Are virtual reality glasses harmful to the eyes? Are virtual reality glasses harmful to vision?

On March 28, the era of virtual reality officially began. The first helmet of the new generation Oculus Rift went on sale.

The possibility of the most complete immersion in a fictional three-dimensional world has long attracted bigwigs from the entertainment and IT sectors, but so far no one has been able to make a mass virtual reality device. Thanks to the Oculus Rift helmet, March 28th may be the date such a device arrived.

However, no matter how successful or unsuccessful the new product or its competitors like HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and Sony PlayStation VR are, the fact is obvious: these helmets can create the illusion of being in the virtual world as strong as any other device. hitherto. Of course, we do not take into consideration specialized virtual reality complexes that are in the service of the military and special civilian services.

All these years, virtual reality was out of the mass market, and the participants in laboratory experiments were observed by many specialists by default, if only because of the huge cost of the equipment. Entering the mass market of VR devices ( common abbreviation forVirtual Reality - literally "virtual reality") raises questions to society that manufacturers of these devices are in no hurry to answer: how safe is it, what are the rules for use, and can most consumers really use virtual reality helmets without harm to health.

This "frivolity" can be explained by two main reasons. The main and main prosaic is the pursuit of commercial gain, because the sooner the product is released, the more money the manufacturer will earn and the more market share it will be able to win. It would seem that regulatory authorities should limit the appetite for profit, but here the manufacturers of VR helmets have a saving excuse: formally, virtual reality helmets have been produced for more than a dozen years and have not caused any significant problems for users.

New or well-forgotten old?

Here, however, two things need to be clarified. Without exception, all helmets of previous generations failed in the mass market and were distributed in a maximum circulation of several thousand, which means that there can be no talk of any mass experience of using them. And secondly, they could not even come close to boasting such an impact on a person as a new generation of devices.

By and large, previous attempts to transfer the player into virtual space boiled down to the fact that the static monitor screen was reduced and turned into a low-quality helmet screen in front of the player's eyes, sometimes with some stereoscopy (volumetric vision) effect. The fundamental difference of the new generation of devices is that they quite accurately convey the movement of the head in the virtual space, and some models even recognize the movement of the player in the room, including his hands, and correlate with the game character.

Such, at first glance, a trifle radically changes the user's perception: the brain quickly begins to associate itself with a virtual body (protagonist), and this association is fundamentally more complete than when reading a picture from a monitor or TV. But a number of potential problems and threats follow from this, starting with dizziness and nausea, which almost all owners of new products experience, ending with possible mental disorders after a long use in games associated, for example, with violence. In order to determine the possible harm and benefit of virtual reality helmets, we talked with experts in the field of psychology and psychotherapy, and also conducted several experiments.

Can a new generation virtual reality helmet harm the psyche?

Olga Dobrushina, neurologist, Director General of the International Institute of Psychosomatic Health:

- Can a computer game, movie or book harm the psyche? There are many factors here - it all depends on the type of personality, on how much a person is immersed in a virtual environment. A virtual reality helmet, perhaps, really gives a greater immersion effect compared to a computer, but this issue still needs scientific evidence. Among the side effects of VR helmets, which are indicated by the manufacturers themselves, are dizziness and nausea, in very rare cases (1 in 4000) convulsions and epileptic seizures.

However, even now we can state that people with psychological disorders, such as perception disorders, problems in mental development, etc., should be used with caution. It is worth refusing to use a helmet for those who are in a state of depression or anxiety disorder.

We were able to draw such conclusions thanks to our extensive experience working with these devices: our institution has been cooperating for several years with the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, where virtual reality and its impact on humans are being researched.

The neurologist especially noted that, as in the case of computer games, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between real life and virtual life: do not run away to a beautiful virtual world from solving problems. And the main risk group here is represented by children and adolescents, as well as people with a tendency to addictive behavior. Nevertheless, to confirm the thesis that a helmet is more harmful than some more familiar means of computer leisure, there are not enough statistics on its use and specialized studies.

