Since the last decade, the world has seen a development in new technologies and virtual reality is one of them. New therapeutic applications involve the use of VR in mental health treatments. Psychedelics therapy is an emerging treatment to heal mental problems and therapists are considering virtual reality to merge into the psychedelic therapy to enhance its results. Study has revealed that, clients taking sessions of PAT with virtual reality gain the sense of self-actualization, subjective sensation, and ego dissolution. Connecting both psychedelics and virtual reality in therapy may provide top-notch healing capacity. Let us find out the role of virtual reality to enhance psychedelic experiences.

What is Virtual Reality?

Virtual reality in therapy refers to a computer-simulated setting utilized as a healing tool to treat several mental problems. VR supports healing journeys by introducing new coping skills, confronting fear, motivation and confidence to seekers. To gain somatic awareness, a headset is used to track client’s head movement and display 360 degree visuals via virtual reality tool. Procedures including scenarios, fictional images and videos, visuals of actual places being used in virtual reality in therapy for mental treatment. The healing journey of VR along psychedelic therapy includes vanishing phobias, reducing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD.

Role of Virtual Reality in Psychedelic Therapy

Virtual reality in therapy allows for the creation of highly personalised surroundings that support psychedelic therapy in a friendly manner. Enhancing mental and emotional states in a way that is unique to each individual.

Patients who use new digital tools can better control their nervous systems
Supports to achieve a calming condition that facilitates psychedelic experiences.
Promotes mental adaptability
Possibly aid in their recollection and increased access to their experiences
Act as a milder form of their psychedelic experience, minimising the demand for more psychedelic sessions.

How Can VR Help to Enhance a Person's Experience in Psychedelic Therapy?

Including VR at the Preparation Phase of PAT

Virtual realities may recreate the psychedelic experience and cause self-transcendent experiences prior to the dosing session. With the aid of virtual reality technology, patients can better anticipate their therapy sessions.

Psilocybin or LSD are the main substances used in psychedelic assisted psychotherapy. Before starting the dosage, the therapists initiate the preparation phase, where he discuss the whole procedure and aware the client by therapeutic application. Furthermore,some patients may find this difficult to understand, which may deter them from seeking therapy aided by psychedelics.

Utilizing the tool like virtual reality in therapy at the preparation phase makes it more successful and understandable easily.VR in the healing journey are capable to replicate altered states of consciousness, just like a non-linear perception of time or becoming detached from the body. Patients may feel less nervous and more ready for the procedure as a result.

Lowering Anxiety During Psychedelic Therapy

VR technology can help patients manage their fear or anxiety by giving them a sense of grounding at the beginning of the session. These tools can produce customised visualisations to assist patients in processing their feelings and ideas. During the session, any such encounter can be customised as per the client’s needs and preferences.This will communicate a sense of safety and agency. By simulating natural outdoor settings like a beach or forest, virtual reality (VR) can encourage good feelings and help patients feel more connected to nature.

Psychedelic therapy presents difficulties in natural environments, technology can introduce aspects of nature into indoor spaces through soothing sounds and images.

Integration Following the Dosing Session

Since psychedelics encourage neuroplasticity, integration during and after this time may be crucial for encoding long-lasting alterations in the structure and function of the brain. The persistent susceptibility to set and setting is highlighted by the psychedelics' long-lasting effects, which persist even after the dosing session. Virtual reality storytelling can be utilised in therapy to establish a secure and encouraging setting for examining and resolving emotional or psychological issues.

Calming Down After Sessions

Technology like virtual reality could be helpful for patients to calm them after psychedelic sessions. After psychedelic therapy, clients may feel anxiety, confusion, and an intense range of emotions. However, virtual reality could help them to calm them down after the sessions. When patients are coming down from an encounter, VR can provide a soothing and tranquil environment. Help them to return to their alertness and gain consciousness. When the compound wears off, the patient returns to normal consciousness after the altered state, possibly with a less severe comedown. This can lower the chance of an unfavorable reaction by making patients feel more rooted and connected to reality. Furthermore, features like journaling

Conclusion

The individual can fully immerse themselves in the experience and optimise the possible advantages in a personalised atmosphere that is safe, supportive, and catered to their requirements and interests through virtual reality and psychedelic therapy. This could involve elements that are personally significant and pleasurable to the person, such music, art, nature, or other sensory experiences. Psychedelic therapy presents difficulties in natural environments, but technology like virtual reality in therapy can introduce aspects of nature within the indoor space via soothing sounds and images. This may assist patients control their fear or anxiety at the start of a session when combined with breathing techniques or guided meditations.

The practical issues of harmony, reliability, availability, efficacy, resources, individualisation, location, set/setting, and general administration of psychedelic-assisted therapies may be resolved via virtual reality and psychedelic therapy sessions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. What are the benefits of virtual reality for patients in rehabilitation therapy?

Using virtual reality in therapy like rehabilitation is beneficial for patients. It supports cognitive function, motivation, and enhanced engagement as well as emotional control.

Q2. Is VR good or PTSD?

Virtual reality to treat PTSD leads to good results by reducing the symptoms of PTSD. This effect remains at least for the first 3 months.

Q3. Is therapy better in person or VR?

In-person or virtual reality, both found to be equally effective approaches in therapies.

The Role of Virtual Reality in Enhancing Psychedelic Therapy Experiences