2018 Hackathon Puts Focus On Health Wellness (This event has passed)
2-day Technology-Driven Behavioral Design Summit Hackathon
NewPathVR is produced a VR Wellness Hackathon the third week of February 2018 at Google in San Francisco. We convened a group of interested developers for the 2-day Hackathon, with a real-world mission of “creating life-changing products in the health and wellness arena”. Participants will have a chance to collaborate with diverse teams with projects reviewed by industry leaders and entrepreneurs.
Nice turnout for the NewPathVR's VR Wellness Hackathon today, everyone was here bright and early. With a special guest visit from Joe Connolly from Sketchbox, we kicked off the morning with a wonderful talk from Sarah Hashkes and participants who came from far and wide: Finland, New York, and Maui! People from Berkeley and Stanford are here too! Some great ideas are brewing, Thank you to HTC's VR4Impact for offering a prize for participants! Thank you also to Google for hosting our event!
Winners announced: 1st Place = Where's the Exit by Shashkes Sarit and Neilda Pacquing for Most Impactful Idea and Most Likely to Lead to Sustainable Behavior. They won Priority Application Status for an HTC VR4Impact Grant!
Sarah Ticho won Most Financially Viable Idea, Best Mind/Body Connection App, and Best Non-Coded Demo for her idea Hatsumi. Hatsumi in Japanese means "see for the first time" which is very fitting for her app idea for body mapping in which the user outlines their body and then uses colors and symbols to express feelings or trauma.
Rebecca Evans won Most Focused Idea for her idea, Homeless Helper. This idea is an AR app to show when and when excess, free food is available throughout the city.
Sheridan Tatsuno and Janet Maldanodo won Best Utilization of a Third Party Tool or Device for their app idea Body Metrics.
Most Complete Coded Demo went to Dian Soraya Rachmawati and Jerry Isdale for their app I Love You By Self.
Charlie Zannorman took both Creative Mention and Most Innovative Idea with his Rift app Whisper Castle.
There was a slack channel developed for those who want to stay in touch and keep projects moving. For hackers only, vrwellnesshackathon.slack.com.
If you would like to collaborate with This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and VirtualBytes, please contact us respectively.
Thank you again for participating. We plan to hold this event again in the next couple of months so if you'd like to be part of the planning, demoing etc, stay in touch.
NewPathVR’s Active PsychologyTM
The term ‘psychosocial health’ is defined by the World Health Organization as ‘a state of complete physical mental and social well-being’.
The importance of being mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually sound can be lost as we move through life. In a one-size-fits-all solution, one pill was supposed to solve everything! Now we are all learning to the contrary, and there's plenty of substantive proof that a healthy mind and a peaceful soul are just as important for the prevention of diseases and their treatment. Therefore, this concept of psychosocial health, a state of mental, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being, deserves a better look.
NewPathVR is developing an “Active PsychologyTM” layer into all of the experiences. Our Active Psychology draws on key research that shows that VR can create environments that change your perspective of — and actions in — the real world. For decades, researchers have applied these tactics within virtual reality environments towards problems like depression, phobias (fear of public speaking, fear of heights), and social disorders, (depression, anxiety, and PTSD) and they’ve treated patients successfully. It's time for disruption in the approach to psychological wellness and new ideas.
NewPathVR has a library of these psychological and psychosocial mechanisms and is combining them with virtual environments to create effectively positive, personal growth experiences that people keep with them as a lasting impression in the real world.
VR and Emotional Development
NewPathVR is a transformative technology company that combines the unprecedented access that VR has to the subconscious with extensive psychological research to create powerful new tools for personal and emotional growth. We are concerned with the power of VR to change perceptions of and behaviors in the real world once you take the headset off and believe that integration is a key part of VR's benefit.
NewPathVR is the creator of personal development and emotional intelligence applications in virtual reality. The company uses research-based methods from its proprietary Active PsychologyTM library to create wellness applications for VR with the goal of evoking positive change through transformative technology. We also power the world’s first VR wellness portal — RenewVR.com.
Shedding fears to meet potential
The concepts of "letting go" and "meeting" are intimately connected. When we properly let go we can properly meet our new potential. Whether that's in a romantic relationship or transition in career or just about any new life challenge. When we learn to properly part with, for example, memories, only when we give it a proper closure does our mind allow for the proper formation of new memories to sprout.
Our immersive experiences are categorized in two forms: letting go and meeting. Letting go experiences can mean letting go of fears and all that is associated with fear: stress, anger, indecision, self-doubt. In other words, all the familiar cycles we find ourselves caught up in time and time again.
Meeting experiences are ones where we meet our new potential. The person we always wanted to be and others would be proud of. Meeting our new potential is essentially meeting a new us, by definition unfamiliar and exciting.
Both experiences are challenging in nature. They require more commitment and emotional investment in the user. They ask for our courage, no matter how small a seed.
NewPathVR creates research-driven experiences to help people effectively make changes in themselves that could help them overcome obstacles, live up to their potential, and have better lives.
Take a closer look at some of the projects we're pursuing today.
Read about our team.
Psychosocial health is a combination of psychological, emotional, and social factors. It determines and reflects the way people view themselves and others, and how they deal with problems and stressful situations. Here are just a few traits shared by psychosocially healthy individuals.
