Despite everything that science has to say about life, no one alive knows what its like to experience death.
In contrast, those who have had a near-death experience frequently recount what happened after their hearts stopped, including leaving their bodies and viewing them from up high.
A brand-new virtual reality simulation is now offering users a taste of what it’s like to pass away.
The Passing Electrical Storms installation by artist Shaun Gladwell “guides participants through a simulated de-escalation of life, from cardiac arrest to brain death.”
On a makeshift medical bed, users lie down and are connected to a heart rate monitor. The simulation reportedly has workers on hand to “take you out” if it becomes too unpleasant because it may be so unsettling.
A Melbourne native named Marcus Crook, who is also exhibiting at the event, described what the VR death experience is actually like.
“I can see how people would say it causes anxiety and panic. It definitely borderlines that—they do put your finger on a heart rate monitor and then tell you to raise your hand if you’ve had enough and want to quit,” he said.
“What happens is you’re laying down, the bed vibrates, you flatline. The doctors come over the top of you. You can see yourself in the goggles and they try to revive you—it doesn’t work. Then you float up out past them into space and it keeps going,” said Crook.
Nobody can truly understand what it feels like to die, just as no one can truly comprehend what the VR experience is like unless they are in Australia and have the opportunity to try it out.
Passing Electrical Storms is part of Melbourne Now, a festival featuring over 200 artists. You can visit the installation between now and August.
