Uploaded July 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Moving beyond the self through an immersive virtual reality environment: A proof-of-concept of virtual reality-induced self-transcendence experience
Catherine Andreu, Maja Wrzesien, Ausiàs Cebolla, David Glowacki (presented by Catherine Andreu)
Self-transcendence experiences (STEs) have recently got an increased attention in different fields of research. STE can capture the experience along the spectrum of intensity varying from the daily states (e.g., losing yourself while listening to the music or reading a book) to more intense feeling of inter-connectedness such in the case of mystical experiences. On the more intense side of the spectrum, the STEs has been most frequently studied through the lens of religious mystical experiences, or pharmacologically induced STEs with psychedelics. However, alternative pathways to induce STEs have also been explored. One possible pathway is through the use of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Indeed, VR has shown preliminary evidence to evoke altered states of consciousness in different settings. Moreover, VR has an advantage to support STEs in a safe environment as they might have potential to replicate and/or induce states that in other cases might bring adverse effects, can be expensive, and/or difficult to provide in the real world. The aim of this presentation is to describe an immersive group-based VR experience, named Ripple, developed by Dr. David Glowacki and his team. Ripple has been inspired by a Tibetan Buddhist meditation (Tonglen, which means giving and receiving) to evoke the state of ego-dissolution and compassionate inter-connectedness. In this proof-of-concept study 3 groups of individuals will be invited to practice a group Ripple session, 4 people per group (in total N=12). They will complete the following baseline and post-self-report measurements: positive and negative affect, compassion state, inter-connectedness scale. Also, the following post-test measurements will be collected: usability, satisfaction questionnaire, mystical experiences questionnaire (MEQ30) and ego-dissolution inventory (EDI), peak experiences scale, presence, and reality judgment questionnaires. Until now only very few studies have been using VR to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness. Therefore, finding innovative ways to evoke non-drug-related altered states of consciousness is necessary to move the field forward. Authors: Catherine Andreu, Maja Wrzesien, Ausiàs Cebolla, David Glowacki
Please support our work and enable us to continue to share these talks for free by donating at paypal.me/breakingconventionuk
Moving beyond the self through an immersive virtual reality environment: A proof-of-concept of virtual reality-induced self-transcendence experience
Catherine Andreu, Maja Wrzesien, Ausiàs Cebolla, David Glowacki (presented by Catherine Andreu)
Self-transcendence experiences (STEs) have recently got an increased attention in different fields of research. STE can capture the experience along the spectrum of intensity varying from the daily states (e.g., losing yourself while listening to the music or reading a book) to more intense feeling of inter-connectedness such in the case of mystical experiences. On the more intense side of the spectrum, the STEs has been most frequently studied through the lens of religious mystical experiences, or pharmacologically induced STEs with psychedelics. However, alternative pathways to induce STEs have also been explored. One possible pathway is through the use of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Indeed, VR has shown preliminary evidence to evoke altered states of consciousness in different settings. Moreover, VR has an advantage to support STEs in a safe environment as they might have potential to replicate and/or induce states that in other cases might bring adverse effects, can be expensive, and/or difficult to provide in the real world. The aim of this presentation is to describe an immersive group-based VR experience, named Ripple, developed by Dr. David Glowacki and his team. Ripple has been inspired by a Tibetan Buddhist meditation (Tonglen, which means giving and receiving) to evoke the state of ego-dissolution and compassionate inter-connectedness. In this proof-of-concept study 3 groups of individuals will be invited to practice a group Ripple session, 4 people per group (in total N=12). They will complete the following baseline and post-self-report measurements: positive and negative affect, compassion state, inter-connectedness scale. Also, the following post-test measurements will be collected: usability, satisfaction questionnaire, mystical experiences questionnaire (MEQ30) and ego-dissolution inventory (EDI), peak experiences scale, presence, and reality judgment questionnaires. Until now only very few studies have been using VR to induce non-ordinary states of consciousness. Therefore, finding innovative ways to evoke non-drug-related altered states of consciousness is necessary to move the field forward. Authors: Catherine Andreu, Maja Wrzesien, Ausiàs Cebolla, David Glowacki
Please support our work and enable us to continue to share these talks for free by donating at paypal.me/breakingconventionuk
