---
_id: '7164'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: "Breath-based interactions in virtual reality typically map breathing onto
discrete visual objects or downstream physiological proxies. Viscereality takes
a different approach, mapping lung volume onto a surrounding space composed of
particles arranged in an orb enclosing the participant through interoceptive-exteroceptive
sensory\r\nsubstitution, such that inhalation expands the environment outward
and exhalation contracts it inward. The aesthetic texture of the particle field
is controlled by coupled oscillators governing phase relationships among individual
particles' animation cycles, making visual organisation an experimentally adjustable
parameter independent of the respiratory mechanics. In a preregistered within-subjects
study (N = 39), participants completed three 10-minute audio-guided box-breathing
sessions in counterbalanced order: a high-symmetry VR condition in which oscillator
coupling transiently aligned particles into geometric coherence during breath
holds, an asymmetric VR condition\r\nin which coupling remained irregular throughout,
and a black-screen control with only a minimal breathing performance indicator.
Subjective experience was assessed with an altered states of consciousness questionnaire,
temporal experience tracers, and three pictographic self-related measures. Relative
to the black-screen control, VR conditions improved breathing synchronization,
shifted participants toward a more spatially extended frame of self-reference,
and produced altered-state profiles with strong perceptual effects, moderate positive
effects, and weaker distressing effects. Despite lasting only 10 minutes, perceptual
and positive effect intensities were superficially\r\ncomparable to those reported
in 90-minute facilitated breathwork sessions conducted without VR, while negative
effects were lower. Temporal experience tracers converged with the retrospective
questionnaire across all dimensions. Participants remained blind to the aesthetic
symmetry manipulation, which also yielded no difference on any outcome measure.
These results suggest that even a brief bioresponsive VR breathing session can
meaningfully augment both breathing behavior and subjective experience, and may
warrant further exploration as a complement to established breathwork practices."
author:
- first_name: George
full_name: Fejer, George
last_name: Fejer
- first_name: Till
full_name: Holzapfel, Till
last_name: Holzapfel
- first_name: Johannes
full_name: Blum, Johannes
last_name: Blum
- first_name: Taru
full_name: Hirvonen, Taru
last_name: Hirvonen
- first_name: Anestis-Pere
full_name: Lalidis Mateo, Anestis-Pere
id: '236796'
last_name: Lalidis Mateo
orcid: 0009-0002-9545-9043
orcid_put_code_url: https://api.orcid.org/v2.0/0009-0002-9545-9043/work/226879134
- first_name: Michael
full_name: Gaebler, Michael
last_name: Gaebler
- first_name: Bigna
full_name: Lenggenhager, Bigna
last_name: Lenggenhager
citation:
alphadin: 'Fejer, George ; Holzapfel,
Till ; Blum, Johannes ; Hirvonen, Taru ; Lalidis
Mateo, Anestis-Pere ; Gaebler, Michael
; Lenggenhager, Bigna: Breathing
Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective State Representation
and Coherence Training in Viscereality : OSF, 2025'
ama: 'Fejer G, Holzapfel T, Blum J, et al. Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of
Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective State Representation and Coherence
Training in Viscereality. OSF; 2025. doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/F2GMW'
apa: 'Fejer, G., Holzapfel, T., Blum, J., Hirvonen, T., Lalidis Mateo, A.-P., Gaebler,
M., & Lenggenhager, B. (2025). Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath
and Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective State Representation and Coherence Training
in Viscereality. OSF. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/F2GMW'
bibtex: '@book{Fejer_Holzapfel_Blum_Hirvonen_Lalidis Mateo_Gaebler_Lenggenhager_2025,
title={Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback for
Affective State Representation and Coherence Training in Viscereality}, DOI={10.17605/OSF.IO/F2GMW}, publisher={OSF},
author={Fejer, George and Holzapfel, Till and Blum, Johannes and Hirvonen, Taru
and Lalidis Mateo, Anestis-Pere and Gaebler, Michael and Lenggenhager, Bigna},
year={2025} }'
chicago: 'Fejer, George, Till Holzapfel, Johannes Blum, Taru Hirvonen, Anestis-Pere
Lalidis Mateo, Michael Gaebler, and Bigna Lenggenhager. Breathing Space: Spatial
Mapping of Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective State Representation and
Coherence Training in Viscereality. OSF, 2025. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/F2GMW.'
ieee: 'G. Fejer et al., Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and
Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective State Representation and Coherence Training
in Viscereality. OSF, 2025.'
mla: 'Fejer, George, et al. Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and Cardiac
Biofeedback for Affective State Representation and Coherence Training in Viscereality.
OSF, 2025, doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/F2GMW.'
short: 'G. Fejer, T. Holzapfel, J. Blum, T. Hirvonen, A.-P. Lalidis Mateo, M. Gaebler,
B. Lenggenhager, Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback
for Affective State Representation and Coherence Training in Viscereality, OSF,
2025.'
date_created: 2026-09-16T09:12:52Z
date_updated: 2026-09-16T09:58:10Z
department:
- _id: '102'
doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/F2GMW
keyword:
- biofeedback
- breath-based interaction
- breathwork
- altered states of consciousness
- particle systems
project:
- _id: A827C0AA-C7DA-11E9-B0AE-1F4CB252D58D
name: Institute for Building Intelligence
publisher: OSF
related_material:
link:
- relation: original
url: 10.17605/OSF.IO/64MWK
record:
- id: '7162'
relation: other
status: public
status: public
title: 'Breathing Space: Spatial Mapping of Breath and Cardiac Biofeedback for Affective
State Representation and Coherence Training in Viscereality'
type: research_data
user_id: '236796'
year: '2025'
...