PHOBOS: VR Exposure Therapy - NOW LIVE ON INDIEGOGO

Mystify
Certif-Eyed!
Posts: 645
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2013 5:10 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by Mystify »

Benjimoron wrote:Silly question maybe, but is it not good to be scared of spiders?

I'm rather scared of heights, but I like that, I should be scared of heights. Falling from height is bad for you!
Lacking a fear of heights and falling off of tall things are not the same thing. Being scared of spiders is even sillier, as most of them are harmless, and actually helpful. Speaking as someone who is afraid of spiders, its not a good thing. I highly doubt my fear of spiders has prevented them from harming me a single time, but it has caused me a lot of distress and hindered me on several occasions.
In the other case, dogs. I am not afraid of dogs. However, I will still respect them when they are warning me off, and hence I can both enjoy dogs and not get bitten by them without fear being a factor. Or fire. Fire is dangerous and it can burn you to death. Yet, you can still enjoy fire and use it without harming yourself or others without being afraid of it. There is a difference between respecting the danger and being afraid of something.
User avatar
TheHolyChicken
Diamond Eyed Freakazoid!
Posts: 733
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:34 am
Location: Brighton, UK
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by TheHolyChicken »

geekmaster wrote:
Benjimoron wrote:Silly question maybe, but is it not good to be scared of spiders?

I'm rather scared of heights, but I like that, I should be scared of heights. Falling from height is bad for you!
I am scared of running with scissors. Is there a VR cure for that? :lol:

But seriously, VR therapy is great for PTSD, and as a distraction for burn victims during physical therapy. It might also help cure fear of public speaking, or performing in front of a large audience. It certainly DOES have valid uses. But SPIDERS? Really? Who will pay for that?
A family friend is so terrified of snakes she literally vomited due to fear from seeing one ~8 foot away (a completely harmless pet snake). I would imagine anyone with a comparable fear of spiders would very much like to be a bit less sensitive. I know that for games with spiders (eg skyrim) there was pretty large demand for a "spider conversion mod".
Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

Mystify wrote:Fire is dangerous and it can burn you to death. Yet, you can still enjoy fire and use it without harming yourself or others without being afraid of it.
Now "self-immolation" would make an interesting simulation. We just need some kind of thermal haptic feedback for that one.

Perhaps we could use microwave oven technology (like the military uses for crowd control):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvZCz_3Fqog[/youtube]

You need to prevent heating the eye lenses though (cataract hazard).

But it seems that it has already gone "viral" in certain communities:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2 ... viral.html

Perhaps we can use a form of this therapy to make people MORE AFRAID of fire?
Last edited by geekmaster on Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
alekki
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:12 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by alekki »

geekmaster wrote:
Benjimoron wrote:Silly question maybe, but is it not good to be scared of spiders?

I'm rather scared of heights, but I like that, I should be scared of heights. Falling from height is bad for you!
I am scared of running with scissors. Is there a VR cure for that? :lol:

But seriously, VR therapy is great for PTSD, and as a distraction for burn victims during physical therapy. It might also help cure fear of public speaking, or performing in front of a large audience. It certainly DOES have valid uses. But SPIDERS? Really? Who will pay for that?

I think it is important to mold the Kickstarter campaign into something that people will really want to support, right at the beginning. Things like WHAT YOU WANT TO CURE (besides arachnophobia), for example...
Being afraid of dangerous things is fine, but if you're so afraid it severely affects your everyday life, it's not. Phobias can be disabling. And treating them isn't exactly a new thing :roll:
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

alekki wrote:Being afraid of dangerous things is fine, but if you're so afraid it severely affects your everyday life, it's not. Phobias can be disabling. And treating them isn't exactly a new thing :roll:
Courage has been defined as being afraid, but placing oneself in the path of danger for a good cause ANYWAY. Some people are born with this. Some are born cowards.

I overcame my fear of public speaking just by DOING IT (starting small, with ever-increasing audience size). Eventually, I felt comfortable speaking in front of audiences in the hundreds. It felt really good when you could get them to laugh now and then during a serial technical presentation. As I mentioned before, overcoming fear of public speaking may be something that people (or their employers) may be willing to pay for. Of course, to be comfortable, you need to talk about something you know intimately (like Palmer Luckey knows VR, giving him such a naturally excellent public persona)...

