Effects of Audiovisual Synchrony on Neural Oscillations and Relaxation in VR
An Exploratory Study Developed at NEAR Frontiers 2026
Istanbul · August 2026
As part of the NEAR Frontiers 2026 Workshop, we developed an exploratory research project investigating the relationship between audiovisual synchrony, neural activity, and relaxation within an immersive virtual environment. Bringing together perspectives from architecture, neuroscience, and immersive technologies, the study explored how the temporal relationship between visual and auditory stimuli may influence the way a virtual environment is perceived and experienced. The research was informed by theoretical approaches including multisensory integration, neural entrainment, and predictive processing.
The experimental study was designed around a virtual environment in which participants experienced different sensory conditions, including visual-only, auditory-only, synchronous audiovisual, and asynchronous audiovisual stimulation. By systematically altering the temporal relationship between visual and auditory stimuli, the study aimed to examine how sensory synchrony might influence both the perception of the environment and the participant’s response to it. The experimental setup combined virtual reality, EEG-based neural measurements, and subjective relaxation assessment, allowing the experience to be approached through both physiological and self-reported data. Developed over the course of the three-week workshop, the project moved from research question and experimental design to implementation, data collection, and preliminary analysis.
Betül Uçkan, Merve Çiltaş Çatalbaş, Ulvin Görkem Canbulat, Zişan İnci, and Dalia Lakari developed the study collaboratively, bringing together researchers and practitioners from different academic and professional backgrounds.
The study will be published in the official NEAR Frontiers 2026 conference booklet.
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