How do we perceive sacredness? This age-old question has captivated thinkers across disciplines, from philosophers and anthropologists to psychologists and neuroscientists. In this study, we aim to experimentally explore how people experience sacredness in various sacred spaces in virtual reality. To achieve this, we are leveraging advanced technologies such as wearable sensors to capture bio-physiological data and an eye-tracking system for detailed analysis of visual attention. Access to high-quality virtual reality systems with integrated eye-tracking capabilities is often prohibitively expensive, posing a significant challenge to our work. However, thanks to the generous support of Innovate Lab, which provided the essential technology for this project, we were able to bring this study to life.

Submitted by Mohammad Amin Saraei