- Turbulent Minds -
Turbulent Minds was a three-part exhibit that demonstrated symptoms of psychological conditions through the use of technology.
The first part had users experience auditory hallucinations. They were prompted to wear headphones and have a conversation with another person for 3-5 minutes. During the conversation, sounds would start to play at random intervals, locations, volume, and frequencies. Eventually, sounds from the environment were played back with similar randomness. The participant felt the struggle of trying to hear and pay attention to the conversation as someone with this symptom might experience.
The second part had users experience some of the debilitating effects of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. It was a playable PC game environment that appeared as a small apartment. The player would wake up in the game and be given the goal to get ready and leave for work on time. Certain environmental triggers would prompt the user to check on the stove, the lock, or whether they left the milk out. They might get prompted to wash their hands or fix fallen books. If the prompt was ignored, the prompt became more invasive, leading to "intrusive thoughts" that appeared in the environment and limited the ability to do anything until the original prompt was satisfied.
The third part was a representation of a time when I was depressed and suicidal. Not all depression feels like sadness, sometimes it's a feeling of no motivation, feeling trapped, and wondering "What's the point?" Using a Samsung Gear 360 headset and a controller, users moved through an endless dull hallway. Eventually, they would feel bored, trapped, and unmotivated to continue and would remove the headset—in a way, ending the "game."
Collaborating with Dr. Brett J. Peters, the exhibit was shown as part of Open OHIO's Navigating Turbulence exhibition that brings art to public spaces for discussion of local issues.
Gallery
Technology + Mediums Used
Shown at the Following...
Credits and Special Thanks
In collaboration with: Event Organizers:
- Dr. Sarah C. Davis, Founder of Open OHIO
- Emily Mullins
- Kate Raney
- Adonis Durado
- Ye Huo
- Billy Kennedy
- Owen Lowery
- Jen Tuttle Parsons
- Jessie Robinson
- Tyler Ayres
- Katelyn Emter
- K. Jean Forney
- Chip Linscott
- Owen Lowery
- Jacob Morgan
- Jessie Robinson
- Alyssa Stahl
- Michael Stephens
- Open OHIO
- Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab
- School of Media Arts and Studies
- Scripps College of Communication
- Ohio University
- Some stock audio by Adobe Audition Sound Effects.