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Research
Historical Research
In clinical environments, Miller et al., (1992)2 used video distraction therapy to reduce anxiety and pain intensity in patients receiving medical treatments following limb amputation. The study recommended a wider application of video distraction techniques for pain management, and suggested that burns patients may particularly benefit from these methods by reducing pain / anxiety during dressing changes.
In a counseling environment , the patient invariably conducts a character analysis of the practitioner, and the efficacy of therapy is limited by the patient's appraisal of the clinician and the amount of trust and rapport established between them. The practitioner may need several hours with a patient to build enough rapport for successful therapy (particularly sessions that incorporate altered states of consciousness), and, by that time, the patient may have lost confidence in the counseling process for the treatment of their condition. In a virtual environment, therapy is interfaced with technology, so the user is not confronted by inherent desires for character analysis and establishing high-level trust and rapport with the person operating the equipment.
Some advantages of Virtual Reality Therapy in a counseling environment
In a virtual environment, altered states of consciousness are achieved
by the use of recorded images, verbal communication and non-verbal sounds,
and the depth of relaxation and/or the meditative state is not dependent
on the skills of the person operating the device. In a therapy session
where the practitioner is guiding the client into an altered state of
consciousness or meditative state, the depth of relaxation and/or the
meditative state is defendant on the skills of the practitioner.
The content of Virtual Reality Medicine is thoroughly researched. A rigorous
peer review process ensures that the knowledge and experience of the respective
consulting experts is captured in the content of each program. This provides
the best, possible therapeutic outcome. .
During VRT, the patient is taken on a journey through a wide range of
natural and contrived environments. This immerses them in a virtual world
conducive to deep relaxation where an appropriate selection of visual
images help to create surreal perceptions that enhance and support verbal
suggestions.
During the VRT process, visual and auditory stimuli are coordinated with
verbal suggestions. This makes it easier for the client to accept therapeutic
ideas and may alter their underlying, inappropriate belief structures.
In a counseling environment , the patient has to concentrate entirely
on the voice of the practitioner. Unrelated sounds and visual images become
a distraction that reduces the clinical efficacy of the therapy. In a
virtual environment, unrelated sights and sounds are eliminated.
In a virtual environment, the user's thoughts are focused on a variety
of visual and nonverbal stimuli, which reduces conscious, critical analysis
of verbal suggestions. By reducing critical analysis of verbal suggestions
at the conscious level, the user is more likely to accept therapeutic
messages at the subconscious level; thereby modifying belief systems that
perpetuate undesirable physiological outcomes.
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