Virtual reality is a simulated experience that can be similar to or completely different from the real world, usually experienced using a headset or mobile simulation ride. The simulated experience aims to immerse the player in a generated environment in a way that feels real to them. It is a fabricated space for the player to explore and engage with the environments and objects.
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The feeling of immersion is produced using a headset that completely takes over the players field of view, surround sound and vibrations in the hand-held controls. Strategic camera angles, movement and perspective can also be used to make the player feel as though they are experiencing a fake velocity or altered sense of gravity.
For example, Mission:ISS on the Oculus uses camera movement to make the player feel as though they are moving through zero gravity as it gives them little control over their movement and perspective when playing. It is very easy to accidentally rotate in a way not intended and can be quite disorientating.
When using virtual reality we are not engaging anymore with the world around us. Our brains process and appraise mental images through the same neural pathways they use to receive stimuli from the real world and evokes emotions and feelings similar to those we would feel in everyday life. So it is a great method of escape and allows us to reflect on our thoughts and feelings through actions that do not affect our real lives; it is a place of freedom.
Virtual Spaces uses sensory stimulation and vivid imagery to generate authentic experiences. Immersion in these environments can lead to a deeper understanding of a place or event more vivid than a book or pictures can evoke. In these safe spaces we still feel a sense of presence and this can induce relaxation. It is a safe space where we can almost choose how to feel by picking out the desired location or "reality' to travel to.
These virtual spaces can therefore be designed and created with evoking a target emotion or exploring a specific subject. These safe spaces don't just have to be an immersive escape from reality but could also be a place to deal or work through a problem or feeling. And it does not need to be a complex virtual reality game, it could be a virtual world inside an app or mobile game.
Example - Apart of Me
Apart of me was launched in 2017, designed by experts in child psychology and it is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation, working in partnership with some of the major Child Bereavement charities in the UK including Child Bereavement UK, Grief Encounter and Hospice UK.
It is a virtual experience that was designed for children who have experienced bereavement of a parent. It is a safe space where they can learn to navigate their grief, manage their emotions and read stories from people like them. It is a mobile game which helps young people cope with life-limiting illness, death and loss. It enables users to record and securely store memories of loved ones, build emotional resilience and turn their suffering into a source of hope for others.