A Typology for Identifying Digitally-Induced Altered States of Consciousness Through Input Discrepancy
ACM International Conference Proceeding Series October 8, 2024 DOI: 10.1145/3681716.3689443 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Altered states of consciousness |
| Key points | Proposes that "discrepancy of input" serves as a flexible navigational criterion for identifying digitally-induced altered states of consciousness in speculative and fictional narratives. |
Abstract
The development of digital technologies leads to new types of relationships between the digital world and human consciousness, increasingly inducing or influencing specific types of experiences, such as dreams, transcendental experiences, or derealisation. The varied devices used to induce these experiences, from brain-stimulating magnets to biofeedback-based VR headsets, constitute a new class of digital technologies. They are already starting to be utilised in various spheres of life from medicine to art. However, the full potential of technologies is only beginning to be revealed and implementations are somewhat limited; accordingly, researchers in the field must use alternative strategies when investigating the potential evolution of this phenomenon. Making use of speculative or fictional narratives is one productive approach. Finding relevant technologies within narratives has some challenges and requires a more specific criterion for defining this phenomenon. This work in progress suggests the conceptualization of altered states of consciousness (ASC) through the lens of the relationship between external input and processor as a practical strategy for identifying digitally-induced altered states of consciousness (DIAL). It provides "discrepancy of input" as a flexible navigational criterion that will help include unknown technologies into the discussion about altered states of consciousness. The implementation of the criterion is demonstrated in specific examples of identification technologies from sci-fi worlds.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on altered states of consciousness, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Altered States of Consciousness | 1966 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Functional neuroanatomy of altered states of consciousness: The transient hypofrontality hypothesis | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| The Psychedelic Mystical Experience in the Human Encounter with Death | 1969 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| A neurophenomenological approach to non-ordinary states of consciousness: hypnosis, meditation, and psychedelics | 2022 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Hypnotic phenomena and altered states of consciousness: a multilevel framework of description and explanation | 2003 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 7
- Group VR experiences can produce ego attenuation and connectedness comparable to psychedelics Scientific Reports May 30, 2022
- Designs on Transcendence: Sketches of a TX machine Foundations and Trends® in Human–Computer Interaction December 14, 2021
- Psychedelic replications in virtual reality and their potential as a therapeutic instrument: an open-label feasibility study. Frontiers in Psychiatry March 1, 2023
- Cyberdelics in context: On the prospects and challenges of mind-manifesting technologies. Frontiers in Psychology 2022
- Psychedelic VR Experience: An Exploratory Study on Cosmic Flow November 9, 2022
and 2 more in the library