Measuring Altered States of Consciousness in Virtual Reality: A Systematic Analysis of Assessment Methods
Maria Laura Mele, Hans Rutrecht
HCI International 2025 – Late Breaking Papers January 1, 2026 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-12808-9_8 via Springer Nature
Summary
Virtual Reality (VR) can induce and assess Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs), but there are significant inconsistencies in the methods used to study these experiences. A review of literature from 2014 to 2024 shows a lack of standardization in experimental designs and measurement tools across four key areas: clinical research, cognitive science, immersive technology, and psychological evaluation. The findings emphasize the need for a standardized framework to enable more reliable assessments of VR-induced ASCs.
Study at a glance
| Design | review |
|---|---|
| Key finding | The review reveals significant methodological inconsistencies in studying VR-induced ASCs, highlighting the need for a standardized methodological framework. |
Abstract
The intersection of Virtual Reality (VR) and Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) represents a notable research domain in experimental and clinical contexts, highlighting the growing interest in how immersive technologies can induce, modulate, and assess non-ordinary cognitive and emotional states. This study examines literature from 2014 to 2024, providing a review of the methodological frameworks and evaluation strategies used in examining VR-induced ASCs. Four primary methodological fields have been analyzed: (1) clinical and therapeutic research, (2) cognitive science and neurophysiology, (3) immersive technology and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), and (4) psychological and phenomenological evaluation. Research indicates that VR-mediated ASCs can be systematically evaluated through multimodal techniques. The review reveals significant methodological inconsistencies, highlighting the lack of standardization in experimental designs, variability in measurement tools, and limited interdisciplinary integration. The review highlights the need for a standardized methodological framework that allows for replicable assessment of VR induced ASCs.