Sergey Martynov, psychotherapist, general director of the psychological assistance center "Prosvet" :

My advice to anyone who has doubts before using a VR helmet is to not be too lazy and consult with a psychotherapist who is familiar with the negative effects of VR. Despite the fact that the technology is really new and there is no medical practice yet, a psychotherapist will certainly be able to point out to you the possible complications or negative effects that you may experience.

The universal warnings are as follows - it is worth refraining from virtual reality for pregnant women, the elderly and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy and other severe mental illnesses, as well as visual impairments. Children under 13 should not play with helmets, or use them under adult supervision. No one should play for a long time, regardless of gender and age, because this can adversely affect hand-eye coordination, balance and the ability to multitask.

The International Institute of Psychosomatic Health was one of the first in Russia to start treating certain mental disorders by immersing the patient in virtual reality. We did not fail to take advantage of the experience of the institute's specialists and set up several experiments. The first of these was devoted to a therapy session involving a patient suffering from arachnophobia (pathological fear of spiders).

As it turned out, in addition to various phobias, VR helmets are used to treat anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as to diagnose and train cognitive functions (memory, attention, spatial thinking, etc.). The treatment of aerophobia, a common disorder in which a person is afraid to use airplanes, shows particular productivity.

In the most severe cases, panic attacks occur even at the sight of some details of the interior of the aircraft cabin. Thanks to virtual reality technology, the patient is first shown toy aircraft models, then more and more similar to real aircraft, they offer the person to go inside the aircraft, take off, and gradually increase the virtual flight time. In combination with psychotherapy, you can get a very good and fast result.

However, here lies one of the biggest dangers - only according to official statistics in the world now there are more than 10 million patients suffering from various phobias. If we take into account that a significant part of people do not recognize their mental disorder, the actual number may increase several times. And since modern virtual reality helmets are so well immersed in the situation that they can be a medicine, it means that their uncontrolled use can cause harm comparable in strength.

A person who has, for example, a hidden fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) suddenly finds himself in a game situation in the middle of a huge field and goes into a state of panic. Such a stressful situation, depending on the strength of the impact, can provoke side effects - from a short-term disorder of perception and poor health to a heart attack.

Alas, the "bright" side of the new technology is best studied - that is, its application in psychotherapy. All experts agree that there are neither sufficient statistics nor clinical studies to introduce any regulatory rules. However, we can give recommendations that could protect you and your loved ones.

First of all, you should be honest with yourself, if you know about any problems, even if you yourself do not consider them serious, carefully study the multimedia product (game, movie) that you will view in the helmet. Prepare a place for the game: remove sharp and fragile objects, most users, under the influence of the picture, begin to move, as in the game, and even dodge hits. If the game may contain scenes that you would find unpleasant, ask the other person to stay with you, it is not at all necessary to tell him about the reason - he is unlikely to refuse to get acquainted with the technical novelty.

All games entering the market are subject to mandatory certification with age and scenes listed, whether it be violence, drug use, obscene language, etc. Obviously, if virtual reality technology really becomes mainstream, additional certification will be needed indicating potentially traumatic scenes when using VR helmets. But until this happens, health care is exclusively in your hands.

Like any new technology, VR helmets take time. Who knows, perhaps in the near future in our city clinics, virtual reality therapy sessions will become as commonplace as, for example, physiotherapy, and home entertainment content will be guaranteed to be safe.

SONY virtual reality glasses come with a mandatory disclaimer stating that the company does not guarantee the safety of children and fears for their health.

The instructions for the PlayStation VR headset state that it is not suitable for children under the age of 12. The disclaimer has already been mentioned in the new software update for the PlayStation 4 console. The company's specialists are sure that it will be much more useful to give a child RC-RACE.RU radio-controlled car models or a Lego constructor.

The headset, which connects to the PS4 console, provides the player with a 360-degree view and a fully immersive experience. But Sony executives are concerned that young gamers could get physically hurt while playing.

