Virtual reality is all about immersive experiences. From VR therapies that treat PTSD to news reports that transport us directly into war zones, VR disrupts the way we experience the world. But when you add smell and touch to the mix—senses that resonate most strongly with our sense of presence in real life—it’s harder still to differentiate reality from illusion. “What is reality to you?” asked a tall young man as I entered a tiny house at the entrance of Tower Hamlets Cemetery in East London. Charles Michel, a chef-in-residence and researcher at the Crossmodal Research Laboratory at Oxford University, was about to induct me into a multisensory cinematic VR experience dubbed the “the Feelies” as part of this week’s Shuffle Festival.

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