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Papers, articles, books, videos and tools on technology, art and consciousness, collected and summarised.
Altered States Database
The Altered States Database (ASDB) is an open-science project by CIRCE, providing access to scientific data on pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods for inducing altered states of consciousness. It includes only peer-reviewed psychometric data and is updated annually based on systematic literature reviews. The project aims to support research on human consciousness, particularly in the context of psychedelics in therapy, by enhancing data comparability and optimizing study designs.
Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body
Meditation and mindfulness have evolved into popular solutions for various personal challenges. Goleman and Davidson present research revealing that while meditation can enhance mental states, achieving lasting personality traits requires more than just short daily practices. Effective training involves targeted feedback from experienced teachers and a broader perspective on the self, which are often lacking in common approaches. Their findings suggest new methodologies for maximizing the benefits of meditation.
AltVR
AltVR is a YouTube channel focused on art, culture, future, philosophy, psychology, science, spirituality, technology, and virtual reality, launched in 2018. More information can be found at their URL: https://www.youtube.com/@AltVR_YouTube.
Amazon.com: Ethical Consciousness Technology: The Neo-Veridia Chronicles eBook : Hatcher, Alan: Tienda Kindle
An eBook by Alan Hatcher, published in 2025, explores themes of art, culture, future, science, science fiction, and technology, and is available on Kindle.
Amazon.com: The Media Lab: Inventing the Future at M.I.T
Explores the future envisioned by the Media Lab at MIT, focusing on how scientists are reshaping mass media to cater to individual desires and preferences.
Autonomic indicators of self-transcendence: insights from the numadelic VR paradigm
HRV amplitude is identified as a physiological marker of self‑transcendent experiences during a “numadelic” VR paradigm, showing links to subjective self‑transcendence, compassion traits, and emotional improvement, though the study does not establish general clinical efficacy or long‑term effects.
Basics of Flickering Light & Pulsed Sound Brain Signaling
Flickering light and pulsed sound serve as neuromodulation signals that can synchronize brainwaves or promote adaptive neuroplastic change. The article differentiates between predictable stimulation, which elicits a frequency-following response, and more complex signaling that incorporates surprise and challenge to foster healthier patterns of attention, mood, and cognition.
Believable Virtual Reality does not need high-end VR headsets — study
A study from the University of Bath reveals that emotional connection, rather than high-quality graphics or wide field of view, is key to immersion in virtual reality environments. Researchers explored how technical and human factors interact to influence users' sense of presence in VR.
Clinical application of VR in patients with cardiovascular disease: state of the art
Cardiovascular disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, with patients experiencing various psychological symptoms, including anxiety and depression, which can impact recovery. Virtual reality (VR) technology has shown promise in improving psychological outcomes for patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) by providing immersive experiences that can alleviate distress and enhance recovery processes.
Context Engineering Hybrid Spaces for Perceptual Augmentation
Emerging spatial technologies are reshaping perception, challenging the traditional Cartesian split between subject and object. This paper explores how context engineering serves as an intermedial practice for perceptual augmentation, allowing real-time control over senses and influencing the construction of reality and consciousness.
Cyberdelic Nexus Newsletter
The Cyberdelic Nexus Newsletter covers topics related to art, culture, cyberdelia, science, spirituality, technology, and virtual reality. It includes a link to the newsletter and mentions related content.
Cybernetics of the Self
The article introduces the concept of a cyberdelic stance, emphasizing conscious engagement with technology as feedback loops that can enhance wisdom and agency. It explores the evolution of cybernetics, merging it with psychedelia to highlight tools and practices that promote interconnection and co-creation, encouraging individuals to actively shape their experiences rather than being controlled by algorithms.
Dreamseed VR - YouTube
Dreamseed VR is a YouTube channel created by Sarah Phinn in 2018, focusing on topics related to culture, philosophy, psychedelics, science, technology, and virtual reality. The channel can be accessed at the provided URL.
Embodied Telepresent Connection (ETC): Exploring Virtual Social Touch Through Pseudohaptics
The research explores the use of pseudo-haptics to create an embodied illusion of social touch in virtual reality through a prototype called ETC. It involves interaction patterns that simulate touch using visuals, sounds, and biosignal representation. Initial observations from events and workshops indicate that this approach can foster a subtle yet intimate experience of virtual social connection.
Enosis Therapeutics wants to optimise psychedelic therapy with VR
Enosis Therapeutics and Psylo are leveraging technology in Australia to advance medicinal psychedelic therapy, with Enosis focusing on virtual reality tools for integration therapy and Psylo developing non-hallucinogenic synthetic compounds. Australia has become the first country to legalize psychedelic-assisted therapies for conditions like treatment-resistant depression and PTSD.
Exploring Peak Experiences through Multi-Sensory Extended Reality
Research explores how Multi-Sensory Extended Reality (MSXR) can induce Peak Experiences and altered states of consciousness to improve mental health. The study uses a qualitative phenomenological approach to capture participants' experiences and perceived therapeutic benefits, aiming to enhance the role of immersive technologies in mental health interventions and contribute to counseling psychology and consciousness studies.
Eye movements in virtual environments
Recent advancements in virtual reality (VR) with embedded eye-tracking offer new opportunities for research, but they also present unique challenges for data collection and analysis. This paper discusses best practices for validating 3D gaze-tracking in VR, highlighting a pilot study that indicates accuracy may vary with stimulus distance and cautions against relying solely on vergence for estimating gaze depth.