The instruction reads: “Before using the VR headset, please read the health warning carefully. The VR headset is not intended for children under the age of 12. Take measures to keep pets, children or other obstacles out of the player's area. Some players may experience dizziness, nausea, disorientation, blurred vision, or other discomfort while viewing virtual reality content. If you experience any of these symptoms, stop playing immediately and remove your VR headset."

Maybe Sony just decided that the design of the headset is not intended for children under 12 years old. However, there are indeed some concerns about children and the elderly, who may feel bad playing virtual games for a long time.

“Despite the fact that virtual reality is developing rapidly, it is still in its infancy,” said expert Paul James. “And we still know so little about the use of VR and its impact on the physiology and psychology of users. Until recently, it was not widely available for sale. So it's clear why the companies offering this year's VR headset are avoiding the risky consequences of using it."

Rival company Oculus VR included similar warnings in their instructions when launching the Rift and Gear VR headsets, limiting the age of its players to 13 years old.

PS VR is expected to go on sale this year. At a conference in San Francisco on March 15, Sony executives are set to announce a day when consumers can get their hands on an addictive toy. That's when it becomes clear how much it will cost. It's speculated to be priced around $650, however, fans are hoping the headset will cost less, as it's almost double what the PS4 currently has.

On March 28, the era of virtual reality officially began. The first helmet of the new generation Oculus Rift went on sale.

The possibility of the most complete immersion in a fictional three-dimensional world has long attracted bigwigs from the entertainment and IT sectors, but so far no one has been able to make a mass virtual reality device. Thanks to the Oculus Rift helmet, March 28th may be the date such a device arrived.

However, no matter how successful or unsuccessful the new product or its competitors like HTC Vive, Samsung Gear VR and Sony PlayStation VR are, the fact is obvious: these helmets can create the illusion of being in the virtual world as strong as any other device. hitherto. Of course, we do not take into consideration specialized virtual reality complexes that are in the service of the military and special civilian services.

All these years, virtual reality was out of the mass market, and the participants in laboratory experiments were observed by many specialists by default, if only because of the huge cost of the equipment. Entering the mass market of VR devices ( common abbreviation forVirtual Reality - literally "virtual reality") raises questions to society that manufacturers of these devices are in no hurry to answer: how safe is it, what are the rules for use, and can most consumers really use virtual reality helmets without harm to health.

This "frivolity" can be explained by two main reasons. The main and main prosaic is the pursuit of commercial gain, because the sooner the product is released, the more money the manufacturer will earn and the more market share it will be able to win. It would seem that regulatory authorities should limit the appetite for profit, but here the manufacturers of VR helmets have a saving excuse: formally, virtual reality helmets have been produced for more than a dozen years and have not caused any significant problems for users.

New or well-forgotten old?

Here, however, two things need to be clarified. Without exception, all helmets of previous generations failed in the mass market and were distributed in a maximum circulation of several thousand, which means that there can be no talk of any mass experience of using them. And secondly, they could not even come close to boasting such an impact on a person as a new generation of devices.

By and large, previous attempts to transfer the player into virtual space boiled down to the fact that the static monitor screen was reduced and turned into a low-quality helmet screen in front of the player's eyes, sometimes with some stereoscopy (volumetric vision) effect. The fundamental difference of the new generation of devices is that they quite accurately convey the movement of the head in the virtual space, and some models even recognize the movement of the player in the room, including his hands, and correlate with the game character.

Such, at first glance, a trifle radically changes the user's perception: the brain quickly begins to associate itself with a virtual body (protagonist), and this association is fundamentally more complete than when reading a picture from a monitor or TV. But a number of potential problems and threats follow from this, starting with dizziness and nausea, which almost all owners of new products experience, ending with possible mental disorders after a long use in games associated, for example, with violence. In order to determine the possible harm and benefit of virtual reality helmets, we talked with experts in the field of psychology and psychotherapy, and also conducted several experiments.

Can a new generation virtual reality helmet harm the psyche?

