Virtual Reality's Brain Impact: What I Learned During My Eye-Opening Exploration of VR

To experience virtual reality's brain impact, I eagerly put on the VR headset. My first VR gaming experience immediately blew me away. Previously, I had been stuck at home during the pandemic, and decided this was the perfect time to explore VR, and boy! This experience was unlike any of my previous gaming experiences!

The virtual world around me felt incredibly immersive, engaging all of my senses. The sounds of birds chirping and the rustling of leaves in the wind filled my ears as if I were truly outside. The distant hum of traffic and the occasional honk of a car horn added to the realism. I could even smell the fresh-cut grass and the delicate scent of flowers wafting through the virtual air.

My footsteps echoed softly on the pavement, and the gravel crunched beneath my feet, creating a realistic sense of movement. As I looked with amazement, I realized I could perceive the depth and volume of the virtual environment and objects around me. This was far more immersive than sophisticated 3D graphics rendered on a flat 2D monitor.

Eventually, I stumbled upon a virtual game that placed you atop a building with a plank, enabling you to jump off the building. I felt the wind brush against my face and heard it whistle in my ears as I moved closer to the plank. The height seemed so real that my heart pounded in my chest, and my palms became sweaty.

I knew jumping off wouldn’t be a problem as this environment was safe and simulated. However, it still felt real, and all my instincts screamed at me not to jump.

As I hesitated, the wind picked up. My palms became sweatier as I worked up the courage to override my natural instincts and jump off the virtual building. Eventually, I did so, screaming all the way. The rush of air enveloped me, and I could feel the exhilarating sensation of falling, even though I was still in my living room. What a rush! But then I thought:

"What if someone pushed me off a virtual building or forced me to experience a simulated traumatic situation?"

After going through my VR experience, it was clear to me that virtual reality's brain impact on our mental health was a real possibility.

The Traumatic Effects of Virtual Reality’s Brain Impact

Suppose a simulated VR experience could cause us to experience real emotions and physiological symptoms. Can we develop severe trauma from the harmful effects of virtual reality?

What would happen if other human players virtually attacked me in a hyper-realistic and intense VR multiplayer game?

Denny Unger, CEO, and creative director of Cloudhead Games, warned that a high level of realism in virtual attacks could lead to severe consequences, such as heart attacks and deaths in some individuals.

“I have some pretty strong views on this” … “The low hanging fruit of VR, to me, is horror games that purposely do jump scares. We’re very close to having the first death in VR — I firmly believe that” — Denny Unger

All of this points to a chance that some of us may have a medical or psychological condition triggered by a hyper-realistic traumatic VR experience — with potentially fatal consequences.

Negative Behavior Desensitization through Virtual Reality’s Brain Impact

Never before has a media platform been so immersive that our brains have trouble distinguishing between the real and the virtual. The exact mechanism that assists people in overcoming their trauma through exposure and desensitization in VR could encourage negative behaviors in people.

A study on chronic violent video game exposure and desensitization to violence showed that even brief exposure to media violence could lead to desensitization.

Would someone with psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies be able to distinguish between what is right or wrong if they spend all day immersed in a hyper-realistic virtual world where they can act out their dark fantasies?

Would one of the side effects of virtual reality result in being unable to feel empathy for the consequences of performing dark acts?

After all, there are some things that we shouldn’t lose empathy and sensitivity to— in order to keep our ethical and moral compass aligned. Furthermore, research has shown that no desensitization to violence can account for changes in aggression in a person.

However, it's important to note that many studies on exposure to media violence only studied the effects of traditional media technologies like videos and non-VR games. This means that more research on VR’s long-term side effects, its impact on violence, and changes in real-world levels of aggression is needed.

While we await further research, we should err on the side of caution when it comes to VR and its impact on our relationship with negative behaviors.

Dissociating With the Real World

Some experts speculate that long-term exposure to VR could trigger a depersonalization-derealization disorder — a psychological condition where one is detached from one’s sense of self.

In 2006, the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Montreal found that one of the negatives of VR was that it made people feel more dissociated and reduced people’s sense of presence in the real world.

In an article about virtual reality's brain impact, after a long VR session, a VR enthusiast recalls the following:

“I was just completely unable to hold a conversation. Though I don’t think I looked it, I felt like I was sitting there, mouth agape with a big line of drool and just white noise playing in my brain.”

Depersonalization and derealization could result in someone feeling like they are losing control over their physical bodies and prefer the stronger feeling of control over their virtual avatars.

Someone addicted to, and constantly engaged in long VR sessions may suffer from this virtual reality's brain impact. This could cause them to neglect their personal lives, health, and relationships in favor of the virtual world.

Shallower Social Connections in VR?

During my VR adventures, I was not surprised when I discovered a whole community of VR enthusiasts socializing more online than in real life. This community only grew larger during the COVID lockdowns, which saw many people turning to the virtual world in the absence of real socialization.

This led me to explore the popular VR socialization platform, VR Chat, during the pandemic. In this amazing platform, I could jump around various “rooms” in VR Chat — encountering different environments and people.

Eventually, I made a few virtual friends across the globe, as we hung out together in fantastic virtual environments. However, as the lockdowns lifted, I went out more and logged on to VR Chat less.