Meditation is a several-thousand year old practice for training the mind. Historically a practice reserved for quiet monks, disciplined kung-fu masters, yogis, and ochre-robed swamis, it’s now the preferred performance-enhancing practice of R&B moguls, Super Bowl Champions, Olympic athletes, and A-list celebrities.
Meditation has gone mainstream.
One reason for that is that meditation is generally considered one of the most effective ways to train and focus your attention. And now, science has shown us that the meditative state has extremely positive physiological and neurological effects. What's to come in VR is very exciting. Why? Because meditation goes well beyond stress relief, although in itself, stress relief is a fine goal. Meditation unlocks the subconscious and allows you to tap into all kinds of self-improvement and reprogramming of poor habits and thinking. Here are some research-based findings on meditation.
Embodying Self-Compassion within Virtual Reality and its Effects on Patients with Depression
"By having participants embody an adult and then a child virtual body in succession, our scenario effectively provided a self-to-self situation enabling participants to deliver compassionate sentiments and statements to themselves. Consistent with predictions, this condition resulted in a significantly greater increase in self-compassion..."
British Journal of Psychiatry Open Feb 2016, 2 (1) 74-80; DOI: 10.1192/bjpo.bp.115.002147. Caroline J. Falconer, Aitor Rovira, John A. King, Paul Gilbert, Angus Antley, et al
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VR developers are getting good enough at fooling your brain in virtual reality that they also have to start worrying about your safety. Scientists and researchers really have no idea whether and how long-term exposure to VR changes the brain. This begs a discussion about responsibility as to what we create. There are decades worth of research into how motion simulators affect people, etc. and we have some insight into the psychology of the software interaction, and the physiology of the how the body and mind react.
What we're able to do with the technology that has come available in the last couple years is exciting, and so much more impact than other forms of media. We need to think long and hard about what long-term exposure looks like.
The way VR fools your brain into thinking that a virtual space is real is by knowing what pieces your brain uses to construct reality, and then giving your brain the same information, presented in virtual reality. The vestibular system in our ears tells our brain about our position in 3D space by helping us achieve balance. But there's a lot more to it than motion sickness, which Chris Dede from Harvard University, says affects roughly 3% of VR users.
With recent mapping data from the Human Connectome Project revealing 180 distinct regions of the brain, imagine what's possible when you consider that VR is being used for pain reduction, PTSD, and social anxieties like fear of speaking.
The key to achieving these goals is to first understand the senses that the human brain uses to intuit what is real, in the real world, and then give those senses the same types of data, but in the virtual world.
Creators need to take great care in how they prepare users for their experiences, something that so far I don't see enough of yet. Because your brain can be so thoroughly fooled into thinking the virtual world is the real world, those who experience VR may need to be warned about the content that awaits them. First impressions are important, something scary in VR could be offputting at least and in worse cases disturbing.
Adding enough sensory and directional data in virtual experiences is important not only in keeping the brain believing that the virtual world is real so that we can enact situations to enlighten and educate ourselves but also to avoid potentially negative or even traumatic experiences unintended in VR.
At a recent Cannes Lions Festival appearance, Google VR vice president Clay Bavor said: “When you look at your brain under an fMRI, remembering and experiencing look very similar.”
They also impact you similarly.
Please also read our white paper: "Using Virtual Reality for the Reduction of Anxiety: An Introduction to How Immersive VR Can Improve the Treatment of Anxiety"
360° VIDEO
A 360° video is created with a camera system that simultaneously records all 360 degrees of a scene. Viewers can pan and rotate a 360 video’s perspective to watch it from different angles. 360 videos can be viewed on mobile devices, but a fully immersive viewing requires a headset. Since 2015, both YouTube and Facebook support 360° videos.
3D space ball
These devices allow users to move or rotate 3D models by moving a sensor ball, just as a standard mouse allows users to move a cursor on a computer screen.
4D MOVIES
The 4D moviegoing experience enhances a 3D film screening with physical effects that occur in the theatre in synchronization with the film. Effects simulated in a 4D film may include rain, wind, fog, lightning, vibration and scent. As of 2016, most of the world’s 4D theatres are located in Asia and Latin America.
4K
Horizontal resolution of 4,096 pixels.
6DOF or Six Degrees of Freedom
This refers to the direction of the movement of an object in a three-dimensional (3D) space. The movement consists of forward/backward, right/left, up/down, pitch, roll and yaw.
Active Shutter 3D
It is a technique to display the 3D stereoscopic images by showing the left eye image and the right eye image alternately in a very fast manner.
Alternate World Disorder (AWD)
In Michael Heim's view both cyberspace and VR extend and enhance our powers of evolution. He even compares them to the invention of fire. But immersion in the virtual world has also its dark side. He even proposes a method for treatment of the illnesses that may emerge from it. It is aka Alternate World Syndrome (AWS).
Alternate World Syndrome (AWS)
An acute form of body amnesia which can become chronic aka Alternate World Disorder (AWD).
Anaglyph
A method to create the illusion of three-dimensional image with depth perspective by combining the right-eye-view image and left-eye-view image in one single image.
Anchors
Responsibilities or situations IRL that keep you from experiencing the VR experience.
Animation
In virtual reality, animation is the movement of an object or the viewpoint along a pre-determined path. Animation of the viewpoint or the user's view results in a fly-through or a guided tour. The animation may be repeated in an endless loop or have a set start and finish.
