A powerful new virtual reality (VR) experience is using immersive technology to tell the story of Carolyn Mercer, a transgender woman from the United Kingdom who survived electroshock conversion therapy as a teenager. The project aims to raise awareness about the lasting effects of conversion therapy while encouraging empathy through interactive storytelling.
Premiering at the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, In the Current of Being is directed by Texas-born, Los Angeles-based filmmaker and immersive storyteller Cameron Kostopoulos. The work combines virtual reality with wearable haptic technology, allowing audiences to physically experience key emotional moments from Mercer’s life.
An Immersive Story of Survival
Unlike traditional films or documentaries, the installation places participants directly inside Mercer’s memories. Viewers wear a VR headset along with haptic gloves, sleeves, and a vest that simulate physical sensations throughout the experience.
The technology recreates Mercer’s heartbeat, breathing, and the involuntary tremors she endured for decades after being subjected to electroshock conversion therapy. While the experience does not replicate physical pain, it delivers powerful vibrations designed to help audiences understand the emotional intensity of her trauma.
Mercer underwent electroshock treatment as a teenager in an attempt to suppress her gender identity. The therapy left lasting psychological and physical effects, leading her to hide her true identity for much of her life before openly living as a woman later in adulthood.
Beyond Pain: A Story of Healing
While the experience explores fear and suffering, it also highlights Mercer’s resilience and eventual journey toward self-acceptance.
According to director Cameron Kostopoulos, the immersive technology is also used to communicate feelings of courage, freedom, and healing as Mercer embraces her authentic identity.
The project concludes with a clear message:
Conversion therapy is not therapy.
Its creators emphasize that gender identity and sexual orientation are not conditions that require treatment or correction.
Continuing a Mission Through Immersive Art
In the Current of Being follows Kostopoulos’ award-winning VR project Body of Mine, which allowed participants to experience life from another person’s perspective by inhabiting a different gender identity through virtual reality.
That project received the Special Jury Award at SXSW 2023 and was later presented at the Venice International Film Festival. It has since been distributed to LGBTQ+ organizations across dozens of U.S. states as an educational resource.
The Power of Virtual Reality
Kostopoulos believes immersive technology offers a unique way to encourage empathy.
Unlike films or podcasts, virtual reality places viewers inside another person’s experience, making it more difficult to disengage emotionally. Participants become active observers rather than passive audiences, allowing difficult stories to resonate more deeply.
The director notes that previous VR experiences have moved a wide range of audiences—from families learning about gender identity to older transgender individuals reflecting on their own journeys.
Raising Awareness Through Storytelling
The creators hope In the Current of Being will reach educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the wider public.
By sharing Carolyn Mercer’s story through immersive technology, the project seeks to encourage informed conversations about gender identity, human rights, and the lasting consequences of conversion therapy while promoting greater understanding and compassion.
