Filling-in the blanks of Ganzfeld art

Abstract

The Ganzfeld has attracted interest from various fields over the past 9 decades. Beyond the fields of visual perception and consciousness, this multifaceted effect has garnered attention from a wider public by virtue of its application in contemporary art by artists such as James Turrell. Until now, these art experiences have merely been described to elicit immersive experiences in the field of empirical aesthetics, with no empirical evidence. This study aimed to elucidate when and how aesthetic experiences in Ganzfeld art arise. We investigated the appeal of Ganzfeld art using a mixed-method approach, combining behavioral and neural measures with questionnaires, rating scales, and interviews. 67 Participants wore an EEG device, eye-tracker and headphones, and used a dial to report hallucinations and decays of color and brightness while experiencing a Ganzfeld artwork. Our participants experienced altered states of consciousness, which were positively related to beauty ratings. Both liking and beauty were assessed, and our data suggest they grasp slightly different facets of the experience. Most of our sample experienced distorted depth perception and this was positively related to liking. Moreover, we highlight the role of bodily sensations in the Ganzfeld experience. Perceived lightness showed a positive relation with alpha power, and combined with transcendental reports, hint at the notion of the sublime. Moreover, we identified two recurring cognitive processing types, abstract and perceptually grounded cognition. The eye movement analysis indicated more convergence during hallucinations and decays, pointing towards convergence as a behavior that coincides with a focused state.