Tangible Intangibles: How Biosignals Are Shaping the Future of Mixed Reality Art Therapy

XR is becoming a new medium for mental health, not by replacing therapy, but by expanding what’s possible when we treat the body as an input and expression channel. This talk explores a design space at the intersection of physiological signals (especially eye tracking), AI/GenAI, and mixed reality, asking "What new forms of emotional reflection and art-making become possible when attention, emotional arousal, and regulation can be sensed in real time?"

Mahsa introduces practical “building blocks” for translating signals like pupil dynamics and eye-movement patterns into visual, spatial, and material behaviors, and how GenAI can turn those behaviors into personalized metaphors, story fragments, and evolving aesthetic languages. Using MR artifacts as examples, we'll map the opportunity landscape from bio-responsive art prompts to persistent emotional sculptures and shared reflective spaces, along with the key design constraints (privacy, consent, misinterpretation, and avoiding “diagnosis UX”).

Attendees will leave with concrete patterns for creating bio-expressive XR experiences that are inspiring, ethically grounded, and technically feasible.