Public Speaking VR Therapy sounds useful. It should be in your list of proposed "treatments"...
Last edited by geekmaster on Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:34 pm, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

geekmaster wrote:
Benjimoron wrote:It certainly DOES have valid uses. But SPIDERS? Really? Who will pay for that?
What's important here is the incapacitating and irrational fear of spiders, pigeons, clowns, heights, you name it. Which is different than being cautious about approaching fires, heights or a dangerous animal.

Still, for the record... arachnophobia is one of the most common phobias. So there IS a "market" for it.

On a different note, it's more about what can be cured using VRET than what I'd like to cure. There are some phobias that have a marked psychological component and no VR treatment will work without other complementary therapy/ies. I'm not interested in these type of ailments at this time. I'm taking it slowly since it's a serious matter which is regulated by laws and professional practices. It's not just a video game. People's mental health are involved and I have a professional license I don't wanna lose :D
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

geekmaster wrote:
alekki wrote:Being afraid of dangerous things is fine, but if you're so afraid it severely affects your everyday life, it's not. Phobias can be disabling. And treating them isn't exactly a new thing :roll:
Courage has been defined as being afraid, but placing oneself in the path of danger for a good cause ANYWAY. Some people are born with this. Some are born cowards.

I overcame my fear of public speaking just by DOING IT (starting small, with ever-increasing audience size). Eventually, I felt comfortable speaking in front of audiences in the hundreds. It felt really good when you could get them to laugh now and then during a serial technical presentation. As I mentioned before, overcoming fear of public speaking may be something that people (or their employers) may be willing to pay for. Of course, to be comfortable, you need to talk about something you know intimately (like Palmer Luckey knows VR, giving him such a naturally excellent public persona)...

I would definitely like to tackle public speaking, although the complexity of modelling the behavior of multiple avatars exceed my current budget. That's one of the reasons I'm considering to start a kickstarter... thing is that there's not much I can give back to backers in terms of lower tier rewards.
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

ftarnogol wrote:What's important here is the incapacitating and irrational fear of spiders, pigeons, clowns, heights, you name it. Which is different than being cautious about approaching fires, heights or a dangerous animal.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC_xO2aN_IA[/youtube]

"She swallowed the SPIDER to catch the fly, but I don't know why she swallowed the fly..."

I did not notice any pigeons or clowns in there, but "How very dumb to swallow your gum." :lol:

Okay, I see now that the Rift COULD make a halfway decent "deirrationalizationator"...
alekki
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:12 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by alekki »

geekmaster wrote:
alekki wrote:Being afraid of dangerous things is fine, but if you're so afraid it severely affects your everyday life, it's not. Phobias can be disabling. And treating them isn't exactly a new thing :roll:
Courage has been defined as being afraid, but placing oneself in the path of danger for a good cause ANYWAY. Some people are born with this. Some are born cowards.

I overcame my fear of public speaking just by DOING IT (starting small, with ever-increasing audience size). Eventually, I felt comfortable speaking in front of audiences in the hundreds. It felt really good when you could get them to laugh now and then during a serial technical presentation. As I mentioned before, overcoming fear of public speaking may be something that people (or their employers) may be willing to pay for. Of course, to be comfortable, you need to talk about something you know intimately (like Palmer Luckey knows VR, giving him such a naturally excellent public persona)...

Public Speaking VR Therapy sounds useful. It should be in your list of proposed "treatments"...
For people with a phobia, it's not as simple as "just doing it". Some people are actually disabled by their fear of social contact, dogs, spiders, closed spaces or whatever they happen to be afraid of. Saying "just face whatever you're afraid of" to a person with a phobia is like saying "come on, just smile and be happy" to a depressed person.
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

alekki wrote:For people with a phobia, it's not as simple as "just doing it". Some people are actually disabled by their fear of social contact, dogs, spiders, closed spaces or whatever they happen to be afraid of. Saying "just face whatever you're afraid of" to a person with a phobia is like saying "come on, just smile and be happy" to a depressed person.
But you still need to start small, where they only feel uncomfortable, and scale up from there.