API
The application program interface (API) is a method by which an application program can make requests of the computer's operating system or of another application.
Aspect Ratio
The proportion of the width of your viewing screen to its height is the aspect ratio. This can affect how the images from the VR world appear and whether or not they become distorted. It's all about the proper pixels for the ultimate view.
Augmented reality (AR)
Augmented Reality (AR) refers to technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite view. It is a method to combine or integrate the virtual or digital objects with the live environment and real surrounding. AR can be experienced using a smartphone screen or wearable devices such as connected glasses (Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens, Magic Leap are expected to release consumer wearables starting 2016).
Avaddiction
Too much time devoted to the VR world can be addictive. Avaddiction happens when life in the avatar/VR world takes over one's actual reality. The first step is admitting the problem.
Avatar
An Avatar refers to an image or figure representing individual users within a VR environment. It is particularly important when we progress into social interaction within VR.
Backdown
The brief feeling of disappointment / melancholy experienced when removing your HMD and adjusting back to real life. “I spent 10 minutes watching the sun set on Laguna Beach then pulled out. I was stood in my Kitchen and it was raining outside. The Backdown was awful.”
Backward compatibility
The ability for a computer application to read files which were created in a previous version of the software. A computer is said to be backward compatible if it can run the same software as the previous model of the computer.
Behaviors
Behaviors are program scripts that are attached to objects within VRML. The scripts cause an object to act in a certain way, for example a sphere may turn from red to green. This action may be triggered by a user of the world if the behavior is attached to an event.
Binocular Omni
Orientation Monitor (BOOM): A 3D display device suspended from a weighted boom that can swivel freely so the viewer can use the device by bringing the device up to the eyes and viewing the 3D environment while holding it. The boom’s position and orientation communicates the user’s point of view to the computer.
BMP
BMP is a standard image format in which image data is stored as a bitmap without applying any compression.
Bubble world
Environments created by manipulating 2-dimensional digital images and not by writing code which manipulates a computer's ability to display and render 3Dimensional geometry. Typically, as in Apple's Quicktime VR, a bubble world is made by taking digital photographs of the real place or space that is to be represented digitally. These are 'stitched' together into a 360 degree panorama. The user's viewpoint is in the centre of this panorama or 'bubble' and they can move around within its confines.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
Refers to the practice of visitors using their own smartphone or mobile device. For example, some museums develop apps and mobile websites for use with BYOD, often as an alternative to providing equipment for rent.
CAD
Computer Aided Design software is widely used by designers, surveyors, architects and others to produce 2-dimensional drawings and 3Dimensional models.
Cardboard
Google Cardboard is a – yes, cardboard – headset that turns Android and iOS phones into VR devices, removing one of VR’s biggest barriers to entry: cost. Since its launch in 2014, Google has sold well over 1 million Cardboard headsets. This low cost viewing solution has sparked a lot of competition from other headset makers, turning the word ‘cardboard’ into a generic term for “entry-level mobile VR headset”. In 2015, the New York Times, partnering with Google, gave away 1.3 million headsets to its subscribers, allowing them to experience custom-made immersive editorial content.
Cave
Caves or sheds are projection-based virtual reality systems which use a system of display screens surrounding viewers to fill their field of vision.
CD-ROM
In computers, CD-ROM technology is both a format and system for recording, storing, and retrieving electronic information on a compact disk that is read using an optical drive.
Cinematic VR
For the most part, there are two types of VR you'll run into. There's the kind that's computer-generated graphics, often interactive, and the kind made of real images. The latter is cinematic VR, and is made using cameras, whether rigs made of mounted GoPros or actual 360 cameras.
Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVE)
This refers to an environment usually built in VRML (or some extension of VRML) that can be accessed by more than one user from more than one computer simultaneously. Users are made aware of each other's presence by the use of avatars and by the chat boxes which can be used to communicate with others.
Collision Detection
A program script that determines how close a user is to an object and stops their movement when they collide with the object.
Computer Graphics
The branch of computer science concerned with methods of creating, modifying, or analyzing pictorial data. The use of a computer in any discipline to create, modify, or analyze images.
Coordinates
A set of data values that determine the location of a point in a space. The number of coordinates corresponds to the dimensionality of the space.
CPU
The Central Proccessing Unit is the component in a computer which performs operations on data. Data are input to the CPU, processed (according to the instructions in a program) and then output. Instructions can only be carried out one at a time, thus the speed of the processor affects the speed with which the computer works. Processor speed can range from 100 Megahertz (100 million cycles per second) to 2.8 Gigahertz (2.8 billion cycles per second). Desk-top computers generally incorporate slower processors than the workstations that are used by graphics designers.
Cue Conflict
A theory to explain the kind of motion sickness caused when the body tries to interpret conflicting clues being received by the senses. Frequent causes are faulty calibration of eye devices or delay between the sensory inputs and output display.
Cyberspace
A computer synthesized reality. Often a computer synthesized 3D space. See also: Virtual Reality.
Cyborg
A robotic humanoid modeled directly from digital readings of a real human and transformed into a photo realistic, animated character produced via illusionary metamorphosis. data sonification: Assignment of sounds to digitized data which may involve filtering to give illusion of localized sound. data spacialization: assignment of orientation (yaw, pitch) and position coordinates (x,y,z) to digital sounds assigned to data.
