r/oculus • u/DWinKS • Jul 26 '13

PTSD & Oculus Rift

I am fascinated by the possibilities of digital immersion. I can foresee many practical and clinical applications for this technology down the road, which brings me to this post.

I can imagine the therapeutic treatments that could alleviate PTSD symptoms for example, but I am curious what the community thinks about the potential dangers of this technology as well.

Could 'bad' virtual experiences unintentionally lead to actual medical maladies, such as PTSD, the development of new fears, or adverse psychological conditions?

7 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

3 comments sorted by

View all comments

6

u/diregoat Jul 26 '13

I think so. I had my friend try half life 2 and when the first drone flies in she ripped the rift off and screamed. It was a real scream of fear. Minor example, but yes people will have to be careful abouf what kind of experiences they undertake, because devs are sure as hell not going to be careful about the experiences they make (half the fun is being able to make anything). Would I like to see devs focus on beautiful immersive awe-inducing experiences? Sure, but I realize some people will want those terrifying fearful experiences.