In the case of spiders, you could start with "spider-like" things they CAN deal with (like a dog), then slowly morph that into the object of their phobia. And the exposure times should start small (a hint or flicker), and increase with acceptance.

Just keep NEAR the level of awareness of discomfort, and do not cross into outright fear or you will lose ground. It is just like overcoming motion sickness. Do not overdo any sessions, but slowly increase (or occassionally decrease them), as necessary.

In my case of "just doing it" I started with a few friends. We got together to give a little presentation of things we have in common that the presenter knows well and feels completely comfortable with. Then small presentations at work with familar co-workers. Then at a meeting of the shareholders. Then at large computer club meetings. And more...

A person with a phobia needs to be proactive (just do it) in comfortable surroundings with minimal (but growing over time) discomfort. No shock treatments that could reinforce their fears.

IMHO, that is. Just "common" sense. I am not a doctor. I just read a lot...

I think these simple basic principles could be important for a VR therapy treatment plan, but trained medical "experts" may choose to disagree. YMMV
alekki
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 117
Joined: Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:12 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by alekki »

geekmaster wrote:But you still need to start small, where they only feel uncomfortable, and scale up from there.

In the case of spiders, you could start with "spider-like" things they CAN deal with (like a dog), then slowly morph that into the object of their phobia. And the exposure times should start small (a hint or flicker), and increase with acceptance.

Just keep NEAR the level of awareness of discomfort, and do not cross into outright fear or you will lose ground. It is just like overcoming motion sickness. Do not overdo any sessions, but slowly increase (or occassionally decrease them), as necessary.

In my case of "just doing it" I started with a few friends. We got together to give a little presentation of things we have in common that the presenter knows well and feels completely comfortable with. Then small presentations at work with familar co-workers. Then at a meeting of the shareholders. Then at large computer club meetings. And more...

A person with a phobia needs to be proactive (just do it) in comfortable surroundings with minimal (but growing over time) discomfort. No shock treatments that could reinforce their fears.

IMHO, that is. Just "common" sense. I am not a doctor. I just read a lot...

I think these simple basic principles could be important for a VR therapy treatment plan, but trained medical "experts" may choose to disagree. YMMV
Well, cognitive behavioral therapy (it's probably the best studied form of psychotherapy) uses that kind of approach in treatment of many disorders, so you're not exactly wrong. But I think you're very much underestimating phobias. I doubt you had any sort of phobia when you started practicing your presentation skills. But if you really did, you might have needed professional help to overcome it.
User avatar
TheHolyChicken
Diamond Eyed Freakazoid!
Posts: 733
Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 3:34 am
Location: Brighton, UK
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by TheHolyChicken »

geekmaster wrote:In the case of spiders, you could start with "spider-like" things they CAN deal with (like a dog), then slowly morph that into the object of their phobia.
Like this?
spiderdog.jpg
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Sometimes I sits and thinks, and sometimes I just sits.
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

TheHolyChicken wrote:
geekmaster wrote:In the case of spiders, you could start with "spider-like" things they CAN deal with (like a dog), then slowly morph that into the object of their phobia.
Like this?
spiderdog.jpg
I like the picture. Clever and well executed. But no, that has too many scary legs for our therapeutic purposes. Maybe we should try a dog body with a spider head? :o

Actually, what I really had in mind was to start with a dog, slowly add a leg or two or whatever you need to slowly morph it into a spider.

Or maybe for guys with fear of spiders, start with Spider Woman and slowly dehumanize her:

Image
Valez
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 178
Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2012 6:09 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by Valez »

Now you are making me afraid of puppies, THC! :cry:
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

geekmaster wrote:
alekki wrote:For people with a phobia, it's not as simple as "just doing it". Some people are actually disabled by their fear of social contact, dogs, spiders, closed spaces or whatever they happen to be afraid of. Saying "just face whatever you're afraid of" to a person with a phobia is like saying "come on, just smile and be happy" to a depressed person.
But you still need to start small, where they only feel uncomfortable, and scale up from there.

