More and more benefits of virtual reality technology are being uncovered. One wouldn’t necessarily associate relaxation with this technology, even though it is one of the main benefits provided by VR to date. Researchers are exploring various new use cases in this regard.
Using VR to Achieve Relaxation
Virtual reality technology allows for many different use cases and experiences. When it comes to gaming and content consumption, a lot of opportunities have come to the forefront over the years. Other use cases include therapy, training, and so forth. Surprisingly, none of the ventures focus on helping people to relax. That is now coming to change thanks to a team of researchers exploring new options.
Although the negative impact of VR has been well-documented, there can also be benefits to using this technology when it comes to one’s overall well-being. Users who visit “green scenery” in virtual reality have an overall lower blood pressure and fewer mental health issues. As such, designers take advantage of this new opportunity to help users relax while they reside in virtual reality.
Combined with the right music and animations, virtual reality can have a very soothing effect on one’s psyche. It can even be deemed as effective as spending time in the actual outdoor world, although that latter option will always be more preferable, for obvious reasons. Despite these options, there are still a fair few drawbacks to take into account as well.
The mix of virtual reality technology and nature is not an automatic success. There is a lack of official data highlighting the benefits of such “outdoors” VR experiences. This is why the researchers are taking the time to conduct the necessary studies in this regard. There’s also the concept of wearing a VR headset to be immersed in nature which will strike a lot of people are very odd first and foremost.
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