Soon, I lost touch with these virtual friends and this made me question if the social bonds formed within these virtual worlds were as strong as real face-to-face bonds in the real world.

In psychologist John R Suler’s book “The Psychology of the Digital Age”, John describes how cyberspace accelerates the perception of time and therefore speeds up the social processes of forming relationships between individuals and groups.

With a sped-up social process, John speculated that this could lead to a quick fizzling out of the relationships that we form online — as quickly as they started.

However, that hasn’t stopped people from socializing in VR.

Suppose we all neglected our real-world social bonds over these “fair-weather” virtual relationships. Would this lead to an atrophying of our real-world social skills and relationships?

Empathy and Therapy: Positive Effects of Virtual Reality’s Brain Impact

Despite my sounding like a Luddite in the throes of a moral panic, it’s clear that VR has plenty of amazing, positive things to offer.

Researchers, supported by Seoul National University and the Colorado Public School of Health, found that virtual reality's brain impact on your self-esteem and body image creates a malleable body image that your virtual body or avatar influences.

Thus, seeing your virtual avatar from the first person or through a virtual mirror will allow your brain to subconsciously feel another person’s emotions with a different body type — thus enhancing your empathy for the person.

With VR, you can “walk a mile in someone’s shoes.” An example of this is the 360-degree video “Clouds Over Sidra.” It is an 8-minute, 360-degree video project inside a Syrian refugee camp in northern Jordan.

Clouds Over Sidra allows you to experience the sound and sights of the refugee camp — simulating the experience of being inside the camp itself. Viewers who shared this video experience had tears in their eyes as they experienced the emotions of being displaced and living in a difficult environment.

Chris Milk, a co-creator of Clouds Over Sidra, had this to say about VR as an empathic tool:

“If these aspects of “narrative technology” can be successfully applied, then immersive media’s promise as potential “empathy machines” capable of triggering a sense of connection between user/participant(s) and the people or events presented “ — Chris Milk

VR’s value as an educational empathy tool was further highlighted by reading the book “Virtual Reality” by Samuel Greengard. In the book, an experiment simulating color blindness led to participants increasing their likelihood of helping people who were color blind — after feeling what it was like to be color blind.

Additionally, VR has shown tremendous promise in mental health therapies like phobia exposure therapy. By offering a safe, simulated environment, individuals can confront and manage their crippling phobias and anxieties more effectively.

Jimmy Castellanos, a Gulf War veteran suffering from PTSD symptoms, had this to say about his VR PTSD exposure therapy:

“I would cry for the entire session,” he says. “I’d get home and couldn’t study. I’d cry myself to sleep. It was exhausting….You go over the story over and over again. I got so bored with my own story that it no longer elicited a reaction.”

Moreover, the Psychology Department of the University of Tennessee conducted a study in which they discovered that VR pain management therapies could potentially be a pain management alternative and address the opioid crisis in the United States.

The researchers also found that their study participants reported an average decrease in pain of 60% between pre-session and during the experience.

So far, everything has led me to conclude that, despite virtual reality's brain impact, we can harness it as a force for good in society. However, what can we, as individuals and as a society, do to embrace the positive aspects of VR while mitigating its negatives?

Striking a Balance: Finding a Responsible Approach to VR

Throughout my journey in VR, I was convinced that VR is a powerful technology, with plenty of potential for good, but has a great impact on our brains and mental health.

We should lobby VR content developers to self-regulate and avoid developing VR experiences that are too intense. Moreover, it should be standard VR development practice to enforce breaks from the virtual content.

Meta, the company betting big on the VR Metaverse, recommends only using their Quest 2 headset for a few minutes before gradually increasing the time spent in VR. Additionally, during long VR sessions, Meta will advise you to take 10 to 15-minute breaks — even if you feel fine.

We must also lobby policymakers to do their part in ensuring responsible VR industry standards. Policymakers can work with the VR industry to develop a rating standard to inform the public about the risks. Such a rating standard will guide the public on age-appropriate VR content and warn people about health conditions that VR may trigger.

Regarding responsible VR use in mental health, we must spread awareness and education on the dangers of self-medicating with VR therapies. This is due to the positive and negative potential of virtual reality's brain impact.

Self-prescribing VR therapy without fully understanding your condition may lead to more harm than good. A more responsible approach would be to allow professional psychologists to assess you to develop an individualized VR treatment.

Furthermore, as the technology for VR gets better, cheaper, and more readily available, we should encourage and raise awareness for more funding in the research on the long-term effects of

virtual reality's brain impact—  to better understand and use VR responsibly.

Conclusion

As I reflect on my journey through virtual reality's immersive and captivating realm, I am grateful for how VR has enriched my life. It has brought a sense of wonder and excitement that is difficult to replicate in our everyday reality.

However, I am also acutely aware of virtual reality's brain impact, and the delicate balance required to maintain a healthy relationship with this powerful technology. Sometimes I found myself lost in the virtual world —  neglecting the people and responsibilities that truly matter.

Therefore, while the allure of the digital space can sometimes be overwhelming, it’s crucial to stay grounded and remember the importance of our life outside of the virtual realm.

So, as you embark on your own virtual adventures, remember to cherish the connections and moments that make up your authentic life, while exploring the boundless possibilities that VR offers.

Happy VR exploring!