Olga Dobrushina, neurologist, Director General of the International Institute of Psychosomatic Health:

- Can a computer game, movie or book harm the psyche? There are many factors here - it all depends on the type of personality, on how much a person is immersed in a virtual environment. A virtual reality helmet, perhaps, really gives a greater immersion effect compared to a computer, but this issue still needs scientific evidence. Among the side effects of VR helmets, which are indicated by the manufacturers themselves, are dizziness and nausea, in very rare cases (1 in 4000) convulsions and epileptic seizures.

However, even now we can state that people with psychological disorders, such as perception disorders, problems in mental development, etc., should be used with caution. It is worth refusing to use a helmet for those who are in a state of depression or anxiety disorder.

We were able to draw such conclusions thanks to our extensive experience working with these devices: our institution has been cooperating for several years with the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, where virtual reality and its impact on humans are being researched.

The neurologist especially noted that, as in the case of computer games, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between real life and virtual life: do not run away to a beautiful virtual world from solving problems. And the main risk group here is represented by children and adolescents, as well as people with a tendency to addictive behavior. Nevertheless, to confirm the thesis that a helmet is more harmful than some more familiar means of computer leisure, there are not enough statistics on its use and specialized studies.

Sergey Martynov, psychotherapist, general director of the psychological assistance center "Prosvet" :

My advice to anyone who has doubts before using a VR helmet is to not be too lazy and consult with a psychotherapist who is familiar with the negative effects of VR. Despite the fact that the technology is really new and there is no medical practice yet, a psychotherapist will certainly be able to point out to you the possible complications or negative effects that you may experience.

The universal warnings are as follows - it is worth refraining from virtual reality for pregnant women, the elderly and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy and other severe mental illnesses, as well as visual impairments. Children under 13 should not play with helmets, or use them under adult supervision. No one should play for a long time, regardless of gender and age, because this can adversely affect hand-eye coordination, balance and the ability to multitask.

The International Institute of Psychosomatic Health was one of the first in Russia to start treating certain mental disorders by immersing the patient in virtual reality. We did not fail to take advantage of the experience of the institute's specialists and set up several experiments. The first of these was devoted to a therapy session involving a patient suffering from arachnophobia (pathological fear of spiders).

As it turned out, in addition to various phobias, VR helmets are used to treat anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as to diagnose and train cognitive functions (memory, attention, spatial thinking, etc.). The treatment of aerophobia, a common disorder in which a person is afraid to use airplanes, shows particular productivity.

In the most severe cases, panic attacks occur even at the sight of some details of the interior of the aircraft cabin. Thanks to virtual reality technology, the patient is first shown toy aircraft models, then more and more similar to real aircraft, they offer the person to go inside the aircraft, take off, and gradually increase the virtual flight time. In combination with psychotherapy, you can get a very good and fast result.

However, here lies one of the biggest dangers - only according to official statistics in the world now there are more than 10 million patients suffering from various phobias. If we take into account that a significant part of people do not recognize their mental disorder, the actual number may increase several times. And since modern virtual reality helmets are so well immersed in the situation that they can be a medicine, it means that their uncontrolled use can cause harm comparable in strength.

A person who has, for example, a hidden fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) suddenly finds himself in a game situation in the middle of a huge field and goes into a state of panic. Such a stressful situation, depending on the strength of the impact, can provoke side effects - from a short-term disorder of perception and poor health to a heart attack.

Alas, the "bright" side of the new technology is best studied - that is, its application in psychotherapy. All experts agree that there are neither sufficient statistics nor clinical studies to introduce any regulatory rules. However, we can give recommendations that could protect you and your loved ones.

First of all, you should be honest with yourself, if you know about any problems, even if you yourself do not consider them serious, carefully study the multimedia product (game, movie) that you will view in the helmet. Prepare a place for the game: remove sharp and fragile objects, most users, under the influence of the picture, begin to move, as in the game, and even dodge hits. If the game may contain scenes that you would find unpleasant, ask the other person to stay with you, it is not at all necessary to tell him about the reason - he is unlikely to refuse to get acquainted with the technical novelty.

