A team from the University of Barcelona has studied the effects of transferring this inner conversation to virtual reality. To do this, twenty-two participants donned glasses and special equipment and started a conversation about their personal problems.
In the first part of the experiment, participants were immersed in a virtual body that resembled themselves , created after undergoing a 3D scan. From this avatar they had to explain their problem to a virtual representation with the appearance of the psychologist and father of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), who was located on the other side of the virtual room.
In the next phase of the experiment, the volunteers moved into Freud’s virtual body . Ahead they saw the avatar that looked like themselves and heard themselves telling their problem. Later, and from their role as Freud, they offered advice to address the problem.
Finally, the participants returned to the avatar of their own body, from which they saw and heard Freud giving them the advice that they themselves had given minutes before ; although with a different tone so as not to recognize his own voice. The procedure was repeated until they reached an adequate resolution for their problem.
A week later the experiment was repeated; but instead of seeing Freud, the participants saw a copy of themselves on the other side of the virtual room. In this way, they had the virtual conversation directly with themselves .
The mood improved
The results of the study suggest that this virtual conversation with oneself allows changing the perspective on personal problems. In both cases, the mood and happiness of the participants improved , especially when they received their advice through Freud’s body. Could this experience serve as a new method of self-therapy?
More studies are still needed to assess the efficacy of this technique, especially in addressing more serious problems. However, with the development of immersive virtual reality devices increasingly better, and at more accessible prices, and in an environment in which access to mental health treatments is below the needs of patients, this form of therapy Virtual could help people deal with minor problems, such as excessive self-criticism or shame, before they become more serious .
Mel Slater is a researcher at the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) and coordinator of the Research Group Virtual Environments in Neuroscience and Experimental Technology (Event Lab), at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Barcelona. This article has been written in collaboration with the Communication Unit of the University of Barcelona.
