A Typology for Identifying Digitally-Induced Altered States of Consciousness Through Input Discrepancy
ACM International Conference Proceeding Series October 8, 2024
Digital technologies increasingly shape human consciousness by inducing experiences like dreams, transcendental states, or derealisation. Devices such as brain-stimulating magnets and biofeedback-based VR headsets form a new class of technology already used in medicine and art, but their full potential remains unrealized. Researchers must use alternative strategies, including speculative or fictional narratives, to explore how this phenomenon might evolve. This work proposes conceptualizing altered states of consciousness through the relationship between external input and processor, offering "discrepancy of input" as a flexible criterion for identifying digitally-induced altered states. The criterion is demonstrated with examples from science fiction.