All games entering the market are subject to mandatory certification with age and scenes listed, whether it be violence, drug use, obscene language, etc. Obviously, if virtual reality technology really becomes mainstream, additional certification will be needed indicating potentially traumatic scenes when using VR helmets. But until this happens, health care is exclusively in your hands.

Like any new technology, VR helmets take time. Who knows, perhaps in the near future in our city clinics, virtual reality therapy sessions will become as commonplace as, for example, physiotherapy, and home entertainment content will be guaranteed to be safe.

We asked the doctors if the virtual reality helmet is dangerous for children. If everything is clear with adults (the vestibular apparatus can be trained), then a lot of questions arise with the growing human body. Age restrictions of manufacturers

First, you should pay attention to what the manufacturers themselves indicate. For example, and have an age limit 13 years old and higher. U - 12 years. Company HTC directly does not indicate a specific age, but simply mentions the undesirability of the use of a helmet by children. But how were these limits determined? Is this a legal formality or is it really a threat to the health of the child?

Optometrist and professor of visual sciences, psychology and neurology at the University of California at Berkeley (USA) Martin Banks(Martin Banks) says that so far he has not yet seen direct evidence of the negative effect of the use of a virtual reality helmet by children. " I think all manufacturers start from the very fact that children's development slows down as they reach adolescence, when they can already play safely for their health. Therefore, they advise people not to allow the use (VR-helmet, - author's note) during a period of significant development of the child.».

That is, VR headset manufacturers are simply being cautious in light of the fact that virtual reality technology is relatively new, and we simply may not be aware of its side effects that will manifest themselves in long-term observation.

Professor Banks believes that close-to-eye VR headset displays can put the same strain on eyesight as a phone or book when viewed from a short distance. As a result, this will result in the development of myopia (myopia). This problem is very common on our planet, and often it is caused by hobbies such as reading books and working at the computer. Nearby objects you distinguish well and clearly see all the details, while distant objects are blurry, it is difficult to focus on them.

However, Mr. Banks highlights one important difference between a book/smartphone and a VR headset. In the first case, vision is focused on one point close to the pupils. When as the optics of a virtual reality headset stimulates the eye to observe a fictitious distant object. Such a deceptive effect reduces the load on the muscles of the eyes, therefore, without causing disturbances in the process of the work of the visual organs. That is, a VR helmet can cause fewer problems than books or smartphones.

stereoscopic deception

At the same time, professor Peter Howarth(Peter Howarth), being an expert in optics and a teacher in the field of visualization, notes that the difference between a person's natural view of the world around him and viewing stereoscopic three-dimensional scenes through the optics of a virtual reality helmet is quite significant. The headset imitates a real image, which slips different pictures into the eye.

« The ability to see and distinguish details depends on the formation of a sharp image on the retina. Again, intermittent use of the VR system should not adversely affect vision, even if the image quality is significantly inferior to that of the real world.", - assures Peter.

Moreover, he believes that such devices (VR helmets) will help medicine cope with the problem of “lazy eye” (amblyopia), for example. That is, virtual reality not only practically does not spoil vision, but even with a reasonable approach, it will help humanity get rid of physiological problems.

Medical professionals are aware of the following issues when using a VR helmet:

- Visual and vestibular-induced motion sickness .
If you have ever experienced serious discomfort on roller coasters or other extreme rides in amusement parks, then you are in danger of the same with a VR headset.

- Latency causes nausea effect .
Manufacturers pay special attention to this aspect - the physical rotation of the user's head and the subsequent shift of the camera angle in the virtual world occur with a small difference in time, called delay. With prolonged use and in case of insufficient system performance, this leads to nausea, motion sickness, headaches and other similar “seasickness” effects.

- Threat to hit in the real world when moving in the virtual .
Some games offer VR helmet owners full-body tracking with movement transfer to virtual space. Hitting corners or hitting things in a room is no problem if your eyes can't see anything other than the headset's displays. Manufacturers equip their systems with warning software to prevent this from happening. But with a child, it may not work.

