Mapping of Subjective Accounts into Interpreted Clusters (MOSAIC): Topic Modelling and LLM applied to Stroboscopic Phenomenology.
Neurosci Conscious April 7, 2026 Romy Beauté, David J. Schwartzman, Guillaume Dumas et al. 3 citations
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Romy Beauté
5 papers in the library · 3 citations · publishing 2020-2026
Papers
Stroboscopically Induced Visual Hallucinations: Historical, Phenomenological and Neurobiological Perspectives
December 13, 2024 Trevor Hewitt, Ioanna Amaya, Romy Beauté et al. preprint
Exposure to rapid and bright stroboscopic light can induce vivid visual hallucinations of color and geometric forms, a phenomenon first documented by Purkinje over 200 years ago. Despite centuries of scientific, therapeutic, and cultural interest, fundamental questions remain about its phenomenology, physiological origins, and potential clinical applications. This narrative review summarizes the historical research on stroboscopic light stimulation, its use in recreational and lay-therapeutic settings, and discusses the phenomenology of these experiences. It also examines current perspectives on the neural mechanisms that may underlie stroboscopically induced experiences and outlines directions for future research.
Mapping of Subjective Accounts into Interpreted Clusters (MOSAIC): Topic Modelling and LLM applied to Stroboscopic Phenomenology
arXiv Preprint Archive February 25, 2025 Romy Beauté, David J. Schwartzman, Guillaume Dumas et al.
Stroboscopic light stimulation on closed eyes typically induces simple visual hallucinations—vivid, geometric, and colorful patterns. An analysis of 862 open-ended reports from the Dreamachine immersive experience, using large language models and topic modeling, confirmed these simple hallucinations and also revealed altered states of consciousness and complex hallucinations. This computational approach enables systematic study of subjective experiences beyond standard questionnaires, capturing subtle patterns not readily identified through closed-form questions. The findings broaden understanding of stroboscopically induced phenomena and demonstrate the potential of natural language processing in computational neurophenomenology.
Stroboscopically induced visual hallucinations: historical, phenomenological, and neurobiological perspectives.
Neuroscience of Consciousness January 1, 2025 Trevor Hewitt, Ioanna Amaya, Romy Beauté et al.
Exposure to rapid, bright stroboscopic light has been known for over 200 years to induce vivid visual hallucinations of color and geometric shapes. This narrative review summarizes the history of research on stroboscopic light stimulation (SLS), its recreational and lay-therapeutic uses, the phenomenology of the experiences it produces, and current understanding of potential neural mechanisms. Despite progress, fundamental questions remain about the full characterization of its phenomenology, its precise physiological origins, the conditions under which it leads to altered states of consciousness, and possible clinical applications.
Blackout of my nights: Contentless, timeless and selfless report from the night in patients with central hypersomnias.
Consciousness and Cognition May 1, 2020 Emma Chabani, Marie Charlotte Vionnet, Romy Beauté et al.
Patients with idiopathic hypersomnia more often report a night blackout—an absence of experiences or recall from sleep onset to offset—than patients with narcolepsy or healthy controls. In a questionnaire study of 133 idiopathic hypersomnia patients, 108 narcolepsy patients, and 128 controls, those with idiopathic hypersomnia and frequent night amnesia had lower dream recall, felt sleep as deeper and mind as blank, and showed a higher proportion of slow wave sleep on retrospectively collected recordings. The night blackout offers a model for studying loss of consciousness during sleep, experienced as contentless, selfless, and timeless upon awakening.