In the case of spiders, you could start with "spider-like" things they CAN deal with (like a dog), then slowly morph that into the object of their phobia. And the exposure times should start small (a hint or flicker), and increase with acceptance.

Just keep NEAR the level of awareness of discomfort, and do not cross into outright fear or you will lose ground. It is just like overcoming motion sickness. Do not overdo any sessions, but slowly increase (or occassionally decrease them), as necessary.

In my case of "just doing it" I started with a few friends. We got together to give a little presentation of things we have in common that the presenter knows well and feels completely comfortable with. Then small presentations at work with familar co-workers. Then at a meeting of the shareholders. Then at large computer club meetings. And more...

A person with a phobia needs to be proactive (just do it) in comfortable surroundings with minimal (but growing over time) discomfort. No shock treatments that could reinforce their fears.

IMHO, that is. Just "common" sense. I am not a doctor. I just read a lot...

I think these simple basic principles could be important for a VR therapy treatment plan, but trained medical "experts" may choose to disagree. YMMV


Valez is right. "morphing" a dog into a spider may create the association dog=spider and your arachophobic dude would end up being Cynophobic... I'm afraid it's not a 1+1 equation as there are some complex variables thrown into the mix.

Still, you are pretty much on the money with everything else you said.
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
KBK
Terrif-eying the Ladies!
Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:05 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by KBK »

My understanding of it is that we build our autonomous pathways, or what becomes them, as a child.


If that is the case, then we are working on trying to change the connectivity of a neural trunk that is beneath conscious thought. Reason and intellect means little in the face of a system of neural streaming that has become autonomous. That it is a thing that needs be de-constructed over time, to literally learn a new system of base functionality in this area that has been colored by a misstep in our youth. In a dog, it is my understanding that there are about 3-4 weeks where their instruction and environment are hypercritical as the trunks of their neural tree are in the process of being formed.

In a human this would be an area of many many years, and is essentially a continual process. This is where brainwashing comes in....(and so on). Therapeutic aspects, to be effective, would have to happen over time, in order to break the old associations and form the new. to not allow the old to ever re-enforce, to push the old pathways into disuse, so their neural connectivity decreases, over time, and the new increases. That this process takes a minimum of months to years. Possibly years of effort where the participant may understand what is going on and actively pursue it, or it probably won't work. There can be some pretty nasty knots in the human mind, especially when the weight of emotional coloration was larger than the capacity to consciously cognate and understand. Which is the case of a child... and these situations form the fundamentals of the whole emergent being.

For example, all it might take for an adult to be spider phobic is to visit with an aunt for a few weeks as lets say a 3-4 year old child. The aunt might have been freaky about spiders around the child, in an extensive way. Thus the child might be an adult who is freaky about spiders and associates them with unfamiliar places and dark fears. Yet, the child remembers nothing, consciously, of the two week visit with the aunt..which is the point where the phobia became rooted. Then every single instance of a spider forward from that date..re-enforces and re-invigorates the pathways in the mind. Which ends up being a very tangled mess to unravel, as there is no conscious connection of any kind, Just an over-used and thus over-prominent neural pathway/trigger that involves not thought - but emotional fundamentals.

Just my take on it.
Intelligence... is not inherent - it is a point in understanding. Q: When does a fire become self sustaining?
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

KBK wrote:My understanding of it is that we build our autonomous pathways, or what becomes them, as a child.


If that is the case, then we are working on trying to change the connectivity of a neural trunk that is beneath conscious thought. Reason and intellect means little in the face of a system of neural streaming that has become autonomous. That it is a thing that needs be de-constructed over time, to literally learn a new system of base functionality in this area that has been colored by a misstep in our youth. In a dog, it is my understanding that there are about 3-4 weeks where their instruction and environment are hypercritical as the trunks of their neural tree are in the process of being formed.

