Can VR treat fears and phobias? - 6 Minute English

Summary

In this episode of BBC Learning English's '6 Minute English,' Rob and Sam explore how virtual reality (VR) is transforming therapy. They discuss VR's role in helping people overcome phobias, like acrophobia (fear of heights), through immersive simulations. The show highlights a project by Oxford VR, where users face simulated heights to confront their fears safely. Additionally, VR is used in Barcelona to foster empathy in men convicted of domestic violence by letting them experience abuse from a victim’s perspective. The episode also covers related vocabulary, offering listeners insight into how VR is reshaping therapeutic practices.

Takeaways

• 😀 VR allows users to escape into a completely different world, helping with various therapeutic applications.
• 😀 Virtual reality is being used to tackle serious problems like phobias and domestic violence.
• 😀 Acrophobia (the fear of heights) is one of the phobias that VR can help overcome by gradually exposing users to higher situations.
• 😀 Oxford VR has developed a system to help people with acrophobia by guiding them through tasks that gradually increase in height.
• 😀 The VR therapy works by simulating real-life situations in a controlled environment, allowing users to confront their fears safely.
• 😀 The sensation of reality in VR tricks the brain into reacting to simulated environments, which can aid therapeutic progress.
• 😀 The phrase 'drop your defences' refers to relaxing and trusting the VR experience by lowering psychological barriers.
• 😀 VR is being used in prisons in Barcelona to help men convicted of domestic violence experience the perspective of their victims.
• 😀 The 'virtual embodiment' project allows users to experience life from someone else’s point of view, enhancing empathy for victims.
• 😀 More prisoners reintegrated into society successfully after undergoing the VR experience, showing the potential of VR therapy for rehabilitation.
• 😀 The quiz at the end of the program clarifies that *acrophobia* is the correct term for the fear of heights.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the 6 Minute English program?

The main topic discussed is virtual reality (VR) and how it is being used to tackle serious problems, such as domestic violence and phobias.

How do people describe the experience of using VR?

People who use VR often describe the experience as intense, as it makes them feel like they are really in a different world.

How does VR help people overcome the fear of heights?

VR helps by simulating a situation where the user gradually faces higher and higher altitudes, starting with a safe environment like an elevator ride and progressing to more challenging scenarios like climbing a rope.

What is 'virtual embodiment' and how is it used in VR therapy?

'Virtual embodiment' is a VR simulation where a person can experience life from someone else’s perspective, such as a different gender or age. This is used in prisons to help men convicted of domestic violence understand the victims' perspective.

What psychological effect does VR have during therapy for phobias?

VR can trick the mind into acting as if the experience is real, despite knowing it's a simulation. This allows people to confront their fears and gradually drop their psychological defenses.

What is the significance of the 'drop your defences' phrase in the context of VR therapy?

The phrase 'drop your defences' means to relax and trust the process by lowering the psychological barriers a person has built to protect themselves, making it easier to confront their fears or problems.

What is the role of Dr. Mavi Sanchez-Vives in VR therapy?

Dr. Mavi Sanchez-Vives leads the 'virtual embodiment' project in Barcelona, using VR to help prisoners convicted of domestic violence gain empathy by experiencing abuse from the perspective of the victim.

How does the VR experience used in the domestic violence project affect prisoners?

The VR experience gives prisoners a first-person perspective of the abuse they inflicted, which seems to help them develop empathy and reintegrate into society more successfully after their release.

What is the proper term for the fear of heights?

The correct term for the fear of heights is 'acrophobia'.

What does the term 'simulation' mean in the context of VR?

In the context of VR, 'simulation' refers to a pretend copy of something that looks real but is not actually real.