Frontiers in Psychology
June 24, 2022
Alice Chirico, Marta Pizzolante, Alexandra Kitson et al.
58 citations
Transformative experience (TE) is studied across many disciplines, from philosophy to neurobiology and in domains from spirituality to education, yet no consistent definition exists. This work reviews models and theories of TE from different fields, extracts their main components, and examines redundancies and particularities across domains. It then proposes an integrated theoretical framework and a preliminary interdisciplinary operational definition of TE. This synthesis aims to organize current research and theories, offering a foundation for operationalizing TE and encouraging new interdisciplinary studies.
Virtual Creativity
June 1, 2022
Noah Miller, John Desnoyers-Stewart, Ekaterina R. Stepanova et al.
2 citations
An autoethnographic close reading of the virtual reality experience 'Ayahuasca Kosmik Journey' reveals that immersive technology can evoke self-transcendent emotions—such as feelings of vastness and connection—without the use of illegal psychedelic substances like DMT. The analysis highlights the importance of spatial design, sensory engagement, and narrative contrast in generating these effects. It also identifies key psychological dimensions in the experience, including agency, embodiment, discomfort, and self-transcendent emotions. The findings suggest both potential and limitations for VR to simulate aspects of psychedelic ceremonies, extending the power of art and technology to foster self-transcendence.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2021
Alexandra Kitson, Alice Chirico, Andrea Gaggioli et al.
1 citation
correction
This notice corrects an error in a previously published article. No new findings or arguments are presented.
arXiv (Cornell University)
February 13, 2025
Pinyao Liu, Keon Ju M. Lee, Alexander Steinmaurer et al.
DreamLLM-3D is an immersive art installation that combines a Large Language Model with text-to-3D generative AI to enable dream re-experiencing. It processes voiced dream reports to identify key dream entities, social interactions, and sentiment, then visualizes these as dynamic 3D point clouds where emotional data influences color and soundscapes. The system also proposes an experiential AI-Dreamworker Hybrid paradigm. This approach could potentially facilitate emotionally engaging dream-reliving, enhancing personal insights and creativity.
Frontiers in Psychology
January 1, 2020
Alexandra Kitson, Alice Chirico, Andrea Gaggioli et al.
Self-transcendence involves reduced self-saliency (ego disillusionment) and increased connection, and interest in the topic has grown over the past decade. Several measures with some psychometric validity and reliability exist, but no prior review has systematically described, contrasted, and evaluated the various methodological approaches—including questionnaires, neurological and physiological measures, and qualitative methods. This review fills that gap by describing existing measurement methods, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and suggesting future research directions and recommendations for selecting appropriate methods based on research context.
Conference on Designing Interactive Systems
July 4, 2025
P. Wang, X. Fang, Gabriel Ducos et al.
Lucid dreaming has mental and physical health benefits, but most induction techniques require extensive practice. A portable interactive prototype called LuciEntry was designed to help induce lucid dreaming using timed visual and auditory cues. Lab and field studies were conducted, and interview data revealed three themes. From these findings and design practice, seven considerations were derived to guide future lucid dream systems. The work aims to inspire further research into interactive technologies for altered states of consciousness.
Conference on Designing Interactive Systems
July 10, 2023
Noah Miller, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, John Desnoyers-Stewart et al.
Virtual reality can evoke self-transcendent emotions like awe, which may improve mental well-being when direct access to nature is limited. Designers created Awedyssey, a VR sensory deprivation countermeasure experience exhibited publicly. Qualitative feedback from interviews, diaries, and surveys revealed design tensions: balancing realism, autonomy, vastness, and comfort across diverse individuals. The work articulates design knowledge for creating technologically mediated emotional experiences that support mental health.
International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
April 27, 2022
Pinyao Liu, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Alexandra Kitson et al.
Flying dreams can evoke feelings of empowerment and self-transcendent experience, which benefit well-being, but such dreams are hard to induce intentionally. Virtual reality (VR) flying interfaces with more embodied self-motion cues better supported self-transcendent experience and empowerment than those with fewer cues. Design considerations derived include obscurity, extraordinary light, and a supportive setting. These findings contribute to guidelines for designing VR experiences that foster self-transcendence and empowerment, potentially applicable to improving mental well-being.
CHI Extended Abstracts
May 2, 2019
Alexandra Kitson, S. DiPaola, B. Riecke
Lucid Loop is a proof-of-concept virtual reality system that uses biofeedback and deep-learning AI to simulate the experience of lucid dreaming while awake. The virtual environment becomes visually clearer when the participant's brain waves, respiration, and heart rate indicate focused attention. The authors propose this as a novel technique for practicing lucid awareness without requiring sleep, offering an embodied experience where written descriptions are insufficient. Future work aims to validate the system and evaluate its ability to improve lucidity by detecting and adapting to a participant's awareness.