Nobody truly understands what it is like to die. Now, a new virtual reality simulation in Australia attempts to provide participants with similar experiences and give them a sample of what it may be like to expire.
The Morning News reported that the simulation is part of an exhibit titled “Passing Electrical Storms” by Shaun Gladwell, which is featured at the Melbourne Now event held at the National Gallery of Victoria. Mr. Gladwell has created a “extended reality” (XR) that guides participants through a simulation of life’s de-escalation, from cardiac arrest to cerebral death. The experience is currently being referred to as both “calming” and “unnerving.”

Passing Electrical Storms is a participatory XR experience with a profoundly ‘out-of-body’ quality, according to Melbourne Now. Through XR and medical technologies, Gladwell simulates the experience of death. This interactive work guides participants through a simulated de-escalation of life, from cardiac arrest to mental death, in a manner that is both meditative and disquieting. Passing Electrical Storms provides an arresting contemplation of the universes within and beyond the body.
Individuals undergoing the VR experience are connected to a pulse monitor and can exit the experience at any moment if they find it unbearable. The staff is available to “pull you out” if the situation becomes too disconcerting.

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The NGV commissioned Passing Electrical Storms, which was made possible through a Research Partnership with Deakin Motion Lab, Deakin University.