Virtual Reality for Wellness: Overcoming Anxiety and Stress

In a buzzing exhibition space in bustling central London, four adrenalized visitors lie back on beanbags, put on VR headsets and snuggle under blankets to experience “Forager”, a VR experience which celebrates the lifecycle of mushrooms. A mere 8 minutes later, three of them emerge with beatific smiles, completely blissed out. The other one has fallen asleep.

What has just happened!!?

Clearly, VR is a powerful tool. Whenever I put my headset on, I immediately experience a feeling of calm. This calm is in part due to the fact that VR eliminates external distractions so that I can’t see the things that stress me out – the mess in my home, all the messages on my phone etc. But can VR go further than that?

Can virtual reality help with anxiety?

Virtual reality has been recognized by the Federal Drug Administration in the US, and there is now a whole new field known as medical XR, with treatments going by the names of digiceuticals, cyberdelics and experiential medicine. Virtual reality for anxiety and other mental health problems is having real therapeutic impact. Dr Brennan Spiegel of Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, author of “VRX: How Virtual Therapeutics Will Revolutionize Medicine” explains:

Our minds tend to chatter incessantly, critiquing, fretting, and distracting us. Neuroscientists call this inner babbling voice the “default mode”. Zen Buddhists call it the “chattering monkey”. When our inner dialogue fixates on potential threats or negative thoughts, it can significantly impact our well-being, contributing to anxiety and depression. The mind can get caught up in endless cycles of rumination dwelling on the past or worrying about the future and neglecting to appreciate the present.

When the default mode network is silenced, a wonderful thing happens – freed from our self-critical inner voice, our minds can achieve a state of “flow”. This is like feeling completely absorbed, energized, and totally involved in an activity, where everything seems to flow smoothly and without any effort— of being “in the zone”. This flow state is achieved by professional athletes, concert pianists, meditating Buddhist monks, and people experiencing a psychedelic trip. When people with anxiety or depression enter a flow state, they can disconnect from their inner critic and break the cycle of negative ruminations, allowing for fresh insights and a clearer perspective, and enabling them to make new, healthier connections in the brain.

But flow is elusive. Athletes and concert pianists train for decades. A Buddhist monk meditates for 40,000 hours during their lifetime. And many people are understandably reluctant to surrender their minds and bodies to hallucinogenic drugs.

This is where VR therapy for anxiety comes in!

We can simply put the headset on and it works immediately, using the immersive power of presence. VR has the ability to convince users that they are in a different environment. This is because, throughout our evolution, it has never been a requirement for humans to accept two simultaneous realities, so we accept the one that we can see. I explore the possibilities of using my virtual reality headset for wellness:

How can virtual reality be used to treat anxiety?

1. Relaxing Environments

Relaxing environments are usually natural environments where you can enjoy experiences such as sitting in a meadow and communing with wildlife, relaxing on a beach, or swimming with dolphins. These have not been created specifically as VR for anxiety. However, they are frequently prescribed as treatments at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.

I return to “Forager”. This experience has the added benefit of additional sensory effects, such as fans which mimic the breeze and woodland scents, which serve to deepen the immersion.

I am transported to a hyper realistic animation of a sun-dappled forest. Birds sing. I immediately experience tranquillity. I am captivated by the richly detailed environment of moss, bark, ferns, pine cones, leaves, and moving light. A breeze caresses my face. There is a subtle aroma of forest. I am present in the forest. I float along with the story, losing all track of time, as it progresses through the life cycle of mushrooms. Spores drift through the air. I descend into the dark soil beneath as delicate strands of mycelium entwine around me. Mushrooms bloom on a tree stump, and then decay. When the experience is over, I take off my headset and feel as if emerging from a beautiful dream. I feel like a different person. “Forager” has delivered a flow state.

2. Meditation

“Pain is inevitable” said the Buddha. “But suffering is optional.”

What Buddhists have known for centuries, science is beginning to appreciate. Brain scans of monks show that they have the power to switch the default mode network on and off at will. But for those of us who find emptying our minds extremely difficult, guided VR meditation can be a help.