DAT (Digital Audio Tape)
A helical-scan recording method initially developed to record CD-quality sounds on high-density audio tapes. It was quickly adapted for data storage applications. While DAT cartridges are all the same size (2.1 by 2.9 by 0.4 inches), the properties of the tape inside them differ. The smaller-capacity drives use tape cartridges that can store 1.3GB to 2GB of uncompressed data, and they have typical transfer rates ranging from 183KB per second (KBps) to 366KBps. Their larger-capacity siblings support tape cartridges that store anywhere from 3GB to 4GB of uncompressed data, with typical transfer rates ranging from 366KBps to 510KBps. Many DAT drives offer some type of hardware-based data compression, which can significantly increase capacities and decrease transfer rates, depending on the type of data being stored.
Data Glove
It is a type of glove embedded with sensors that can sense the movement of hands which can then be used to manipulate or move the objects in the virtual environment. Also known as wired glove.
Data model
The theoretical model by which data are structured. Common data models include relational, network, hierarchical and object-oriented. Data modelling is a methodology for structuring data for use in database systems.
Database
A generic term commonly used to describe a structured collection of data. Databases can take many forms including unstructured full text, images, maps, statistics or a mixture of data sources.
Dataglove
A glove that contains sensors which provide a means of controlling objects within the virtual world in direct response to movement of a user's hand.
Densitometers
A measuring device that registers the density of reflective or transparent materials.
Directional Sound
Oftentimes in VR games or movies, there's an overall background sound, but when the sound seems to come from a specific area, it's called directional sound.
DLT (Digital Linear Tape)
Digital Linear Tape Drive (DLT) provides a very fast (800 Kbytes per second) back-up to tape cartridges that hold either 20 gigabytes or 40 gigabytes of data and can be mounted in an automated library that holds enough cartridges to back up 5.2 terabytes of data.
Dodo
A User who hasn’t or refuses to experience VR. Flightless.
Dolly Shot
Display of a scene while moving forward or backward.
Doppler Effect
An apparent increase in the frequency of sound or light as its source approaches an observer or a decrease if it moves away.
Dublin Core
A 15 field standard for metadata – or 'information about information'. Full details are available from: http://www.purl.oclc.org/metadata/dublin_core
DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)
This is an optical disk technology that is expected to replace the CD-ROM disk (as well as the audio compact disc) over the next few years. The digital versatile disk (DVD) holds 4.7 gigabytes of information on one of its two sides, or enough for a 133-minute movie. With two layers on each of its two sides, it will hold up to 17 gigabytes of video, audio, or other information.
Dynamic Lighting
Changes in lighting effects as objects or the observer move.
Dynamics
The rules that govern all actions and behaviors within the environment.
E3
Electronic Entertainment Expo.
EBD
Abbreviation – Eye Balls Deep. To consume VRP0rn. “Don’t look at P0rn in VR mate. Once you’ve been EBD normal p0rn will never live up to expectations.”
Effectors
Interfacing devices used in virtual environments for input/output, tactic sensation and tracking. Examples are gloves, head mounted displays, headphones, and trackers. egocenter: The sense of one’s own location in a virtual environment.
Encryption
The conversion of data into a form, called a cipher, that secures against unauthorised access to data.
Environment
In VR terms, this is a computer-generated model that can be experienced by an observer as if it were a place. exoskeleton: mechanically linked structure for control of an feedback from an application.
EPS
Encapsulated PostScript. An image-storage format that extends the PostScript page-description language to include images.
Events
An event in VR is a program script which is attached to an object within VRML. The event triggers an action, or behaviour. For example, a script may cause a sphere to turn from red to green when a user performs a certain action. Events range from proximity sensors (users come within a certain distance to an object), to a timer (the user has been in a world for a specified amount of time) or a touch sensor (the user clicks on the object).
Eye Clearance
The most accurate figure of merit used to describe the HMD positioning relative to the eye.
Eye Tracking
Eyetracking is similar to headtracking, but instead reads the position of the users' eyes versus their head. So for example, there's an HMD (you learned this earlier!) called FOVE that integrates eye tracking into their headset. In their demo, the user can aim a weapon (it looks like a laser) by looking in a different direction. Alternatively, a game like Rocket Toss relies on the user aiming with his or her head to determine the direction of rings.
Eyes In
To have already experienced an event or application in VR. “What’s she enjoying so much?” “Oh its the new Felix & Paul experience. I’ve had Eyes In and it’s awesome.”
Facet
A facet is a planar surface of an object. Facets are generally triangular because triangles are always planar. Facets may be other shapes, as long as they are not warped in any direction and are truely planar.
Feedback
An output device that transmits pressure, force or vibrations to provide the VR participant with the sense of resisting force, typically to weight or inertia. This is in contrast to tactile feedback, which simulates sensation applied to the skin.
Field of View (FOV)
The angle in degrees of the visual field. Since a human’s two eyes have overlapping 140 degree FOV, binocular or total FOV is roughly 180 degrees in most people. A feeling of immersion arises when the FOV is greater than roughly 60 to 90 degrees.
Fish Tank VR
The ego center of an observer looking “through” a computer monitor to a virtual outside world using a stereoscopic display system. That is, to a person looking through a stereo “window” to a virtual “outside”, the person imagines him/herself to be in a fish tank.
