There’s a saying that something good can come from bad. An AP story on the development of a virtual reality therapy for those returning from Iraq with post-traumatic stress syndrome highlights one prospective good.
This new technology allows for a re-creation of the actual traumatic event including sounds, smells, and temperatures.
Previously, options for treating PTSD involved group or individual psychotherapy, or having a person imagine their experience, Wiederhold [President of the Virtual Raelity Medical Center in San Diego] said. “The issue is you want to access the fear hierarchy in patients,” Wiederhold said. “Only about 15 percent of people are good imaginers. They have difficulty maintaining that state of imagining a scenario. Virtual reality is a much more vivid experience.”
Although this technology has been in trial in other circumstances, I am glad to see such an aggressive effort to develop this for the returning servicemen and women. Combined with appropriate therapy, this virtual reality can hopefully contribute to a healthier “real” reality