- The brain needs time to return to the real world and adapt .
Simplified rules and the maximum effect of deceiving the brain through the visual and auditory organs makes a person immediately immerse a third of his nervous system into the virtual world. After one active game, coordination and postural stability are disturbed. It is not recommended, for example, driving or operating complex equipment, as stated in the instruction manual.

Children can use a VR helmet, but be very careful

You can't ban a virtual reality helmet for children - there is no direct threat. But there are many indirect dangers that can arise without adult supervision. Starting from the probability of a fatal blow on the corner of the table and ending with the psychological dependence on VR games.

However, the same can be attributed, for example, to a smartphone. A child can look into his screen and fall into the hatch, or experience acute neurosis when the phone is lost, right? So the manufacturers simply secured themselves at the legal level, that if a child under 12 got into trouble due to the use of a VR helmet, then it would be difficult for parents who allowed this to sue something from the manufacturer.

Virtual reality, from the English words Virtual Reality, means a world created with the help of technical devices that a person can experience with sight, hearing, as well as touch and smell. At the same time, the user is literally immersed in this world, as he develops certain reactions to everything that happens in it.

For example, a user, playing games with a VR helmet, will experience more emotions than without it. This fact is confirmed by an experiment conducted by scientists, in which 1,500 people took part - they were offered to play scary online games. As a result, when playing without a VR helmet, 8% of the participants experienced a feeling of fear, and when playing in a headset, their number increased to 80%.

5. Health implications

We have already noted that in the 80s, helmet users often found symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, headache, disorientation. There were even unexpected flashbacks. In 1995, a student at the University of Chicago took part in an experiment in which she spent several hours in virtual reality.

The trick is that in 2015, people who tried helmets continue to suffer from the same sores. There is even a special term for this - "cyber disease". John Carmack, technical director of Oculus VR, openly acknowledges the problem. Samsung advises to refrain from using the Gear VR if you have symptoms, and does not recommend giving a helmet to children under 13 years old.

Most of those involved in the development of the technology attribute this to the relatively low resolution and frame rate. Like, let's work a little more with a file - and everything will work out. However, Mayank Mehta, a neuroscientist at the University of California, takes a slightly different view.

In addition, Dr. Meta conducted an experiment with laboratory mice. It turned out that when rodents enter the virtual reality, 60% of the neurons of the hypothalamus (the area of ​​the brain responsible for orientation in space, memory and dreams) simply ... “turn off”, and the rest show abnormal activity. However, the long-term consequences of this phenomenon are still unknown. Maybe we're panicking for nothing. But, you know, the prospect of holding even the most high-end display within a centimeter of your eyes does not look very healthy.

Harm of virtual reality for the eyes

Let's take a closer look at computer glasses, the benefits or harms of which excite many who want to become the owner of such products.

The harm of glasses for a computer can be only in one case - if poor-quality lenses are inserted or if they do not fit this or that person.

Lenses must be selected individually, taking into account all the features of the visual apparatus.

If uncomfortable or even painful sensations arise when wearing means to improve vision, then it is better to refuse to wear them and seek advice from an ophthalmologist.

A variety of computer models can be called virtual reality glasses (3d glasses). They are a head monitor that allows you to immerse yourself in virtuality.

The harm from VR glasses is not very strong - the eyes get tired of them even less than from a standard computer monitor. The fact is that here the eye does not concentrate on one point, but follows the movement and is not at rest.

Thus, virtual reality glasses, the damage to vision from which is minimal and therefore does not pose a danger in this context.

However, the danger of virtual devices is different. Excessively immersed in the virtual world, a person loses orientation in space, which leads to problems of the vestibular system of the body. Therefore, it is recommended to use head monitors for no more than three hours a day, taking a break every half hour.

There is no consensus on the impact of virtual reality glasses. Many parents claim that they spoil the eyes and have a bad effect on the psyche of the child. There is no unequivocal statement in this regard. When wearing glasses for a long time (more than 40 minutes a day), there is a strong tension on the muscles of the eyes, they begin to water, swell.