Fishbowl VR
A term which refers to VR displayed and viewed on a personal, desk-top computer rather than on large projection screens or hemispheriums. The analogy is with watching a computer monitor as one would a fishbowl. Just as one expects to see a fish moving through time and space in a fishbowl, so fishbowl VR convinces us that we are watching and interacting with 3D space 'in' the monitor. Also referred to as desk-top VR.
Fly-through
In virtual reality this is the movement of an object, or viewpoint, along a path that has been defined in a program script.
Fractal
A self-similar graphical pattern generated by using same rules at various levels of detail. That is, a graphical pattern that repeats itself on a smaller and smaller scale. frustum of vision: Three-dimensional field of view in which all modeled objects are visible.
Gesture
Hand motion that can be interpreted as a sign, signal, or symbol.
GIF
Graphics Interchange Format. A bitmap graphics format from CompuServe which stores screen images economically and aims to maintain their correct colours even when transferred between different computers.
GIS
Geographic Information Systems are used to manage maps and other spatial data held in layers. GIS packages can hold data about the location and height of an object and increasingly are being used to produce two-and-a-half dimensional models of landscapes which can be animated.
Google Cardboard
Google introduced its cardboard holder in 2014 at its I/O conference. A user's smartphone fits into the front, and the user holds the unit up to his or her face. It does not contain sensors, which makes some VR purists dismiss it as too low quality, as it relies on the phone's accelerometer. On the other hand, the two facts that it's cheap and the newer version accommodates phones with screens up to 6 inches can potentially put VR in the hands of a very wide audience. There's also the Cardboard app. Users can find apps on the Google Play store. Google is reportedly working on a new headset that is made of plastic and has a few sensors.
Gouraud Shading
The shading of polygons smoothly with bilinear interpolation.
Greyscale
The range of shades of grey in an image. The grey scales of scanners and terminals are determined by the number of greys, or steps between black and white, that they can recognise and reproduce.
Haptic Interfaces
Use of physical sensors to provide users with a sense of touch at the skin level, and force feedback information from muscles and joints.
Haptics
Haptic feedback is basically tactile feedback. In VR, it refers to users feeling like they're touching something that's not really there.
Haptics recreate the sense of touch by applying forces, vibrations, or motions to the user, through feedback devices (think of vibrating game controllers). In VR, headsets primarily use sight and sound to immerse the user, but haptic gloves and suits are currently in development to offer a fully immersive physical experience of digital worlds.
Head Mounted Display (HMD)
A set of goggles or a helmet with tiny monitors in front of each eye to generate images seen by the wearer as three-dimensional. Often the HMD is combined with a head tracker so that the images displayed in the HMD change as the head moves.
Head Tracking
Head tracking is akin to eye tracking, but uses the positioning of the entire head to help you look in any direction during your VR experience. It's just like looking around in the real world, but through the more advanced technology of VR.
Head-Coupled
Displays or robotic actions that are activated by head motion through a head tracking device.
Head-Related Transfer Function
A mathematical transformation of sound spectrum that modifies the amplitude and phase of acoustic signals to take into account the shape effects of the listener’s head.
Heads-Up Display
A display device that allows users to see graphics superimposed on their view of the real world.
Hidden Surface
A surface of a graphics object that is occluded from view by intervening objects.
Holography
It is a technique to display the three-dimensional objects that can be viewed correctly from any direction or angle hence giving the illusion that the objects are really there.
Hotspots
An identified point in a bubble world or VR environment that users can activate and cause a program script to execute an event.
HTC Vive
The buzz has been that the Vive might be the Rift's best competition. The Vive is a partnership between hardware maker HTC, and video game maker Valve, powered by the SteamVR platform. It has two wireless hand controllers, and three sensors called lighthouses, to be placed in the room. The Vive provides a full room experience. Users can stand up and move around a set space as they interact with their games and apps. The Vive also requires a powerful PC to run. The Vive started shipping in April 2016.
ICC profiles
International Color Consortium color standards. For further information see: http://www.color.org
Image compression
These are techniques which are used to reduce the size of digital image files. Lossless compression techniques, such as those used in the GIF and TIFF formats, retain all of the original image data while still reducing the overall file size. Lossy compression techniques, such as those used in the JPG format, compress the image file by removing image details (usually those details that the eye does not see very well) and thus losing some of the original data.
Image Distance
Perceived distance to the object. (In contrast to the real object distance, if there exists a real object.)
Immersion
Placing users in an artificial environment yet making them feel like they're right in with the action is considered immersion. VR creates this immersive playground where the sights, sounds, and perceived feelings surround the user with the perception that they are really there.
Immersive/Non-Immersive
The term immersive implies that an individual is experiencing VR either with a head-mounted display or else in some other manner, such as a hemispherium, which restricts their senses and reference to the real world. Non-immersive is generally referred to as fishbowl VR or desktop VR. From a qualitative point of view the different types of VR affect how the individual experiences the VR and how far they are convinced by the experience.
Imping
Immersive Pointing. When a VR user is so immersed they point out virtual items to people IRL who can’t see them.
Interaction
This can be divided into low-level interaction and high-level interaction. Low-level interaction in the case of VR environments involves the user navigating around the environment and experiencing the space. High-level interaction is more complex and involves behaviours and events, that is objects act in a certain way when triggered by a user.