In a human this would be an area of many many years, and is essentially a continual process. This is where brainwashing comes in....(and so on). Therapeutic aspects, to be effective, would have to happen over time, in order to break the old associations and form the new. to not allow the old to ever re-enforce, to push the old pathways into disuse, so their neural connectivity decreases, over time, and the new increases. That this process takes a minimum of months to years. Possibly years of effort where the participant may understand what is going on and actively pursue it, or it probably won't work. There can be some pretty nasty knots in the human mind, especially when the weight of emotional coloration was larger than the capacity to consciously cognate and understand. Which is the case of a child... and these situations form the fundamentals of the whole emergent being.

For example, all it might take for an adult to be spider phobic is to visit with an aunt for a few weeks as lets say a 3-4 year old child. The aunt might have been freaky about spiders around the child, in an extensive way. Thus the child might be an adult who is freaky about spiders and associates them with unfamiliar places and dark fears. Yet, the child remembers nothing, consciously, of the two week visit with the aunt..which is the point where the phobia became rooted. Then every single instance of a spider forward from that date..re-enforces and re-invigorates the pathways in the mind. Which ends up being a very tangled mess to unravel, as there is no conscious connection of any kind, Just an over-used and thus over-prominent neural pathway/trigger that involves not thought - but emotional fundamentals.

Just my take on it.
Wow! Just wow! Well said! Your post was both eloquent and grammatically correct for the most part. It was both intelligent AND intelligible. And based on my study of such things, I fully agree with you! Contratulations!

I hope to see more posts from you that can put forth an idea this plainly and clearly, without misplaced mysticism or buzz-words. Thanks KBK!
:D
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

@KBK

You are so much more likeable when you speak in plain english :P :D

Well said.
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

I just got the logo finished!

Software development starts next Monday and I'll be launching a campaign on Microryza (http://microryza.com/). I chose it over KS as it is scientifically inclined, they are on startup phase (and helping projects with PR) and KS is more commercially oriented, so it may not work out for my project.

Image

Facebook page to follow!
Last edited by ftarnogol on Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

That looks like a "funny shaped" pill. A mirrored image to its left would at least LOOK like VR goggles (or at least fancy "bug eyed" swimming goggles). :D
amvr2.jpg
EDIT: Okay, on second thought, to some people that second image may remind them of golden "cleavage". Of course, those people would *NEED* VR Therapy! And don't forget that "sex sells"! But then some may think of golden wings instead. Multiple desirable perceptions in an icon is a good thing. And you can always go back to the old image, just by cropping of the left mirror image. I prefer the pair. How about a poll?
:D
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
User avatar
KBK
Terrif-eying the Ladies!
Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:05 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by KBK »

I don't think it is a good idea to even suggest a pair of glowing alien eyes. :) Some people will see it that way, so it may be best to avoid it.
Intelligence... is not inherent - it is a point in understanding. Q: When does a fire become self sustaining?
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

There may be branding issues over "AMVR" too. There is a "clinical therapy" company called AMVR, based in Illinois USA. They are a Drug Rehabilitation and Addiciton Recovery facility.

Image
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

geekmaster wrote:There may be branding issues over "AMVR" too. There is a "clinical therapy" company called AMVR, based in Illinois USA. They are a Drug Rehabilitation and Addiciton Recovery facility.
Good find Geekmaster. I did not run into it when I googled AMVR.

Luckily for me, I'm in Argentina, so I'm applying for a patent over here :D ... hopefully the lawfirm handling it will be able to tell me if there are any "conflicts of interest".

Regarding the logo, I'm hoping the amber "shard" calls the word "Amber" (AMVR) to memory so it's associated with a word instead of an acronym.

Amber was also used in folk medicine up to the XX century and the words electricity and electron are ethimologically derived from it... i thought it was a good combination of cure+technology=AMVR.

Does it make sense?

In a previous iteration of the logo, my wife told me it reminded her of candy or caramel, so I had to make the font more futuristic to mask that heh.
Last edited by ftarnogol on Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:47 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

geekmaster wrote:That looks like a "funny shaped" pill. A mirrored image to its left would at least LOOK like VR goggles (or at least fancy "bug eyed" swimming goggles). :D
amvr2.jpg
EDIT: Okay, on second thought, to some people that second image may remind them of golden "cleavage". Of course, those people would *NEED* VR Therapy! And don't forget that "sex sells"! But then some may think of golden wings instead. Multiple desirable perceptions in an icon is a good thing. And you can always go back to the old image, just by cropping of the left mirror image. I prefer the pair. How about a poll?
:D
Everybody loves boobs... it may be a very strong selling argument... but I don't want to cannibalize on Sinful Robot. :lol:
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
KBK
Terrif-eying the Ladies!
Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:05 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by KBK »

Use proxy servers to do a more complete search. Local web engines tend to filter. 'Startpage' and 'ixquick' work fairly well, for getting a clean unbiased search done. The proxy searches are generally less filtered and more universal.

