How can virtual reality help to understand consciousness? A thematic analysis of students’ experiences in a novel virtual environment

Research on consciousness typically presents stimuli and records the responses that follow, to infer the intervening processes. Yet, VR allows ecological validity by giving the user freedom to continuously control their sensory input across three spatial dimensions via head and eye movement. We designed a virtual world in which the angle of view relates to the information complexity of the sensory input. We assessed its acceptability and feasibility, and explored the first-person experience. Ten university students were immersed in two different novel environments, then a semi-structured interview, guided by first-person video footage of the VR experience, elicited participants' reports. The methodology proved feasible, and a thematic analysis was consistent with Mansell's (2024) control theory perspective, and to a lesser degree, Integrated Information Theory (IIT) and Global Workspace Theory (GWT). We conclude that novel virtual environments provide an accessible, dynamic and valid way to gather evidence regarding different theories of consciousness.