Upon arrival at Punchdrunk’s Woolwich headquarters, you are led through a dimly lit waiting room, designed to gently prepare you for the journey ahead. Groups of up to six receive simple instructions: stick together, follow the light and DO NOT go into the darkness. The thrill of anticipation heightens. You are then permitted into the entrance area, where you are handed a pair of headphones and instructed to remove your shoes and place them in the box along with your name tag. Yes, you go through the experience barefoot, which is a great place to talk about the multi-sensory experience you are about to embark on.

Imagine stepping into a world where the boundaries between truth and fantasy blur, where every sight, sound and sensation is meticulously crafted to immerse you in a new reality. What was previously confined to your imagination transforms into a tangible world. These cutting-edge adventures are not only changing how we entertain ourselves but are revolutionising industries from education to healthcare, offering profound and transformative encounters that linger long after the experience is over. Welcome to the future of immersion, where every experience is not just seen, but lived.

Out of Aristotle’s big five senses – hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting touch often overlooked in immersive settings, plays a crucial role. Touch can add a lot to the experience, that’s why the haptic gloves, that allow you to interact with 3D objects inside the virtual reality, are so effective. The participation of the whole body in exploring the immersive artistic experience can expand the possible sources of its meaning.