It may be that when Geek searched he was locally filtered, and in Argentina, you where locally filtered.

I used to be able to get all kinds of search results with Google and the like, but now..now I can't get the universal searches I value so much.

Filter bias is quite the clamp down on universal communication. We have ended up, in more recent times... being regionalized and localized into villages by search engines.

Humans want to communicate, but we are being blocked in developing a more open internet universality attempts by the hidden aspects of modern search engines. I don't like these filters, as anything that is 'hidden' (out of sight-out of mind) can also be abused into being a vehicle for agendas. Never leave holes -The rats will come in, every time.
Intelligence... is not inherent - it is a point in understanding. Q: When does a fire become self sustaining?
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

KBK wrote:It may be that when Geek searched he was locally filtered, and in Argentina, you where locally filtered.
You are describing the infamous "Filter Bubble":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_bubble
A filter bubble is a result state in which a website algorithm selectively guesses what information a user would like to see based on information about the user (such as location, past click behaviour and search history) and, as a result, users become separated from information that disagrees with their viewpoints, effectively isolating them in their own cultural or ideological bubbles. Prime examples are Google's personalised search results and Facebook's personalised news stream. The term was coined by internet activist Eli Pariser in his book by the same name; according to Pariser, users get less exposure to conflicting viewpoints and are isolated intellectually in their own informational bubble. ... In The Filter Bubble, Pariser warns that a potential downside to filtered searching is that it "closes us off to new ideas, subjects, and important information" and "creates the impression that our narrow self-interest is all that exists." It is potentially harmful to both individuals and society, in his view. He criticized Google and Facebook for offering users "too much candy, and not enough carrots." He warned that "invisible algorithmic editing of the web" may "limit our exposure to new information and narrow our outlook." According to Pariser, the detrimental effects of filter bubbles include harm to the general society in the sense that it has the possibility of "undermining civic discourse" and making people more vulnerable to "propaganda and manipulation".
Here is an excellent "Ted Talk" about filter bubbles:

[youtube-hd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsjQLB_jTBA[/youtube-hd]

When people spend a lot of their daily life in VR, with an even greater disconnect from Real Life (especially contact with people stuck OUTSIDE of VR), the "filter bubble" effect will be a much greater danger in VR, separating "haves" and "have nots", than it is now with internet access "haves" and "have nots", unless we can bridge the "rift" between VR and RL (Real Life) and the people affected by that rift.
User avatar
KBK
Terrif-eying the Ladies!
Posts: 910
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2013 2:05 am

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by KBK »

Image
Intelligence... is not inherent - it is a point in understanding. Q: When does a fire become self sustaining?
Direlight
Binocular Vision CONFIRMED!
Posts: 337
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2013 12:30 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by Direlight »

VR would never get me comfortable to this.

Image


Ahhhhhhmmmjhhh, creepy sea monsters.
geekmaster
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2708
Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:47 pm

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by geekmaster »

Would VR Exposure Therapy help me solve my fear of this nightmare situation?

Scary Overpossessive Girlfriend!
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/dating/top ... ors_1.html
She won't let you break up with her!

It's not going well (and that's putting it nicely). The relationship is a nightmare. It's time to pull the plug. Only problem: She won't let you. You've tried countless times, but she doesn't get the hint. She won't let you break up with her and every time you think she has understood the hint, she is back in your house, hanging with your mom and showing up at your work to go to lunch.
Image
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlXvH9MwXtk[/youtube]

:o
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

I just created a Facebook page.

