From awe to anxiety: investigating art-induced self-transcendence using virtual reality

Introduction: Art has been shown to evoke a range of emotions, yet the mechanisms underlying these responses remain underexplored. Across three studies using between- and within-subjects designs, we examined how viewing original photographic art in virtual reality (VR) influences self-transcendent emotions and related affective states. Method: In Study 1, participants viewed photographs in one of three VR contexts (museum, warehouse, church sanctuary). In Study 2, participants viewed the same photographs in a VR museum context where the photo scale varied (small vs. large scale). In Study 3, online participants viewed video recordings of the VR museum with or without computer-generated avatars. Results: Contrary to predictions, across all three studies, self-transcendent positive emotions decreased following the virtual art intervention, even after controlling for cybersickness. However, the virtual art intervention also consistently reduced state anxiety. Conclusion: Additional alternative explanations and implications are discussed for using VR to elicit self-transcendent emotional experiences to art.