ThisFeelingHuman has evolved from a project in my mind, a guest house in my imagination into a concept of a virtual reality hypnosis experience. My first garden designs are about to be completed and I am feeling awesome, nervous and excited!
VR Hypnosis Value Proposition
I'm creating this virtual world environment beginning with a zen garden to ponder, reflect and to meditate. I've often heard anecdotally how people either doze off asleep while meditating or are unable to observe their thoughts come and go. VR would be the visual guide for them, through the use of prompts to contemplate life and visual guides to visualize their empowered state.
While the garden is the first environment, I began testing out scenes for My Guest House, which incorporates design elements of the guest house visualizations from the book, and also immersive videos to help get into a state of focused attention and hypnosis.
Here's a 15 minute immersive video without audio guided hypnotherapy, which we are testing out for the visualization room.
How Hypnosis Works In Virtual Reality
Hypnosis works in VR by engaging the mind and body in a 3D environment. The induction is similar to staring into moving circles and research on using 3D immersive technology to facilitate hypnotic induction for pain management.
The summary of 8 research studies on the use of virtual reality for hypnosis is that short term decreases in pain and time thinking about pain and anxiety is reduced. The use of VR alone seems to reduce pain regardless of the ability of the person to be hypnotized. One study suggests that employing visual aids helps facilitate the hypnosis.
Personally I have tried using 3D videos for self-hypnosis and they work well, especially in terms of getting induced into the state of focused attention. A picture speaks 1,000 words.
VR Meditation
The VR Zen garden is designed for meditation and contemplations. The world of meditation and mindfulness is one that is constantly expanding. There are many ways to practice mindfulness by way of virtual reality. The benefits of using virtual reality are multiple including better concentration and better focus. With the use of contemplation questions, meditative music, and journaling, we hope our users can be steered into a sweet spot where the zen garden brings about focused attention and awareness.
From Meditation Online Youtube To Virtual Reality
I started learning meditation through friends and learned how to meditate from experts on YouTube. It requires me normally to find a quiet place, settle down, focus on one thing. I find the biggest hurdle for beginners like me is to find that calm conducive environment to settle into the breath. While I have learned ways to reframe my mindset about giving up early and to discipline myself to be still, I reckon a VR world like the zen garden would help provide this calming conducive environment.
This would allow youtubers to also host their meditation audio and video clips into the zen garden as well. I hope that eventually there will be a wide enough audience base to attract meditation practitioners and masters to create content with us.
When Mindfulness Doesn't Work
Mindfulness is the focused attention on being present to thoughts, acts and importantly, the breath. It requires discipline. Discipline however is a challenge for most beginners and many give up.
Many people want to meditate, but don't know how. A lot of people find meditation to be a very beneficial activity, but they are frustrated because after a few attempts, they don't experience the benefits that they're hoping for or they try and find meditation techniques that work for them. What to do when mindful meditation doesn't work? Head into the immersive experience with visual and audio aids to guide you into the process of being aware.
That is why guided meditations on YouTube are so popular. It helps the mind to be anchored in a narrative, a long as the narrative draws you into a state of being aware. Otherwise it could end up the same as binge watching TV series on Netflix, or listening to the audio guide as a temporal distraction.
I find walking in a garden or close to nature extremely calming. I use my senses to guide me to being aware of my breathing, and allow myself to go into a state of mindful activity. This is the inspiration behind the VR meditation garden. To mimic the sensory experience and immerse users into the deep breathing and focused state of being present.
Even if mindfulness does not work for everyone, everyone benefits from the calm and relaxing sensory experience in the 3D garden.
More thoughts about Virtual Reality and Immersive Sensory Experiences
In the product roadmap, the plan is to allow users through various means to experience feelings of consolation in their lives. Peace and tranquility, safety and security through the virtual world is the main goal. Everything else is added bonus.
In the pipeline, we have a virtual world for empowering visualizations, meditation, contemplation and hypnotherapy. There are plans to host journal templates for mood tracking, processing negative feelings, and even a virtual world retreat space for labyrinth meditative walks and silent retreats.
Writing these makes me excited. Bringing them to reality makes me feel satisfied. Stay tuned.