I´ll realy appreciate it if you guys liked it. I´m trying to get some momentum before I launch a Microryza (microryza.com) campaign in a few weeks.


http://www.facebook.com/pages/AMVR-Anxi ... 4650488956

Thank you much in advance :D
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
drifter
Binocular Vision CONFIRMED!
Posts: 242
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:39 am
Location: Little Britain

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by drifter »

Missed that thread... I reflected a bit on the question a few time ago...

If one of your stretch goal is to make that tech as accessible as possible (for remote treatments), you should keep it cheap and simple.
- No too much detailed 3d environments (no pricey PC needed). Like already said, a level of detail like we see in some old Source games should be immersive enough.
- Will motion controllers be really needed ? You won't need so much interactivity in most scenarios, a gamepad should be enough to move around and to gradually control the intensity of the experience (if the experience become too strong for the patient, he can always remove his headset, but it would be better to give him the possibility to quickly go back to a "normal" environment, with just a button).
- Open headphones allow direct communication between the patient and a near practitioner (of course you will need microphones for remote treatments). I'm not competent in psychotherapy but doesn't direct communication have some advantages ?

I didn't know Microryza, looks more suited for your project, indeed (too much of a niche market for a Kickstart campaign).
It shouldn't be too pricey IMHO (well i'm just a beginner dev), most of your scenarios doesn't need too much 3d content and coding (except the subway scenario where you will need good animations and AI to make it realistic).

Your fist step is to sell your software alone, and maybe later you could sell it in a complete VR Therapy package.
A satchel containing : laptop (specs adjusted to your software, long life battery), Rift, two wireless pads (one for the practitioner), one pair of open headphones and/or 2 closed pairs with microphone.
Depending on the laptop (and therefore on the complexity of your 3d environments), we are between $1200 and $1500.

Expandability : after the launch, you must keep ready to create some specific scenarios at any time (on customers' requests).
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

drifter wrote:Missed that thread... I reflected a bit on the question a few time ago...

If one of your stretch goal is to make that tech as accessible as possible (for remote treatments), you should keep it cheap and simple.
- No too much detailed 3d environments (no pricey PC needed). Like already said, a level of detail like we see in some old Source games should be immersive enough.
- Will motion controllers be really needed ? You won't need so much interactivity in most scenarios, a gamepad should be enough to move around and to gradually control the intensity of the experience (if the experience become too strong for the patient, he can always remove his headset, but it would be better to give him the possibility to quickly go back to a "normal" environment, with just a button).
- Open headphones allow direct communication between the patient and a near practitioner (of course you will need microphones for remote treatments). I'm not competent in psychotherapy but doesn't direct communication have some advantages ?

I didn't know Microryza, looks more suited for your project, indeed (too much of a niche market for a Kickstart campaign).
It shouldn't be too pricey IMHO (well i'm just a beginner dev), most of your scenarios doesn't need too much 3d content and coding (except the subway scenario where you will need good animations and AI to make it realistic).

Your fist step is to sell your software alone, and maybe later you could sell it in a complete VR Therapy package.
A satchel containing : laptop (specs adjusted to your software, long life battery), Rift, two wireless pads (one for the practitioner), one pair of open headphones and/or 2 closed pairs with microphone.
Depending on the laptop (and therefore on the complexity of your 3d environments), we are between $1200 and $1500.

Expandability : after the launch, you must keep ready to create some specific scenarios at any time (on customers' requests).
@Drifter , from what you just said, I am inclined to think that the office where I met on Monday -with the studio that is developing the software- was bugged... by you.

I agree with everything you said:

- I asked the studio I´m working with to make the platform scallable in every possible way. Graphic detail should be configurable, and scenes could be added/removed to tailor AMVR according to customer needs. Still... monetarization is still way down the line as I´m just starting. At this point in time the project is 100% scientific.

- In the future, I plan to have 1 screen work as the control panel + window to the VR environment and the Rift separately.

- I´m planning to use a flight stick instead of controller (for now), since many people don´t know their way around an analog stick. With the flight stick, it feels more natural (push forward-pull back-left/right/ rotation (stick´s 3rd axis). Plus the trigger is readily available as a Panic Button.