Interactivity
The prefix “inter” means ‘between’ a or ‘in the middle of a’. Activity signifies active behaviour and was borrowed from the Latin word ‘agere’ in the 17th century. In the context of digital media, the concept of interactivity signifies mutual communication between sender and recipient - the “author” can become the “user” and the “user” can become the “author”.
Interaural Amplitude
Differences between a person’s two ears in the intensity of a sound, typically due to the location of the sound.
Interface
A boundary across which two systems communicate. An interface might be a hardware connector used to link to other devices, or it might be a convention used to allow communication between two software systems. Often there is some intermediate component between the two systems which connects their interfaces together.
Internet
A world wide digital network capable of supporting shared virtual worlds.
Internet Connection
This is the connection between a personal computer and the Internet and may be by cable modems, dsl modems, ISDN line, dial-up modem, satellite link, fixed wireless connection, etc. The type of connection affects the speed with which users can download files across the Internet. Speed can range from 56 K (kilobytes per second) in a dial-up modem to 3 mbps (Megabytes per second) with the cable modems and up to 100 mpbs with ISDN lines.
Interoperability
The ability of disparate computer systems to interact with one another, especially databases.
Intranet
A 'private' computer network, accessible only to particular persons, usually within a distinct organisation or institution. (As opposed to the Internet, which is a publicly accessible network.)
Inverse Kinematics
A specification of the motion of dynamic systems from properties of their joints and extensions.
IP
Internet Protocol – one of the main protocols behind the working of the Internet.
IRL
In Real Life.
ISO film speed
The standard for quoting photographic film speeds. It relates to the film's reactivity to light.
Java
Java is an object-oriented programming language that is designed to be portable across multiple platforms. It achieves this by using a 'virtual machine' known as the Java Runtime Environment. Programs developed in Java, known as applets, are compiled for the JRE rather than for a specific operating system and thus can be run on any machine.
Java enabled browser
A web-browser that incorporates a JRE into its program is known as a Java enabled browser. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer incorporated versions of the JRE. But the pace of Java language development by Sun has meant that both Netscape and Microsoft have dropped JRE from their latest browsers. Users must now install a JRE plug-in from SUN Microsystems; this plug-in enables Java applets to be run within web-browsers or run directly from the user's computer.
Java Runtime Environment (JRE)
The Java Runtime Environment is a computer program which enables Java applets to run on different operating systems or web-browsers. Sun Microsystems develop the JRE for Sun, Linux and Windows operating systems. JREs are also being developed by freelance programmers for other operating systems, and Apple develops the Mac Java Runtime (MJR)
Javascript
This is Netscape's cross-platform scripting language, used for developing Internet applications.
Jerk Out
To violently remove a VR Headset usually after a jump scare or witnessing something uncomfortable. “Watch your headset! I showed him Dreadhalls yesterday and he jerked out so hard my Rift hit the floor.”
Joystick
An input device that consists of a short lever gripped with one hand to be moved from side to side or towards and away from the person. Frequently it is used to navigate in a virtual space.
JPEG
JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) Image Format is a standard for variable level compressed images which are commonly used for display on Web pages. JPEG produces small file sizes using a lossy data compression technique.
Judder
Judder is a significant shaking of the visual content within the Head Mounted Display.
Kinesthesis
Sensations derived from muscles, tendons and joints and stimulated by movement and tension.
Kinesthetic Dissonance
Mismatch between feedback or its absence from touch or motion during VR experiences.
KT&T
Kids, teens, and tweens.
Landscape
This refers to the orientation of an image. Landscape describes an image which is wider than it is tall. (An image that is taller than it is wide is referred to as 'portrait'.)
LAP
Abbreviation – Load and Pass. To load up a VR application and pass it to a new user for them to try.
LAP Party
Passing an HMD around a group and sharing the experience.
Latency
Lag between user motion and tracker system response, sometimes measured in from as. Delay between actual change in position and reflection by the program. Delayed response time.
Lawnmower
A Basic or limited specification HMD. Usually used in a derogatory fashion by owners of more advanced VR equipment.
Level of Detail (LOD)
A model of a particular resolution among a series of models of the same object. Greater graphic performance can be obtained by using a lower LOD when the object occupies fewer pixels on the screen or is not in a region of significant interest.
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Display devices that use bipolar films sandwiched between this panes of glass. They are lightweight and transmissive or reflective, and are often used in HMDs.
Magic Wand
A three-dimensional input device used for pointing and interaction. A kind of three-dimensional mouse.
Metaball
A surface defined about a point specified by a location, a radius, and an “intensity.” When two metaballs come in contact, their shapes blend together.
Metadata
Metadata is often described as data about data. It is information that helps a user or system to organise, access and use a resource. Metadata may serve various roles, including cataloguing and archiving, resource discovery, technical and content description.
Metallic Distortion
Noise interference or degraded performance in electromagnetic trackers when used near large metallic objects.
Metaverse
The Metaverse is a collective virtual shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet.
Millennial or “Digital Native"
People in the demographic Generation Y (born 1980s-2000s). A digital native is a person who has used digital technologies from an early age. These terms are sometimes used interchangeably to refer to tech-savvy people.
Mobile Technology
Refers to devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets) and infrastructure (e.g., wifi, cellular service) that allow for interaction with digital content on the go, without needing to be plugged (“wired”).