I try a 5 minute guided meditation by digital wellness platform “TRIPP”. I ride colourful cushions into a kaleidoscopic tie-dye world of acid blue, yellow, orange, purple and green. A soothing voice tells me: “It can sometimes feel disrespectful to allow ourselves to be joyful when we know that others are suffering, but we must remember that when we replenish ourselves we are better able to help others navigate their distress.” As bright colours, smiley emojis and musical notes fly around me, the narrator reminds me to be joyful, to listen to music, to sing aloud, and to do silly things that make me smile.

This message hits home, and I emerge with a light heart. Two days later, I can still feel the benefit of the experience on my mood.

I decide that it would be useful to get someone else’s perspective. Mango is a teenager currently doing her GCSE exams, who suffers from anxiety and insomnia. Mango tries “TRIPP”, but does not like the clashing psychedelic colours and “hippy” vibe, which she declares suitable only for old people.

Mango tries various meditations, but does not take to any of them. Finally, she tries “Cosy Cabin” on the “Liminal” wellness platform. This experience is designed to induce sleep. At the beginning, Mango records her sleepiness level as 1 – wide awake. She finds herself ensconced in a sleeper cabin in a moving train, with a clever function that mimics blinking, where the scene momentarily goes dark. Mango enjoys that the train goes through tunnels. She is soothed by the rhythmic sounds. Gradually the blinks become more frequent, and to her surprise, Mango finds that she can’t stop yawning. By the end of the experience she records her sleepiness as the maximum 5 – very sleepy. It’s a keeper!

Mango concludes that she could use the virtual reality headset for anxiety, but that you have to choose the experience that’s right for you or it doesn’t work. Dr Brennan Spiegel concurs with this, and stresses the importance of finding the right virtual reality anxiety treatment for each patient. His hospital has a library of over 40 experiences.

Spiritual meditation

It has been pointed out to me that many Westerners use meditation to take a break from the consumer-driven rat race in order that they may return to it with renewed vigour. But that this is missing the point.

And so with this in mind, I attend “Zen Meditation” with Dan, a spiritual leader, trained in both Zen Buddhism and Christianity, who follows the West-Eastern path. This is a live group session on the social platform VR Chat.

In a tranquil garden, flowers and grasses swaying in the breeze, I sit with others around a fire. Dan facilitates introductions and we are given the opportunity to talk briefly about why we are here. The atmosphere is relaxed and supportive. One lady, an American in her 70s, tells us that since many of her friends have passed away, she has designed her own memorial stone. Another lady in her 50s talks about how she has recently lost both her parents. Dan shares his own bereavement story. Then Dan conducts the session, which is a combination of a sermon and a meditation. He tells us that the goal of meditation is to feel the unconditional love that is at the heart of the universe, and that when we feel that unconditional love, we reach the realization that there is absolutely nothing to fear.

The experience is beautiful and profound.

3. Virtual Psychedelic Trips

Studies using brain imaging techniques have shown that psychedelics can reduce activity in the default mode network. Research indicates that even just one dose of a psychedelic can alleviate anxiety, with lasting results. One study pitted a virtual psychedelic “Deep-Dream” against psilocybin and concluded that the virtual drug was just as effective at inducing flow.

One of my all-time favourite VR experiences combines both a spiritual meditation and a psychedelic trip. “Ayahuasca Kosmik Journey” allows me to virtually take the potent drug ayahuasca, which is used in sacred rituals by the Shipibo people of the Amazon. In a deep, dark jungle I sit on a mat in front of a shaman. The shaman begins chanting and visions are summoned.

Scorpions, spiders, centipedes and snakes surround me. I am swallowed by a giant snake, and transported through a dark swirling vortex of snakes, eels, skulls and bones down into the bowels of the earth. Finally, I ascend to a blue heaven and pass through the eye of a hummingbird.

I always emerge from this experience feeling renewed.

4. Exposure Therapy

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) offers a groundbreaking approach to anxiety treatment by providing access to locations beyond the therapist’s treatment room. Traditional exposure therapy often involves gradual exposure to anxiety-inducing stimuli in a controlled environment, such as a therapist’s office. However, VR expands the possibilities by transporting individuals to various scenarios and settings that may not be feasible in a typical therapy session.

