A Framework for Identifying Technologically Enhanced Psychedelic Experiences

<aside> <img src="/icons/alien_green.svg" alt="/icons/alien_green.svg" width="40px" /> To ensure clarity and consistency in identifying such experiences, we have developed a comprehensive set of criteria and a qualification checklist. This framework aims to distinguish genuinely cyberdelic experiences from other digital offerings, highlighting their unique fusion and cultural roots.

</aside>

Criteria Overview

Here are six core categories that cyberdelic experiences and tools can be expressed.

The cyberdelic experience criteria encompass six fundamental elements designed to capture the essence of what makes an experience cyberdelic.

<aside> <img src="/icons/computer-chip_purple.svg" alt="/icons/computer-chip_purple.svg" width="40px" /> 1. TECHNOLOGICAL FOUNDATION

• Essential use of digital, electronic, or cybernetic technology such as: </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/brain_pink.svg" alt="/icons/brain_pink.svg" width="40px" /> 2. FASCILITATES AN ALTERED STATE:

• The experience must induce a state that is significantly different from normal waking consciousness.
• The experience must Induce significant alterations in sensory, cognitive, or emotional processes, akin to those experienced under the influence of psychedelics. </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/butterfly_yellow.svg" alt="/icons/butterfly_yellow.svg" width="40px" /> 3. TRANSFORMATIVE POTENTIAL

• Aims to provide transformative insights, therapeutic value, or enhanced creativity, reflecting the objectives often sought in psychedelic experiences. </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/mushroom_orange.svg" alt="/icons/mushroom_orange.svg" width="40px" /> 4. PSYCHEDELIC CULTURAL CONNECTION:

• Incorporation of aesthetic, thematic, or philosophical elements inspired by or reflective of psychedelic culture, promoting values like unity, consciousness expansion, and transcendence. </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/profile_blue.svg" alt="/icons/profile_blue.svg" width="40px" /> 5. CREATORS PURPOSE OR INTENT:

• The creators must have a clear and ethical intent behind developing the experience, aimed at enhancing well-being, expanding consciousness, or providing profound cultural or personal insights. </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/paint-brush_green.svg" alt="/icons/paint-brush_green.svg" width="40px" /> 6. ARTISTIC EXPRESSION:

• Utilizes art to craft immersive worlds, tell compelling stories, or convey messages, drawing on the aesthetics and themes typical of visionary art.
• Leverages artistic design to not only enhance the visual and auditory experience but also to catalyze altered states of consciousness through sensory and emotional engagement. </aside>

<aside> <img src="/icons/exclamation-mark_red.svg" alt="/icons/exclamation-mark_red.svg" width="40px" /> Any experience assessed using this criteria must at least meet the first two requirements listed.

</aside>

Here is a qualification checklist to help during the process:

• Technological Foundation
  • [ ] Is advanced technology like VR, AR, AI, or other digital platforms utilized?
  • [ ] Is technology essential to the experience?
• Altered States of Consciousness
  • [ ] Are perceptions, thoughts, or emotions significantly modified?
  • [ ] Are these changes similar to those experienced under psychedelic influence?