A new virtual reality (VR) app that takes users on a journey back in time to ancient Greece where they can experience for themselves what it was like to consult the Greek god Zeus at the Oracle of Dodone was developed by a team of academics led by the University of Bristol.
The goal of project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, aims to improve historical understanding of the consultation of ancient Greek oracles and explore the role of VR technology in classrooms, museums and cultural contexts. It also aims to provide insights and a richer understanding of sensory processing and brain activity in VR users.
An oracle was a site where ancient Greek men and women asked the gods to answer questions about the past, present and future, often writing their questions on lead tablets – many of which have survived to this day. ‘nowadays.
Dodona, in Epirus, northwest Greece, was one of the oldest oracle sites dating back to the second millennium BCE, with some of the earliest accounts describing Dodona as an oracle of Zeus. It was considered the second oracle of Delphi in terms of reputation and remained an important religious sanctuary until the advent of Christianity in the late Roman era.
The VR experience draws on ancient evidence to imagine a visit to the oracle of Zeus at Dodona in 465 BCE. Users can choose one of three routes to meet other pilgrims and hear their stories, before being able to ask the priestesses of Zeus their own questions.
Project Manager Professor Esther Eidinow from the University of Bristol Department of Classics and Ancient History said: “Oracles helped ancient society deal with uncertainty and risk. We focus on the Dodona Oracle because thousands of questions have survived from the site, written on lead tablets.
“They show that the oracle was consulted not only by community leaders, but also by ordinary men and women, including slaves. Studying Dodona can help us better understand their experiences: both how they responded to uncertainty and their relationships with the gods.
“This project can help us better understand ancient and modern experiences: ancient experiences of a religious ritual and modern experiences of an immersive historical environment.”
When creating the app, the team consulted with a range of potential users, involving them in its design and development. This included sessions with visitors to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.
Professor Kirsten Cater from Bristol Computer Science departmentsaid: “In order to create the best VR experience, we involved teachers, students and museums in the design process through co-production, while supporting them as users of the final product.
“This approach could have significant results for improving the design and effectiveness of digital cultural experiences, particularly immersive experiences, for use in museum/heritage and educational contexts. »
Dr Michael Proulx, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, added: “This creative study of ancient history will allow us to make cutting-edge advances in the psychological use of modern technology.
“By examining the experience of an oracle, our methods reveal what it means to feel present in that place and time – almost like a form of time travel to better understand the past.
“It will also contribute to the future development of virtual reality, as we will have a better understanding of the role of multisensory processing and integration in helping to make virtual reality real.” The nature of the Oracle experience, being something new for modern people, provides a good basis for creating other virtual experiences outside of our daily lives.
The multidisciplinary team involved in developing the app and testing it also includes Professor Hugh Bowden from the Department of Classics at King’s College London and Dr Quinton Deeley from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN) from King’s College London; Dr Richard Cole (Classics and Ancient History) and Dr Chris Bevan (Computer Science), Bristol; Dr Crescent Jicol and Emilia Tor from the University of Bath (psychology); and Elisa Brann and Rukmini Roy (IoPPN, KCL).
The Oracle Virtual Reality Experience is available for free download on multiple platforms. A version compatible with Google Android-based smartphones can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and combined with widely available “cardboard” VR headsets to provide a low-cost, entry-level virtual reality experience.
Users of the Meta range of VR headsets (e.g. Quest/Quest 2) can download the app directly from the Metastore. Finally, a 360-degree video version compatible with desktops and tablets is available online via YouTube. For more information and additional support, visit http://www.vroracle.co.uk/experience
Further information
About the AHRC-funded Virtual Reality Oracle (VRO) project
Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the VRO is a collaboration between the University of Bristol, the University of Bath, King’s College London and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College of London, in partnership with the Ephorate of Antiquities, Ioannina, Greece; Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, and We the Curious; with support from schools including the Badminton School, Bishop Thomas Grant School in London, Bristol Grammar School, Guildford High School and the University of Augsburg, Germany.
The VRO Project is a collaborative research project that uses virtual reality to imagine the experiences of individuals consulting the ancient oracle of Zeus at Dodona, northwest Greece. Through user analysis, the project investigates how VRO can help advance the understanding of:
- The probable functioning of the oracle and individual experiences of historical oracular consultation. Using a range of ancient evidence and specialist knowledge, the VRO explores the different possible methods of consulting the oracle, helping historians to better understand and differentiate between these mechanisms, and seeking to create a more detailed understanding of the oracle. broader ancient context of divination and divination. of ritual activity in ancient Greek society.
- The design and deployment of multisensory VR experiences for educational purposes. She developed the VRO in close collaboration with teachers and students from schools and universities, as well as museum curators, to ensure that the product is consistent with the public interest, educational needs and requirements of museum exhibition. He involved teachers, students and museum curators as part of the research team, first in the design of the VRO, then in the use of the VRO in classroom practice, as well as in exhibitions and museum activities.
- The effects on brain function and senses of the experience of VRO use. Through the analysis of user responses by psychologists and neuroscientists, the project team evaluates the sensory and cognitive effects of oracular consultation; explore the role of multisensory processing and integration in the VR experience; and establish effective design parameters for immersive VR environments.
