Sipping the virtual elixir: An autoethnographic close reading of Ayahuasca Kosmik Journey, a self-transcendent virtual experience
Noah Miller, John Desnoyers-Stewart, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, Alexandra Kitson, Jim Bizzocchi, Bernhard E. Riecke
Virtual Creativity June 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1386/vcr_00059_1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Autoethnography Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Ayahuasca |
| Keywords | Autoethnography Narrative Aesthetics Self Experiential learning Embodied cognition Agency philosophy Epistemology Gender studies Literature |
| Citations | 2 |
| Key findings | Immersive virtual reality can evoke self-transcendent emotions and experiences similar to those in ayahuasca ceremonies, with spatiality, the sensorium, and embodied interaction playing paramount roles. |
Abstract
Self-transcendent experiences are often an integral component of ancient cultural practices that use psychedelic substances during spiritual ceremonies, such as ayahuasca ceremonies. Yet, ayahuasca contains dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is illegal in many countries. Due to its illegality, ayahuasca experiences are scarce despite potential benefits of increased quality of life and reduced psychopathology. Virtual reality (VR) can provide a safe and legal glimpse of psychedelic experiences, such as an ayahuasca ceremony. These experiences may in turn evoke self-transcendent emotions without hallucinogenic substances, extending the power of art and technology to stimulate self-transcendence. To explore the potential, limits and experiential qualities that immersive experience design can afford for cyberdelic experiences, we conducted an autoethnographic close reading analysis of Atlas V’s Ayahuasca Kosmik Journey . Autoethnography allowed us to study complex and personal experiences while close reading connected those experiences to the design of the artefact. This allowed us to gain insights into the connections between design and experience and critically analyse the experience. The resulting reflection unveiled prominent psychological lenses in our subjective experience, including agency, embodiment, discomfort and self-transcendent emotions. Our analysis explicates the paramount role of spatiality, the sensorium and theme with embodied interaction for the self-transcendent effects of vastness, the role of contrast in narrative transitions and how meaning is rooted in previous experiences. Our analysis unveils the potential and the limitations of immersive technology to emulate self-transcendent experiences through extending our senses and transcending the self.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on ayahuasca, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The antipodes Of the mind Indigenous people, shamans, members of different religious sects using Ayahuasca, and... | 2002 | Qualitative study | |
| Drug Tourism or Spiritual Healing? Ayahuasca Seekers in Amazonia Westerners participating in an ayahuasca retreat in Amazonia | 2005 | Qualitative study | |
| Therapeutic Effects of Ritual Ayahuasca Use in the Treatment of Substance Dependence—Qualitative Results Therapists, expert researchers, and individuals who underwent ayahuasca-assisted... | 2014 | Qualitative study | n = 29 |
| Nourishing the Spirit: Exploratory Research on Ayahuasca Experiences along the Continuum of Recovery from Eating Disorders Individuals previously diagnosed with an eating disorder | 2017 | Qualitative study | n = 16 |
| Exploring ayahuasca‐assisted therapy for addiction: A qualitative analysis of preliminary findings among an Indigenous community in Canada Indigenous adults in Canada who participated in ayahuasca-assisted ceremonial retreats | 2019 | Qualitative study | n = 11 |
Citations in the library
Cites 6
- The Varieties of Self-Transcendent Experience Review of General Psychology May 1, 2017
- Personality, Psychopathology, Life Attitudes and Neuropsychological Performance among Ritual Users of Ayahuasca: A Longitudinal Study PLoS One August 8, 2012
- Subjective effects and tolerability of the South American psychoactive beverage Ayahuasca in healthy volunteers Psychopharmacology February 22, 2001
- Effects of ayahuasca on mental health and quality of life in naïve users: A longitudinal and cross-sectional study combination Scientific Reports March 5, 2020
- Purging and the body in the therapeutic use of ayahuasca Social Science & Medicine August 31, 2019
and 1 more in the library