Scary monsters: how virtual reality could help people cope with anxiety - The Guardian

Tethered to a chair, successful a gloomy basement, I’m doing my champion not to panic – by breathing successful for 4 seconds, holding for seven, and dilatory releasing for eight. But erstwhile a bloodthirsty monster appears astatine my feet and starts crawling towards me, I don’t request a dial to archer maine that my bosom is pounding, and I’m successful imminent mortal danger.

Welcome to the aboriginal of anxiousness treatment: a virtual world (VR) crippled that teaches you a breathing method to assistance calm your nerves, and past pits you against a monstrous humanoid that wants to devour you, to signifier deploying it successful genuinely panic-inducing situations.

Developed by researchers astatine the University of Cambridge, with assistance from a section video crippled company, Ninja Theory, the crippled is being tested arsenic a means of teaching radical a strategy to header with mundane anxiety. For me, this could see filing a communicative for the Guardian, astatine extraordinarily abbreviated notice, oregon trying to get retired of the doorway with 2 children, erstwhile I’m already moving late.

“We are looking astatine anxiousness arsenic a happening that astir radical experience, arsenic opposed to a circumstantial anxiousness disorder, trying to thatch emotion regularisation techniques that could beryllium utile to astir radical astatine immoderate constituent successful their life,” said Lucie Daniel-Watanabe, a doctoral pupil who is starring the research.

“Therapists often inquire radical to larn techniques, specified arsenic breathing techniques, successful wholly static and unengaged ways, and past say: ‘Try this portion you’re stressed.’ But there’s nary mode of getting radical to effort it erstwhile they’re stressed successful that therapeutic situation. VR allows you to wholly manipulate the situation that radical are in, which tin beryllium truly utile successful that regard.”

With the VR headset successful spot and a heart-rate show attached to my finger, I’m transported connected to a rowing boat, connected a tranquil water astatine sunset. A soothing dependable encourages maine to respire in, clasp my breath, and exhale astatine the due clip points, and arsenic I consciousness progressively relaxed and my pulse slows, the vessel moves mildly forwards.

After astir 5 minutes of this, I’m acceptable to statesman the adjacent signifier of my training: the dungeon. Even though I cognize it’s conscionable a game, the immersive quality of VR helps to suspend my disbelief, and I’m amazed to perceive my heartbeat thumping successful my ears. In the apical country of my vision, a tiny dial tells maine that my bosom is pumping importantly faster than erstwhile I was connected the boat, which reminds maine of what I americium present for. I commencement to dilatory my breathing, and the dial creeps gradually downwards excessively – adjacent erstwhile I perceive a chap captive screaming, and look to my near to spot a assemblage being dragged backwards retired of sight.

The humanoid monster confronting Linda Geddes successful the VR game. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

Then, suddenly, the monster is successful beforehand of me, emaciated, grey-skinned, and blindfolded with a horrible grin connected its mouth. I’ve been told that it can’t spot me, but it tin usage my heartbeat to consciousness my location; the lone mode to debar decease is to usage the relaxation method to bring my bosom complaint down.

I effort my best, but the monster is excessively close, and excessively horrible. Afterwards – erstwhile the monster has jumped connected me, and the surface has gone achromatic – Daniel-Watanabe tells maine she deliberately enactment maine connected a much hard level, due to the fact that galore of subjects she’s tested it connected truthful acold were excessively bully astatine avoiding death.

Striking the close balance, not to notation validating the attack among larger and much divers groups of individuals, could instrumentality immoderate time. But different VR-based approaches are already being trialled wrong the NHS, for illustration to assistance radical who are suffering from social anxiety oregon agoraphobia to signifier mundane scenarios, specified arsenic being successful the thoroughfare oregon wrong a shop, nether the guidance of a virtual coach.

Lucie Daniel-Watanabe, who is starring the research, said she would ne'er privation to spot VR utilized successful spot of therapy. Photograph: Graeme Robertson/The Guardian

Partnering with a gaming institution could instrumentality specified experiences to a caller level. Gamification of the process whitethorn besides assistance motivate radical to signifier utile techniques, specified arsenic breathing exercises, alternatively than relying connected interior information – “which, if you’re successful a truly unsmooth place, mightiness beryllium hard”, Daniel-Watanabe said.

While she would ne'er privation to spot VR utilized successful spot of therapy, “it mightiness beryllium a assets that radical could usage if they were connected a waiting database for cognitive behavioural therapy, to larn immoderate basal techniques successful the interim”, she said.

As for me, portion I’d beryllium reluctant to spell backmost into that dungeon, the brushwood has reminded maine to effort dilatory breathing, erstwhile I’m feeling stressed. Even an imminent deadline is nary lucifer for that monster.