Virtual reality can represent mystical-type experiences, such as those from psychedelics or psychosis, by using atmosphere as a central mechanism. Drawing on new materialism and atmosphere research, this article argues that VR's sensory modalities and virtual environments translate invisible mental states into tangible, immersive experiences. Analysis of the VR works Manic VR and Ayahuasca – Kosmik Journey shows how medium-specific affordances construct affectively charged atmospheres that evoke liminal consciousness. These works form a spectrum of non-dualist, relational aesthetics, from restrained attunement to deep somatic absorption, demonstrating how VR enables felt experiences that resonate with the represented mental states.
By examining the experience of atmospheres through micro-phenomenology, this article offers a new perspective on Alfred N. Whitehead's process philosophy. Both Whitehead's thought and micro-phenomenology focus on what occurs before something becomes a perceivable quality, but from different angles. Atmospheres, which exist at the edge of awareness, are treated as a field of possible experiences that emerge when the perception of objects is replaced by processes. Exploring sensual experience and meaning-making through atmospheric media helps situate new conceptual approaches to human-environment relationships. The author suggests that atmospheric awareness enables critical reflection and acceptance of difference, and that this perspective provides fruitful connections to contemporary research on experience and meaning-making.