For example, imagine someone struggling with social anxiety. Traditional exposure therapy might involve gradually increasing exposure to social situations, starting with small gatherings and progressing to larger events. However, with VR exposure therapy, they could be virtually transported to a bustling city street, a crowded party, or a busy workplace—all from the comfort and safety of their therapist’s office. This immersive experience allows them to practice social interactions, navigate challenging situations, and learn coping strategies in a realistic but controlled environment. Over time, repeated exposure in VR can help desensitize them to their anxiety triggers and build confidence in real-world social settings.

5. Body Swap Therapy

Finally, this may seem like the most bizarre VR anxiety therapy yet!

Imagine sitting in a virtual therapist’s office, face to face with the legendary Sigmund Freud. As you pour out your anxieties about work, Freud nods empathetically, absorbing your words. Then, in a surreal twist, the scene shifts, and you find yourself inhabiting Freud’s body, looking back at an avatar representing you. In this altered state, you offer advice to yourself, articulating thoughts that may have lingered unspoken until now. Suddenly, you’re back in your own avatar, and Freud echoes the words you just uttered, infusing them with the authority of psychotherapy’s founding father.

This groundbreaking scenario is at the heart of a recent study conducted by Professor Mel Slater. Known as the “Freud Me” project, this study explores the potential of body swap therapy in virtual reality. Participants, after embodying Freud and counselling themselves, reported a profound shift in perspective regarding their problems. In fact, approximately 80% of participants expressed this change immediately after the experience. What’s more remarkable is that a week later, the same percentage reported that this newfound perspective had endured.

The Freud Me project draws inspiration from the “empty chair” technique commonly used in Gestalt therapy—a present-focused therapeutic approach. In Gestalt therapy, clients engage in dialogue with an imagined or vacant chair representing a person or aspect of themselves. They then physically switch places, embodying the perspective of the imagined entity and responding from that viewpoint. This technique aims to foster empathy and insight by allowing clients to experience different viewpoints firsthand.

Slater emphasizes the role of virtual reality in facilitating this therapeutic process. VR eliminates the need for clients to imagine another perspective; instead, it allows them to embody it directly. By virtually swapping bodies with Freud, participants gain a fresh, external perspective on their issues—a perspective that may be difficult to achieve through imagination alone, potentially leading to profound shifts in understanding and resolution.

Conclusion

Virtual reality has emerged as a powerful tool for addressing anxiety and promoting mental well-being. From immersive relaxation experiences to exposure therapy and even body swap techniques, VR offers innovative solutions that transcend traditional methods. The time is ripe to encourage more healthcare professionals to specialize in virtual reality and anxiety treatments.When we are too down or anxious to use our own imaginations to help us, virtual reality can transport us to a sun-dappled forest or eye-popping trip. VR can calm our anxious minds, help us confront our fears, explore new perspectives and bring us joy.

Workplace Wellness

Why not reward your team with a VR wellness experience?

Virtual Reality Experiences (VRE) can bring mindfulness and tranquillity right to you. We can provide experienced facilitators or you can simply opt for our VR hire service.

Add a unique twist to your corporate gathering, team building event, or convention. VRE offers personalized wellness VR experiences to cultivate calm and serenity. Treat your team to a guided meditation, journey to a peaceful, natural environment or a virtual psychedelic trip. Talk to our friendly team about how we can boost the wellbeing of your colleagues.

Sources

Forager https://www.forager.earth Brennan Spiegel – VRx: How Virtual Therapeutics Will Revolutionize Medicine https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/brennan-spiegel/vrx/9781541699762/?lens=basic-books

TRIPP https://www.tripp.com Liminal https://liminalvr.com

Zen Meditation – Together with TRIPP https://www.tripp.com/community/ Suzuki, W. Roseboom, D. J. Schwartzman, et al. – A Deep-Dream Virtual Reality Platform for Studying Altered Perceptual Phenomenology,” International Journal of Scientific Reports 22 (2017): 15982. www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlMBnCrZZYY

Ayahuasca Kosmik Journey https://atlasv.io/projects/ayahuasca/