HOW WE BUILD REALITIES
Masterclass For Professionals
September 16th, 2023
SAC @ Malmaison

We were overjoyed to be able to welcome Dr. Jennifer Kanary Nikolov(a) to Bucharest to present her amazing work, as part of therARTpy, in collaboration with the Association of Students at Psychology and Educational Sciences!

Annually helping thousands of students and health practitioners, with her workshops and courses to better understand the subjective experiences of psychosis, she was awarded an Honorary Mention at the S+T+ARTS Awards 2023, the European Commission's grand prize honoring innovation in technology, industry, and society through the arts. Together, the participants investigated the complicated phenomenon of psychosis using cutting-edge VR technology and established a safe environment in order to connect and build their Anoiksis maps.

 

The Anoiksis VR Psychosis Experience is a manifestation of the theory and method. It is a mixed reality VR psychosis simulation that has been developed and pilot tested in the past 2 years. It takes a wearer into a safe interactive waking dream state in the mind of Dr. Green, who is in psychosis, simulating 42+ subjective experiences of psychosis in approx. 8 mins (depending on if one obeys the voices or not).

 

The Anoiksis Theory is radical as it places our understanding of hallucinations and delusions at the center of a spectrum of healing. The theory builds on the notion that unwellness is not born from a brain that is broken, but a brain doing what it was designed to do, to heal. A sane reaction to insane circumstances. A survival mechanism we all carry, yet, if not recognized or listened to in time, can have extreme and dire consequences. 

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The Anoiksis Map is a method based on The Anoiksis Theory to help hold space for psychosis, as well as help prevent it through early recognition. In collaboration with students, we learned that the method can be used to hold space for all ‘psychiatric’ conditions like depression or OCD on a spectrum of subjectivity. Ultimately meaning, if we understand psychosis, we unlock a lost key of understanding all our subjective experiences of distress.

ASPSE (Association of Students at Psychology and Educational Sciences) and therARTpy (Romanian Art and Medicine Network) aim to transform society's perception of mental health by bridging the gaps between the scientific community and artists through collaborative efforts. Masterclass participants received a transformative experience with mixed reality VR equipment, safe spaces, customized low threshold scenarios and support for a comprehensive understanding of subjective episodes of psychosis.

The HOW WE BUILD REALITIES initiative is supported by The Creative Industries Fund NL and is driven by a shared passion for health, life improvement and innovation through collaboration, aiming to shape the future of how we hold space for mental health in Romania.