# Viscereality Source: https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality.html Canonical HTML: https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality.html Generated: 2026-05-26 Description: Viscereality is a Quest-based bioresponsive VR research system for breath interaction, cardiac coherence training, oscillator-driven visuals, and repeatable study sessions. Markdown: https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality.md Plain text: https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality.txt BibTeX references: https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality.bib CSL JSON references: https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality.references.csl.json --- Current XR research system # Viscereality Viscereality is a Quest-based biofeedback research system that links breathing, cardiac rhythm, oscillator-driven visuals, and visual state changes. It combines a participant VR runtime with an operator workflow for running repeatable research sessions around regulation, coherence, and embodied interaction. [Project site](https://viscereality.org/) [Companion app](https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality-companion.html) [Docs & downloads](https://mesmerprism.github.io/ViscerealityCompanion/) [Back to work](https://mesmerprism.com/#work) Direction ## System shape Viscereality is a research system for making breath, heart rhythm, visual state, and operator workflow repeatable enough to study. It builds an environment where breath pacing, interoceptive feedback, oscillator-driven motion, and visual state changes can be aligned tightly enough to become experimentally meaningful. The system has two visible parts. The participant runtime on Quest couples breathing sources, heart-rate signals, coherence metrics, and visual structure in real time. The Windows operator workflow keeps installation, launch, monitoring, telemetry, study-shell control, and session evidence outside the headset so research sessions remain stable and reproducible. The description focuses on system architecture and design aims. Claims about participant outcomes belong in the cited proceedings or future participant data rather than in the interface description alone. ### Current focus - Breath-linked visual interaction and respiratory pacing - Cardiac biofeedback and coherence-oriented training interfaces - Oscillator-driven particle systems and structured visual symmetries - Quest study tooling, transport, monitoring, and operator-shell design ### Public systems and links - [viscereality.org](https://viscereality.org/) is the main project site for the broader Viscereality system - [Quest Companion Tools](https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality-companion.html) covers install, launch, monitoring, study shells, and custom adaptation work - [Plasmatic Multitudes](https://mesmerprism.com/projects/plasmatic-multitudes.html) for the semi-corporeal and embodiment-facing design layer - [Brain Candy](https://mesmerprism.com/projects/brain-candy.html) for guided state-shift design and altered-perception framing Translation ## Why it matters Viscereality matters because biofeedback VR only becomes researchable when participant experience, sensor reliability, visual behavior, and operator workflow are stable enough to repeat. Breath, heartbeat, coherence metrics, oscillator visuals, and study guidance have to survive headset thermals, transport issues, and operator burden together. That makes the participant runtime and the Windows companion part of the same research object. One shapes the experience inside the headset; the other makes installation, launch, monitoring, and session evidence repeatable outside it. ### System parts - Standalone Quest runtime with oscillator-driven particle rendering - Breath, heartbeat, coherence, and runtime-config pathways - Windows operator shell for launch, monitoring, installation, study guidance, and collaborator transfer - Publications across immersive systems, breath interaction, and coherence training ### Status - The current release path supports collaboration with [Hugo Critchley's lab at Sussex](https://www.sussex.ac.uk/research/centres/sussex-neuroscience/phd/4yearphd/supervisors/translational-projects/hugo-critchley-project) - The companion app handles install, launch, monitoring, and session guidance from Windows - General-purpose operator tooling follows once that workflow is stable enough to reuse cleanly References ## Current references These are the main public papers and system links currently defining Viscereality. They anchor the breath, biofeedback, visualization, and study-tooling descriptions separately from broader aspirations about altered experience. ### Papers and public outputs - Fejer et al. "[Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective State Representation and Coherence Training in Viscereality](https://doi.org/10.1145/3780045.3780061)." AlpCHI proceedings (2026). - Fejer et al. "[Viscereality: A Bio-responsive VR System for Breath-Based Interactions and Coupled Oscillator Dynamics to Augment Altered States of Consciousness](https://doi.org/10.18420/muc2025-mci-ws11-174)." Mensch und Computer workshop proceedings (2025). - Barton et al. "[The Restorative and State Enhancing Potential of Abstract Fractal-Like Imagery and Interactive Mindfulness Interventions in Virtual Reality](https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-023-00916-7)." Virtual Reality (2024). - Pinilla et al. "[Affective Visualization in Virtual Reality: An Integrative Review](https://doi.org/10.3389/frvir.2021.630731)." Frontiers in Virtual Reality (2021). ### Public systems and research links - Viscereality project site. [viscereality.org](https://viscereality.org/) describes the system and its current experiential framing. - Alius Research project page. [aliusresearch.org/viscereality.html](https://aliusresearch.org/viscereality.html) situates the project within its broader research context. - Current Quest runtime. The participant-facing runtime is described through [viscereality.org](https://viscereality.org/), Mesmer Prism, and the cited papers; source release decisions follow the research collaboration requirements. - Viscereality Companion. [The companion page](https://mesmerprism.com/projects/viscereality-companion.html), the public [docs and downloads](https://mesmerprism.github.io/ViscerealityCompanion/), and [the source repository](https://github.com/MesmerPrism/ViscerealityCompanion) cover the Windows operator app, study-shell packaging, and public documentation. - Mesmer Prism GitHub. [github.com/MesmerPrism](https://github.com/MesmerPrism) indexes surrounding tooling and related research code that can be shared openly.