The culture of death and dying is changing, especially in the West. It is now possible to discuss our fears, our preferences, and our grief more openly. Does VR and increasingly AI – have a special role to play in this process? How can we design worlds, tools, and events that help people learn, find acceptance, and prepare? Our panelists are world builders, spiritual counselors, teachers, and coaches Join us and let’s come up with some new ideas together.
Panel
VRChat
Culture of Death
45 min
Guiding meditations and community conversations around death since 2020. Helped build one of the first spiritual communities in VR.
Niko Lang is an IT consultant, 3D artist and a long-time wanderer between different realities. The worlds he creates shape our understanding of the sphere that may one day make the metaverse a reality.
Daniel Rumel is an author, religious philosopher, meditation teacher, and spiritual director. He is a lecturer in Buddhism at the University of Paderborn, a management consultant, and a pastoral advisor to the Archdiocese of Paderborn. He has been leading meditation courses and retreats in various contexts for more than 15 years. For the past 5 years, he has been a member of various groups in the VR context and teaches meditation and Zen Buddhism in virtual worlds.
Immersive Experiences That Touch the Soul
ShuShu VR is an award-winning VR artist and director who blends theatrical narrative and visual art into emotionally powerful immersive experiences. With a Master of Arts from the AST National Academy of Theatre Arts and accolades from Cannes and Raindance Immersive, his work is designed to touch the soul.
As a Creative Director and Concept Designer, he brings a multidisciplinary background in theatre, cinema, performing arts, museum innovation, spatial design, and emerging media. He leads international teams with clarity and passion, inspiring excellence and shaping groundbreaking projects worldwide.
ShuShu also designs and builds innovative VR worlds and venues for live events on social VR platforms. As an educator and speaker, he develops and leads masterclasses on emerging media and AI-powered tools, mentoring the next generation of forward-thinking creators.
Paul Simon Waiyaki began his career in 1999 as an educator, pioneering the use of technology in teaching. In 2012, he founded VOFCIN to address challenges faced by African children. He became the first African in virtual reality in 2016, subsequently establishing The Africa VR Campus and Center. In 2019, he hosted a mainstream Metaverse event live from Africa and has since organized the only weekly African metaverse event. In 2022, he launched VR & Space programs tailored for African youth and learners. Mr. Waiyaki has received numerous awards and honorary mentions within the XR Community, including a United Nations Honorary Mention for his contributions to the Metaverse for SDGs program.
Tom Nickel, Ph.D. is a teacher and digital media explorer.
He began his media career as a writer at WGBH-TV and was part of the early years of independent video. Later he was a pioneer in online teaching and learning and received a PhD in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences from Utah State University.
He has led educational and personal growth events in Virtual Reality since 2018. His workshops have been offered through Educators in VR and his work is featured on the Tripp meditation app. He has hosted weekly sessions in the metaverse on death and loss since early 2020.
He is also a Founding Board member of the Africa VR Campus & Center, in Nairobi, Kenya; and an Advisory Board Member for the Khmer Magic Music Bus, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
