Multisensory Research in Transition: Viewpoints on the Past, Present, and Future of the Field

Abstract The field of multisensory integration is entering a transitional phase. Methodological, technological, and computational advances now allow long-held assumptions to be tested under more realistic conditions and with far greater analytical power. Those assumptions, and the methods that produced them, deserve renewed scrutiny. This special issue brings together fifteen viewpoint articles, in which 38 renowned researchers share and discuss their perspectives on the past, present, and future of the field. A shared interview format draws out opinions and behind-the-scenes knowledge that rarely surface in empirical papers. The viewpoints cover multisensory mechanisms, including single-neuron dynamics, neural oscillations, crossmodal plasticity, and the hierarchical organization of integration and segregation, as well as perceptual phenomena such as illusions and the perception of time, body, and speech. Further viewpoints address computational modelling, decision-making, and multisensory perception for action, as well as lifespan development, psychiatric disorders, multisensory technologies, and real-world applications. Beyond their specific topics, the authors reflect on the relevance of open-science practices, the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence, anticipated breakthroughs, and the challenges and opportunities facing the field. They also offer practical advice on how to build a career in multisensory research. Across the viewpoints, the authors urge openness to new methods, theories, and emerging phenomena such as humanoid multisensory robots. The viewpoints were written with early-career researchers in mind, but we hope they will inform and inspire scientists at all career stages, and stimulate the open, passionate, and controversial debate that has long defined this field.