- True about motion controllers, not really needed at this time. I´m thinking of adding kinect for body tracking and probably an Omni but not until we have a positional tracking solution. I don´t need patients leaving with a headache.

- The remote treatment thingy is actually tricky and would require lots of testing. the presence of a therapist is important although it can also be done remotely. There´s lot of people who continue with their psychologist even after moving overseas... internet god bless Skype... still... I haven´t seen any research about it. I´ll have to network a bit and see if this is going on anywhere. I also think it´s important to have someone -Like Nate in the Rift demo videos- priming the person and giving physical prompts and cues. I´ll think about remote once "live" is tried, tested and effective.

- The hardware-software combo is also a good idea, there´s actually a company from Spain doing this with Vuzix glases (:S) at they priced it at $2000. The other problem is that technology down here it´s very expensive (when not unobtainable due to import restrictions), so selling hardware could be a problem. Not a discarded option, tho.

- I´ve been thinking of a world editor, easily scriptable (like in Garry´s mod)... I could also work with the studio so they can tailor make the scenarios according to specifications (and provide some support) and participate them in the earnings.

-Another bullseye regarding scenario complexity: at this stage, the most complex scenario would be the subway station. Mostly because of the scripting involved.

I also have to think about cultural relativity... Since I can´t be using assets in different languages (Subway, Metro, Subte) so I have to heavily use icons instead of written language -without making it all feel like a cartoon-.

Thank you for the valuable feedback!
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
drifter
Binocular Vision CONFIRMED!
Posts: 242
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 9:39 am
Location: Little Britain

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by drifter »

You're welcome.
Maybe you already found that valuable source ?
http://www.vrphobia.com/therapy.htm
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

drifter wrote:You're welcome.
Maybe you already found that valuable source ?
http://www.vrphobia.com/therapy.htm
Nope, I just finished reading most of the pdf research papers look kind of high-school-looking or basic. It looks like very preliminary work in the field... lately they seem to have gone out of business or gotten a lot more quiet :(

I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks again!
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
Fredz
Petrif-Eyed
Posts: 2255
Joined: Sat Jan 09, 2010 2:06 pm
Location: Perpignan, France
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by Fredz »

Another interesting link related to your project :

VR Therapy for Spider Phobia : http://www.hitl.washington.edu/projects/exposure/
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: VR Exposure Therapy

Post by ftarnogol »

Thanks @Fredz, checking it out now!

Update: I just checked it out. Very interesting. I knew about Hodges Emory and Botella´s research but I had never heard of the individual cases. Nice read! :ugeek:
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
User avatar
ftarnogol
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 143
Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 7:38 pm
Location: Argentina
Contact:

Re: AMVR: Anxiety Management VR Platform - VR Exposure Thera

Post by ftarnogol »

Hi everyone,

Here's a quick update about UI development.

We are trying to achieve a minimalistic style with a similar feel to Metro or the Xbox interface.

What do you think (specially aboute the disclaimer)?



Image

Image

Image



Image

Never mind the typo on "Escene". And in the startup selection screen, the option FREE will be replaced by "Sandbox"
Image
<a href="http://phobos.psychologicaltechnologies.com">Link text</a>
maboo63
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 101
Joined: Sat Oct 13, 2012 3:23 am

Re: AMVR: Anxiety Management VR Platform - VR Exposure Thera

Post by maboo63 »

looks really good!!
User avatar
donkaradiablo
Cross Eyed!
Posts: 145
Joined: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:58 pm

Re: AMVR: Anxiety Management VR Platform - VR Exposure Thera

Post by donkaradiablo »

I think the virtual spider has to look as hideous as the real thing, at least in the final stages of the therapy. I would pay for a KS if the reward was the software.
Answers
Walking the thin line between Jobs and Kramer
User avatar
MrGreen
Diamond Eyed Freakazoid!
Posts: 741
Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2012 1:36 pm
Location: QC, Canada

Re: AMVR: Anxiety Management VR Platform - VR Exposure Thera

Post by MrGreen »

donkaradiablo wrote:I think the virtual spider has to look as hideous as the real thing
Image
Post Reply

Return to “Oculus VR”