Changes in EEG Entropy, Alpha Power, and Beta Power Following a VR Psychedelic Journey
Sonny Mattek
PsyArXiv February 1, 2023 preprint DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/4nrd6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post observational EEG study |
|---|---|
| Intervention | Inner State VR experience |
| Measures | electroencephalography (EEG) |
| Key findings | The authors report that after the Inner State VR experience, EEG showed decreased entropy and increased alpha and beta power relative to before VR. They propose that these changes suggest VR may support integration, creativity, and focus, paralleling anecdotal accounts of psychedelic microdosing. |
Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) is an emerging tool that has been shown to induce experiences similar to psychedelics. In this report, we measure brain activity using electroencephalography (EEG) before and after a novel VR experience. This Inner State VR experience was designed as a drugless psychedelic journey that mimicks a microdosing experience, to create the opportunity of participating in a psychedelic journey without consumption of a substance. We found the post-VR brain activity showed decreases in entropy, as well as increases in power in the alpha and beta frequency ranges, compared to pre-VR. We relate these data to existing literature to hypothesize how VR could be a useful tool for integration, creativity, and focus, which is consistent with anecdotal use cases of psychedelic microdosing.