Do you have fear of heights? VR will be 'hero' to rescue you

Are you a person who is afraid of heights and sees it as a secret shame? Do not be too worried because in fact, fear of height (scientific name: acrophobia) is one of the most common fears in the world.

According to Futurism, a European research team recently discovered a new way to cure the disease, helping patients overcome their fears without having to climb anything high or even is no need to go to a therapist. Subsequent test results were published in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry on July 11.

The researchers selected 100 volunteers, all clinically diagnosed with high-grade fear but not yet treated. After that, the volunteer group was divided into two: 49 volunteers will have the opportunity to experience a two-week virtual reality (VR) regimen , while the remaining 51 will be placed in the control group. and not taking treatment to compare results before and after the experiment is completed.

During treatment, volunteers met their own "virtual trainer" through VR glasses within six sessions, each about 30 minutes long. The coach will start the program by asking questions about height fears and telling patients the truth about the obsession they are having. Next, through a series of virtual situations, volunteers will be guided on how to deal with that fear.

In addition to fear of height, VR can also be applied to treat mental disorders.

Challenges at each level will in turn be brought out, from standing on a pitched stone ledge to rescuing a cat stuck on a tree branch. At the end of each treatment session, the virtual trainer visits the patient to see how they feel, whether the fear improves. At the same time, volunteers are also encouraged to practice outside the "real world" with certain heights.

Before starting, all participants must fill out a questionnaire about the severity of height fear. By the end of the experiment two weeks later, 34 of the 49 volunteers felt they were no longer afraid of heights as much as before. Meanwhile, those in the control group assessed their fears remained unchanged compared to the start of the study. Since then, this study has been successful.

In addition, VR can also be applied to treat mental disorders . Although this is only the first test, it shows that VR treatment is very effective without the help of a specialist (and less expensive).

The lead author of the study, Daniel Freeman, published in a press release that this may increase the number of people receiving psychological treatment in general, not just about fear of heights: therapeutic approach whether or not VR is also effective for other mental disorders .