Virtual Reality

A new study shows that 3MDR therapy—which combines treadmill walking, virtual reality, and eye movement tasks—significantly reduces PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms in military veterans, first responders, and healthcare workers for up to a year.

A new virtual-reality study upends assumptions about social anxiety and personal space. Researchers found that highly anxious people only keep a greater physical distance from others when they incorrectly perceive themselves as standing too close.

Using virtual reality, researchers found that children who take physical risks during playtime develop better hazard-assessment skills. The study highlights how a cultural embrace of adventurous play helps kids safely navigate complex real-world environments.

By measuring how well healthy adults track their movements in virtual reality, scientists can estimate future thinning in specific brain regions. This approach could provide a simple, early warning system for neurodegenerative diseases.

New research explores whether skills learned in a relaxing virtual reality game can be applied when the environment turns stressful. Scientists measured physiological responses to see if a simple breathing technique could help people keep their cool in a high-stakes...

New research in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience shows that virtual reality can induce psychedelic-like cognitive benefits. By simulating visual hallucinations, the technology was able to improve participants’ creative thinking and problem-solving abilities without any chemical compounds.

A brief virtual walk in a lush environment reduced the intensity and unpleasantness of experimentally induced pain, while an urban setting had no effect. Pain tolerance stayed the same, but positive emotions rose and negative emotions fell after the green...

Virtual avatars may be enough to make people feel like they’re part of a group workout, according to a study showing that this simulated social presence leads to greater appreciation and more vigorous movement during virtual exercise sessions.

Researchers at Stanford found that a six-minute guided meditation delivered through a VR headset lowered anxiety levels in parents of hospitalized children. The intervention outperformed standard relaxation methods, with Spanish-speaking caregivers experiencing the greatest benefit.

Consuming a Western-style diet packed with sugar and saturated fats may hurt your brain, not just your waistline. A new study shows poorer performance on spatial memory tasks among people with diets high in processed, unhealthy foods.

A novel virtual reality test has shown promise in identifying adult ADHD by tracking attention, eye movement, and behavior in a simulated seminar room.

A new study shows that playing virtual reality games can boost brain power in sedentary female students.

New research shows vagus nerve stimulation can change how people experience their bodies, making them less fooled by illusions.

Virtual reality research finds that thinking of a virtual body in pain makes people feel less connected to it, offering clues into self-perception and depersonalization.

A new study suggests that a virtual reality platform can help people overcome public speaking anxiety. After just one 30-minute session, participants felt less anxious and more confident.