Designs on Transcendence: Sketches of a TX machine
Foundations and Trends® in Human–Computer Interaction December 14, 2021 Mark Blythe, Elizabeth Buie 24 citations
Transcendent or spiritual experiences can be facilitated by physical environments, psychedelic compounds, and digital technologies such as virtual reality and meditation apps. These experiences are described as ineffable, intense, ephemeral, paradoxical, and sometimes sacred, with mystical forms characterized by unity, epiphany, and altered perception of time and space. Common emotional responses include ecstasy, tranquility, gratitude, awe, and reverence. Benefits reported in the literature include substance use recovery and improved mental health. The paper reviews work in human-computer interaction and related fields, presents a design fiction about brain-computer interfaces for transcendent experiences, and ends with a manifesto calling for an interdisciplinary field to study transcendent experiences beyond health and wellbeing.