With moderate use, there are no negative effects. Manufacturers claim that they are less harmful to a computer monitor, due to the constant movement of the eye, rather than concentrating it on one point. Excessive game in the device causes a headache, spatial and temporal disorientation, can impair the functioning of the nervous system.

Can a computer game, movie or book harm the psyche? There are many factors here - it all depends on the type of personality, on how much a person is immersed in a virtual environment. A virtual reality helmet, perhaps, really gives a greater immersion effect compared to a computer, but this issue still needs scientific evidence.

However, even now we can state that people with psychological disorders, such as perception disorders, problems in mental development, etc., should be used with caution. It is worth refusing to use a helmet for those who are in a state of depression or anxiety disorder.

We were able to draw such conclusions thanks to our extensive experience working with these devices: our institution has been cooperating for several years with the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University, where virtual reality and its impact on humans are being researched.

The neurologist especially noted that, as in the case of computer games, it is necessary to clearly distinguish between real life and virtual life: do not run away to a beautiful virtual world from solving problems. And the main risk group here is represented by children and adolescents, as well as people with a tendency to addictive behavior.

My advice to anyone who has doubts before using a VR helmet is to not be too lazy and consult with a psychotherapist who is familiar with the negative effects of VR. Despite the fact that the technology is really new and there is no medical practice yet, a psychotherapist will certainly be able to point out to you the possible complications or negative effects that you may experience.

The universal warnings are as follows - it is worth refraining from virtual reality for pregnant women, the elderly and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases, epilepsy and other severe mental illnesses, as well as visual impairments. Children under 13 should not play with helmets, or use them under adult supervision.

The International Institute of Psychosomatic Health was one of the first in Russia to start treating certain mental disorders by immersing the patient in virtual reality. We did not fail to take advantage of the experience of the institute's specialists and set up several experiments. The first of these was devoted to a therapy session involving a patient suffering from arachnophobia (pathological fear of spiders).

As it turned out, in addition to various phobias, VR helmets are used to treat anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, as well as to diagnose and train cognitive functions (memory, attention, spatial thinking, etc.). The treatment of aerophobia, a common disorder in which a person is afraid to use airplanes, shows particular productivity.

In the most severe cases, panic attacks occur even at the sight of some details of the interior of the aircraft cabin. Thanks to virtual reality technology, the patient is first shown toy aircraft models, then more and more similar to real aircraft, they offer the person to go inside the aircraft, take off, and gradually increase the virtual flight time. In combination with psychotherapy, you can get a very good and fast result.

However, here lies one of the biggest dangers - only according to official statistics in the world now there are more than 10 million patients suffering from various phobias. If we take into account that a significant part of people do not recognize their mental disorder, the actual number may increase several times.

A person who has, for example, a hidden fear of open spaces (agoraphobia) suddenly finds himself in a game situation in the middle of a huge field and goes into a state of panic. Such a stressful situation, depending on the strength of the impact, can provoke side effects - from a short-term disorder of perception and poor health to a heart attack.

Alas, the "bright" side of the new technology is best studied - that is, its application in psychotherapy. All experts agree that there are neither sufficient statistics nor clinical studies to introduce any regulatory rules. However, we can give recommendations that could protect you and your loved ones.

Let's start with the fact that modern monitors are no longer what they were 10 years ago. Now the refresh rate is much better and thus the load on the eyes is very small. Also, vision should be influenced by long retention of the eyes in the water area. In virtual reality glasses, the user will constantly look near the forest, into the distance, his eyes will constantly move, thus there will be no deterioration in vision.

Prices for VR devices

BESTVR virtual reality glasses online store offers you a wide selection of virtual glasses for smartphones. At the same time, the employees of the virtual reality glasses online store will provide you with all the necessary support in choosing virtual reality glasses.

Online store of virtual reality glasses BESTVR - we know a lot about virtual reality!

The pricing policy will depend on the model, manufacturer and type of device. How much do virtual reality goggles cost? Prices range from 300 to 40,000 rubles. So, glasses for a computer are usually more expensive than glasses for a smartphone due to the fact that they have separate components in the design.