Mocap or Motion Capture
A technique to record the actual movement of a person or object and then translate it to a digital form so that the information can be used in the virtual or digital environment. It is also known as motion tracking.
Model
A computer-generated simulation of something real.
Motion Parallax
A means whereby the eyes can judge distance by noticing how closer objects appear to move more than distant ones when the observer moves. See also and parallax.
Motion Platform
A controlled physical system that provides real motion to simulate the displayed motion in a VR world.
Multiplatform
The use of digital media across different devices or operating systems. Often used to refer to mobile applications that are developed fo
Multitouch
A touch surface (e.g., touchscreen, track pad) that recognizes two or more points of contact at once. Required for gestures such as pinch and zoom. Some multitouch surfaces (e.g., touch table) can be used by more than one person at a time.
Multi-User Environment
see Collaborative Virtual Environment
Nadir
In 360 capture, Nadir refers to the camera(s) that captures the bottom of the sphere.
Navatar
A navatar is like your personal tour guide through a new VR space. They can guide you through a game or virtual world explaining the ins and outs.
Navigation
The term “navigation” signifies the definition of and adherence to a course and is derived from the Latin “navigare” which can be translated as steering, sailing or travelling. The same symbols are used on the Internet as in real space - though virtual navigation involves the “re-configuring” - i.e. production - of a time process.
New media
A 21st-century catchall term used to describe digital information such as data, text, images, video, and sound as well as the interactive experiences developed to access that digital information.
Node
This has two meanings in VR. In VRML, a node is a small piece of code which has a specific set of attributes. For example, the shape node can be either a sphere, a box, a cone or a cylinder as set out in the VRML specification. A node can also refer to a hot-spot in a bubble world that can be used to link together a series of such worlds. For example, a user can click on a hot-spot in a central bubble world and be transported into another bubble world. These might be a set of rooms in a museum, where users are able to move from room to room by clicking on hot-spots.
Object Technology (DOT)
Virtual objects which bend and deform appropriately when touched.
Objects
Discrete 3D shapes within the virtual world with which a user can interact.
Occipital Cortex
The back of the brain receiving retinotopic projections of visual displays.
Occlusion
Hiding an object or a portion of an object from sight by interposition of other objects.
Oculus Rift
The Oculus Rift started off as a Kickstarter project. Facebook bought the company in 2014 for $2 billion. In the past several years, Oculus released two developer kits and demoed different prototypes. The consumer version of the Rift will start shipping in the spring of 2016. The Rift is considered a high-end VR and requires a fairly souped up PC in order to run. Oculus plans to release its natively-built hand controllers, called Touch. Until then, units will ship with Xbox One wireless controllers.
ODT or Omnidirectional Treadmill
A special kind of treadmill device that can allows people to walk or move in multiple directions in the virtual environment.
On-the-fly
Computer operations that develop or occur dynamically in 'real-time', rather than as the result of something that is statically predefined.
Open Systems Architecture
An architecture whose specifications are public. This includes officially approved standards as well as privately designed architectures whose specifications are made public by designers.
Operational Specification
A definition of working parameters.
Optimization
Optimization is the process of improving the efficiency of a virtual world by removing any unnecessary facets that slow down the rendering of an object.
Pan
The angular displacement of a view along any axis of direction in a three-dimensional world.
Pan Shot
Display of a scene while moving about any axis. See also dolly shot and track shot.
Parallax
The difference in viewing angle created by having two eyes looking at the same scene from slightly different positions, thereby creating a sense of depth. (Also referred to as binocular parallax.)
Perspective
The rules that determine the relative size of objects on a flat viewing surface to give the perception of depth.
Phong Shading
A method for calculating the brightness of a surface pixel by linearly interpolating points on a polygon and using the cosine of the viewing angle. Produces realistic shading.
Photo Realism
An attempt to create realistic appearing images with great detail and texture.
Photo-realistic
Representing an object 'as is', that is without any optical 'effects' etc. having been added.
Pitch
The angular displacement of the lateral axis about a horizontal axis perpendicular to the lateral axis.
Pixel
The smallest element of a display that can be adjusted in intensity.
Platform (Computer)
A term that defines both the operating system of the computer and its hardware base, usually referring to the central processing unit.
Platform (VR)
Individual or shared VR displays built into physical mockups of vehicles and other physical settings.
Platform-Independent
Software or digital formats that can be used on any computer system regardless of the operating platform.
Plug-in
Plug-in applications are programs that can easily be installed and used as part of a web-browser, for example to view digital animations.
PNG
Portable Network Graphics. The PNG format is intended to provide a portable, legally unencumbered, well-compressed, well-specified standard for lossless raster/bitmapped image files.
Polygon
A display element that consists of an area enclosed by a set of by a set of broken straight lines.
Polygonal Modeller
A virtual reality authoring tool or CAD software used to define facets creating 3D objects. Polygonal modellers can also be used to edit objects or to optimize them. Some modellers automatically create less detailed versions of objects by reducing the number of facets. Optimization tools remove any unnecessary facets that slow down the rendering of an object.
Portal
Polygons or icons that a user can pass through in a virtual space to automatically load a new world or execute a user-defined function. A three-dimensional version of an interactive icon in multimedia.
Position Sensor
A tracking device that provides information about its location and/or orientation.
