Virtual Reality as a Moderator of Psychedelic-Assisted Psychotherapy
Frontiers in Psychology March 4, 2022 Agnieszka D. Sekula, Luke Downey, Prashanth Puspanathan 27 citations
Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy (PP) shows promise for treating PTSD, anxiety, addiction, and depression, relying heavily on participant mindset and therapeutic environment. Virtual reality (VR) may enhance PP by aiding relaxation, reducing anxiety, promoting mindfulness, inducing altered states of consciousness, and evoking mystical experiences. However, VR's role remains speculative due to a lack of empirical evidence on combined use. Potential disadvantages include sensory overstimulation, cyber-sickness, and triggering traumatic memories. A balanced, evidence-based approach is needed for design and implementation across treatment phases.