Flicker light stimulation enhances the emotional response to music: a comparison study to the effects of psychedelics
Flicker light stimulation (FLS) enhances emotional responses to music, similar to the effects of psychedelics. In a study with twenty participants, FLS significantly increased reported emotions, particularly "Joyful Activation," and intensity of FLS correlated with higher emotional arousal. These findings suggest further exploration of FLS as a method for inducing altered states of consciousness and its interaction with music-evoked emotions.
Future Presence: How Virtual Reality Is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy, and the Limits of Ordinary Life
Virtual reality is set to revolutionize human connection and intimacy, enabling individuals to experience sensations of closeness and trust independently for the first time. This technology, described as an "intimacy engine," will transform work, entertainment, and emotional experiences, fundamentally altering relationships and societal dynamics. The exploration includes insights from creators and users of VR, showcasing its current capabilities and future implications for empathy, relationships, and human interaction.
Group VR experiences can produce ego attenuation and connectedness comparable to psychedelics
Research explores the potential of virtual reality (VR) to create self-transcendent experiences (STEs) similar to those induced by psychedelics. Using a framework called 'Isness-distributed', participants in shared VR spaces experience a blurring of self-other boundaries, leading to moments of 'energetic coalescence'. Analysis of 58 participants showed that the subjective experiences in VR were statistically comparable to those reported in psychedelic studies, indicating VR's capability to facilitate intersubjective STEs that dissolve individual ego in connection with others.
Holotechnica: Exploring the nexus of altered states and altered traits
Holotechnica combines various techniques to create lasting transformations of consciousness, addressing the gap between altered states and enduring traits. The study aims to develop frameworks that integrate endo-technologies, cyberdelics, and pharmaco-technologies, based on insights from expert interviews. Future work will enhance measures to assess the achievement of altered traits.
Hyperhuman Techniques
Hyperhuman Techniques is a tool featured in a spiritual technology database, focusing on topics like altered states, mindfulness, psychology, and spirituality. More information can be found at the provided URL.
Hyperhumanism: Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Age of AI
Exploration of hyperhumanism emphasizes reclaiming humanity amidst advancements in AI, touching on themes of art, culture, philosophy, and spirituality, as discussed in a podcast featuring Carl Hayden Smith.
Immersive virtual reality or computerised mindfulness meditation for improving mood?
Mindfulness interventions effectively improve mood and reduce stress. This study compares the efficacy of immersive virtual reality-based mindfulness with computerised mindfulness meditation in a pilot trial, also examining potential simulator sickness effects on user engagement.
Interview with Dr. Engelbert Winkler, co-Inventor of Lucia N°03 Light Technology
Interview with Dr. Engelbert Winkler discusses the Lucia N°03 Light Technology, highlighting its relevance in psychology, science, and technology. The content is available as a video for viewers interested in these subjects.
Modeling Psychedelic Tracers with QRI’s Psychophysics Toolkit: The Tracer Replication Tool
A new method called the Tracer Replication Tool has been developed to replicate psychedelic tracer effects, revealing how the time-like texture of experience influences states of consciousness. This tool aims to describe ineffable experiences, standardize a scale of psychedelic effects, quantify drug synergy, and test theories on the quality of experiences. Initial findings suggest distinct patterns in effects from various substances, such as THC and HPPD producing faint trails, and DMT resulting in vibrant visuals compared to the monochromatic effects of 5-MeO-DMT. The research encourages further exploration of these patterns within the scientific community and among psychonauts.
The New Skill in AI is Not Prompting, It's Context Engineering
Context Engineering is emerging as a crucial skill in AI, shifting the focus from prompt engineering to providing comprehensive context for tasks. The success of AI agents increasingly depends on the quality of context provided, with many failures attributed to context rather than model issues.
The Rise of Spiritual Technologies
Nichol Bradford, executive director of the Transformative Technology Lab, explores technology-based solutions for happiness and spiritual awakening, influenced by breakthroughs in psychedelic medicine and meditation studies. She emphasizes the potential of a $4 trillion market for wellness technologies, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Virtual reality: a powerful technology to provide novel insight into treatment mechanisms of addiction
Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a significant tool in mental health research, particularly for studying addiction. It offers immersive environments that simulate real-life scenarios, allowing researchers to investigate factors like craving, psychophysiology, and cognition in addiction treatment. VR enables standardized experimental designs and personalized simulations, enhancing understanding of treatment mechanisms and potentially leading to more effective therapeutic strategies.
VR Therapy in Palliative Care: A Case Series
Virtual reality (VR) therapy offers potential benefits for reducing symptom burden in palliative care patients. This case series evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of using VR therapy in this population, addressing a gap in existing research on its application in palliative settings.
VR vs. Lumena's Reflective Chamber (MindGym)
A study from the Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies reveals that anxiety-reducing experiences in a new reflective chamber called MindGym can be effectively translated into virtual reality formats, enhancing accessibility for anxiety management tools.
What It's Like to Take a Psychedelic Trip Without Drugs
A journalist explores the Reality Center in Santa Monica, which uses light, sound, and vibration to create psychedelic-like experiences without drugs. While the sessions provide stunning visuals and relaxation, they lack the depth of traditional psychedelic trips, raising concerns about the commercialization of psychedelic culture.
Whole Earth Catalog: Access To Tools
Individuals are gaining personal power to shape their own education and environment, seeking tools that facilitate this process, as traditional systems have obscured real gains with significant defects. The Next Earth Catalog promotes these empowering tools.