## 4 Discussion
Previous research has posited that ASC, triggered by environmental factors such as flickering light and sensory deprivation, may have played a role in the creation of figurative art by early humans [29]. The ability to perceive meaningful patterns in ambiguous stimuli, as measured by the pareidolic task, provides a modern analog for understanding how prehistoric humans might have interpreted and created images on cave walls. The percolation analysis further suggests that the semantic network in the virtual cave condition was more robust and flexible compared to the open space condition. A higher percolation integral (\(\varphi\)) in the cave condition indicates that the semantic network resisted percolation attacks for a longer duration before fragmenting, a possible sign of greater cognitive flexibility [33]. The robustness of the cave network across all four statistical approaches--LONO, LOSO, LS, and EN--reinforces the reliability of this finding, showing the flexibility of cognitive associations under the influence of altered states. This increased flexibility is consistent with previous research suggesting that creative cognitive processes are enhanced in immersive environments [21]. The heightened network flexibility observed in our study may have important implications for understanding the cognitive processes that occurred in prehistoric caves. This aligns with previous work suggesting that creativity and flexibility are central to the production of art and symbolic thinking in human evolution. In this context, [PERSON]'s hypothesis on increased entropy in the brain during ASC [40] offers a valuable parallel. The concept of \"pivotal mental states\" [41] posits that certain states of heightened neural entropy induced by psychedelic substances can lead to increased thinking flexibility and transformative experiences. While psychedelic substances are known to induce such states, our findings suggest that the sensory and perceptual conditions of cave environments alone might have been sufficient--or at least supportive--in inducing deep ASCs in the distant past. The study also aimed at exploring the use of VR as a tool for simulating ancient environments. Our results provide evidence that VR offers, in this respect, several advantages. It allows for controlled, repeatable experiments in which specific environmental factors hypothesized to influence cognition can be manipulated and tested. Unlike physical reconstructions or visits to real caves, VR provides a safe and accessible way to study these phenomena, making it a valuable resource for both archaeologists and cognitive scientists [22]. Moreover, the integration of VR with cognitive measures, such as semantic network analysis and ASC questionnaires, allows researchers to quantify the psychological effects of these environments, providing new insights into the cognitive and emotional experiences of early humans. While our findings provide valuable insights into the effects of immersive cave environments on cognition and consciousness, there are limitations to consider. First, the sample size (n = 31) was relatively small, potentially limiting the generalizability of the results. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings with larger, more diverse samples to ensure robustness. Second, while our virtual cave environment was designed to simulate the sensory characteristics of real caves, it cannot fully replicate all aspects of prehistoric cave experiences, such as the effects of hypoxia, temperature, or prolonged isolation. Future research could explore these variables using more sophisticated VR simulations or combining VR with physiological measurements, such as EEG or fMRI, to capture the neural correlates of ASC. Additionally, it would be beneficial to investigate the role of other factors, such as rhythmic sounds, flickering lights, or even the use of psychoactive substances [2], in enhancing ASC in virtual cave environments.