NoöSphere: Mindfulness in a Hyper-Connected World

Virtual reality experiences often suffer a little due to the discordant act of being plonked somewhere loud and bustly and asked to immerse oneself in another world. NoöSphere solved this problem by housing themselves in a basement and collecting three complementary experiences together in a quiet and more unified environment.

The first work, Inner Eye, was a quietly affecting and effective experience, focusing your attention on your own breathing through some guided meditation, reflected in a changeable pulsing form in front of you.

Having been made notably more relaxed and contemplative after Inner Eye, a power outage delayed the second experience for me. Hatsumi gives you a painter’s palette and asks you to paint how your body feels, a good idea in keeping with the overall NoöSphere theme. My experience was sadly too brief – presumably due to delays beyond their control – so it didn’t make much of an impression.

Thankfully, the third work, Trail of Angels, allowed more time for immersion in a memorable 15-minute-long passive experience, moving from occasionally beautiful painterly dioramas into a dreamlike, celestial ascent. A perfect end to a memorably calming event.

Runs until 23 September as part of #TOMTech and Brighton Digital Festival.

The Old Market, 20 September 2018

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