## 4 Discussion  
This study aimed to explore how immersive VR environments, specifically a virtual cave, influence ASC, creativity, and flexible thinking, contributing to cognitive archaeology and anthropology hypotheses. By simulating cave and open-space environments in VR, we examined their impact on perception, cognition, and subjective experiences. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that sensory deprived, immersive cave environments can foster flexible thought processes and, possibly, enhance creativity in alignment with previous archaeological theories [1,4]. Additionally, these results contribute to the recently increased use of VR as a tool to test cognitive and cultural hypotheses related to prehistoric human experiences in caves [13,22]. One of the key findings of this study is that the virtual cave environment elicited significantly higher levels of arousal, intensity, and spirituality compared to the open-space condition. The results from the ASC questionnaire suggest that the sensory deprived, immersive nature of the virtual cave environment facilitated a deeper engagement with the experience, akin to the altered states theorized to have occurred in actual prehistoric caves. The heightened emotional responses observed are consistent with previous studies linking ASC to sensory deprivation, rhythmic stimuli, and confined spaces. Similar outcomes have been observed in studies using VR to simulate the sensory characteristics of prehistoric caves, supporting the notion that sensory isolation and environmental stimuli can elicit spiritual experiences and altered states [22]. The significant increase in spirituality reported in the virtual cave condition may reflect the unique psychological impact of enclosed, dimly lit environments that have been previously associated with trace states and mystical experiences in various cultural contexts [4]. While most findings remained robust under multiple comparison corrections, we reported some uncorrected results to offer exploratory insights into individual differences and mechanisms underlying ASC. For instance, the negative correlation between the Directedness dimension of the Four-Factor Imagination Scale (FFIS) and changes in spirituality suggests that participants with less structured, open-ended imagination may be more responsive to immersive and spiritual experiences in the virtual cave environment. Although not statistically significant after correction, this aligns with theories linking unstructured cognitive styles to altered states in ritual contexts [1,39]. Similarly, the positive correlation between Emotional Valence and the Intensity delta in the ASC questionnaire suggests a potential link between emotional imagination and deeper engagement with immersive environments. Observed relationships between Conscientiousness and changes in spirituality and spatial perception also hint at personality's role in shaping responses to altered states. The semantic network analysis of the pareidolic task supports the idea that the cave environment influenced aspects of creativity and flexible thinking. Participants in the virtual cave condition exhibited more flexible, less modular semantic networks, evidenced by significantly lower modularity index (Q) and clustering coefficient (CC) compared to the open-space condition. These findings are consistent with research showing that individuals with more creative and flexible thought processes tend to have less modular, more interconnected semantic networks [32]. The significant reduction in modularity observed in the cave environment suggests that the ASC experienced in this setting may have allowed participants to access a more fluid and expansive cognitive space. This flexibility in thinking reflected in the structure of the semantic networks, mirrors processes that may have facilitated the production of cave art during the Paleolithic period.