Work

Immersive virtual reality: distinct impact on altered states of consciousness

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: As mental health challenges continue to rise, there is increasing interest in interventions that promote psychological change through emotionally and experientially rich states. One well-studied example involves mystical-type experiences, typically reported in psychedelic-assisted interventions. Virtual reality (VR), with its immersive and embodied qualities, has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological medium for eliciting phenomenologically similar states. This study investigated the medium-specific contribution of VR to such altered states of consciousness. In a controlled experiment, 70 participants viewed the same emotionally evocative short film either via an immersive VR headset or on a standard computer screen. Responses on the Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30) indicated significantly higher scores across all dimensions in the VR group. These results highlight VR’s potential as a tool for evoking transformative experiences and suggest that immersive technologies may not merely transmit content but actively shape emotional and cognitive processes.

Source: Virtual Reality

DOI: 10.1007/s10055-026-01443-x

Authors: Liat Abouhav, Keren Nitzan, Ravid Doron

Institution: Open University of Israel

Language: English

Topic: Virtual Reality Applications and Impacts

Subfield: Human-Computer Interaction

Field: Computer Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,990