts and second entirely the idea that it's the biggest promise of VR from an experience standpoint. Literally immersion in a wider context, not deliberate focus that by very definition a narrow viewport already covers quite well. Conversely to physical displays, contextual ergonomics is where VR must shine.

The way you expressed it actually reminds me of Iain McGilchrist's "left brain" versus "right brain" thinking model, wherein the narrow-ish "task-focused" approach is typical left-brain concern (essentialist, to a fault), whereas the wider "contextual" approach is typical right-brain associative concerns ("everything is complex/connected"). I'd never noticed this ergonomics question (should I say dichotomy) could be neurologically framed that way, thanks for the insight.