Implicit and explicit processing of non-Euclidean Virtual Reality environments.

The theory of predictive coding posits that the human brain continually predicts the environment's state and, if necessary, updates its models to maximize prediction accuracy. However, it remains unclear how individuals respond when confronted with environments fundamentally conflicting with their reality model. Virtual Reality (VR) provides a unique tool to investigate such situations. This pilot study addresses psychological effects in VR environments violating Euclid's 4th postulate and investigates the implicit and explicit elaboration of the violation. We designed a non-Euclidean VR environment with divergent “parallel” corridors. Participants (N=35) explored the space and drew maps of the experimental area. Only a minority of participants reported the incongruence explicitly. Nevertheless, the data suggest an implicit perception of the incongruence. Future research is needed to address methodological issues.