Afterlife

Afterlife is an immersive VR experience, inspired by Buddhist
contemplation techniques. It offers virtual environments where
we can choose to go in order to escape the sensory overload of
our physical surroundings. Everything in this world is designed to
either focus our attention on simple things like colors, light and
droning sounds or to make us experience the vastness of space.
Afterlife is not a tool for meditation but rather an artistic approach
towards transcendence and immersion.
The experience consists of different modes (see images on the
following pages). These modes trigger a sense of contemplation
through different means. For instance focusing on our breath or
gazing into a vast environment. The modes come randomly and
last as long as the user wishes to stay. A vertical gaze up into the
universe fades one mode into the next one. The user’s breath
controls small parameters like color or image warping.
Experiencing the sublime through an infinite landscape, a gigantic
hyperspace or an open sea is key to traditional contemplation
techniques. It helps us understanding the impermanence of life
and to detach us from what we believe constitutes our true self.
In Afterlife we are invited to be spectators only and to let go of
thoughts, expectations and worry.
Heavy and dramatic drone sounds follow the visual structure of
the experience and focus our attention on the very moment of
hearing that sound. We are invited to be purely present. The epic
soundscape is purely synthetic and uses low droning frequencies
to access our body sensations.

CREDITS
Herwig Scherabon / Art Direction and Concept
Arno Deutschbauer / VR Artist and Concept
Michael Ari / Programmer
Lukas Fliszar / Designer