Simulator Lets You Experience Death
I have to say that I have mixed feelings about trying this at an exhibit. My anxiety levels would be sky high, but I can see where a lot of curious people would be dying to get in and try this. Most people, it’s safe to say, don’t want to die. However, even those among us not ready to shuffle off their mortal coils are curious about what comes next — and thanks to a new virtual reality simulator, you can reportedly see just that.
Shaun Gladwell is an Australian multimedia artist who has used virtual reality to “redefine” the boundaries of traditional art. His latest exhibit, Passing Electrical Storms, lets patrons pass the boundaries of life itself.
Part of the Melbourne Now art exhibition event being staged by the National Gallery of Victoria, the attraction lets patrons lay down on a gurney, where a heart rate monitor is attached to their finger and a VR headset is placed on their face.
According to one TikTok user whose video of the exhibit went viral, “What happens is you’re laying down, the bed vibrates, you flatline.” He notes that through your headset you see “doctors come over the top of you…and they try to revive you, and it doesn’t work, and then you float up past them into space.”
He didn’t want to “spoil” the rest of the journey, which was apparently based on the anecdotal experiences of people who have had near-death experiences, or NDEs.
Answering a common question from his followers, the patron explained, “I can see how people say it causes anxiety and panic — it definitely borderlines that,” explaining you’re urged to raise your hand “if you’ve had enough or you want to quit.”
The event runs through August 20 — but hey, nothing last forever. Except actual death.