Position Trigger
A hotspot, sensitive spot, or button that causes a change in the computer program when touched in some way.
Positional Audio
Positional audio or "binaural" sound allows you experience sound in 3D, where every sound in your environment has its own position and orientation.
Presence
Presence refers to the scale of immersion felt in a VR experience. Simply put, presence is achieved when users feel like they're “actually” there, wherever that immersive world is.
QR Code (Quick Response Code)
A type of barcode that can be scanned by a user with a QR code scanner (e.g., an app) and a smartphone. Scanning a code can bring up a webpage, a video, or any other webenabled content. QR usage has not yet become widespread in the United States.
QTVR
Quick Time Virtual Reality is Apple's virtual reality format. In QTVR a panoramic image is projected onto the inside surface of a 'notional' cylinder or sphere and then viewed through an interactive window on the computer screen.
Radiosity
A diffuse illumination calculation system for graphics based on energy balancing that takes into account multiple reflections off many walls.
RAM
Random Access Memory, the part of a computer's memory where data are temporarily stored while being worked on.
Raster
A way of displaying spatial information as coloured grid cells. Also referred to as bitmap as effectively a map of bits is evident.
Ray Tracing
A technique for adding realism to computer models by including variations in shade, color intensity, and shadows that would be produced by having one or more light sources. Ray tracing software simulates the path of light rays as they would be absorbed or reflected by objects.
Real Life
Also known as RL, real life is just that — the real life and you in it.
Real-time
If a computer responds in 'human time' this is considered to be real-time. For example, if a computer model moves approximately at the speed that users expect without being jerky or not rendering properly, it is considered to be real-time. As this is hard to achieve, a range of techniques is used to create an illusion of real-time movement. A different definition of real-time relates to the currency of information. This definition might apply if a user moved around a computer model and expected it to render and change instantaneously to display up-to-date information. An example might be a traffic map which users can access to see the speed of the traffic in the part of the city that they want to navigate.
Real-Time Imaging
Graphics or images synchronized with real-world time and events.
Reality Engine
A computer system for generating virtual objects and environments in response to user input, usually in real time.
Refresh Rate
The refresh rate is how fast images get updated in the Head Mounted Display (HMD). Higher refresh rates means less lag, and a smaller likelihood of feeling simulation sickness. It also enables a more responsive experience. For example, the Oculus CV1 has 90 hz refresh rate.
Render
Adding realism to computer models, by for example applying a surface image to a geometrical frame.
Resolution
Usually the number of pixels in a VR display.
Responsive Design
A web design approach that takes into account different viewing sizes across devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop, desktop) and presents an optimal viewing experience based on the device being used to view content.
Retinal Binocular Disparity (RBD)
Ratio of the convergence angle of the image to the convergence angle of the object.
RFID (radio-frequency identification)
Like a barcode, RFID is used to transmit information between a transponder or tag and a processing device or reader. RF tags can be embedded in all kinds of things (e.g., cards, wristbands, stickers, signs, and other surfaces).
Roll
Angular displacement about the lateral axis.
Safety Peak
Quickly pulling up the HMD to check your surroundings and ensure your safety/privacy.
Samsung Gear VR
The Gear is powered by Oculus, but differs in that its display is the screen of the Samsung Galaxy phones, as well as the Note 5. There have been three iterations. The newest is compatible with the Samsung Galaxy 7. The Samsung platform features a variety of games, game demos, 360 photos, 360 videos, and other VR experiences, both computer-generated and cinematic.
Scenes View
Virtual display viewed on a large screen or through a terminal window rather than with immersive devices. semiocclusion: Occlusion to one eye only.
Server
A computer that performs functions for other 'client' computers.
Shared Worlds
Virtual environments that are shared by multiple participants.
Shutter Glasses
Glasses that alternately block out the left and right eye views in synchrony with the computer display of left and right eye images to provide stereoscopic images on the computer screen.
Simulation
It is a process or approach to mimic or imitate the real environment inside the virtual environment.
Simulator Sickness
Simulator sickness or virtual reality sickness (also known as cybersickness) occurs when exposure to a virtual environment causes symptoms that are similar to motion sickness symptoms. The most common symptoms are general discomfort, headache, stomach awareness, nausea, vomiting, pallor, sweating, fatigue, drowsiness, disorientation, and apathy. Other symptoms include postural instability and retching. Virtual reality sickness is different from motion sickness in that it can be caused by the visually-induced perception of self-motion; real self-motion is not needed. It is also different from simulator sickness; non-virtual reality simulator sickness tends to be characterized by oculomotor disturbances, whereas virtual reality sickness tends to be characterized by disorientation.
Six Degrees of Freedom (6DOF)
Ability to move in three spatial directions and orient about three axes passing through the center of the body. Thus the location and orientation are specified by six coordinates.
Slideshare
An online service for sharing presentation slides and other documents.
Smartphone
A cellular phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, Internet access, and an operating system capable of running downloaded applications.
Social VR
This term refers to a type of app that aims to create a shared VR space where users can interact with each other and even participate in activities.
Sony PlayStation VR
Formerly Project Morpheus, PlayStation VR will be compatible with PlayStation 4. PSVR is the only console-based VR system so far. It works with the DualShock PlayStation controllers, but users can also purchase handheld Move controllers. Movement is more limited than with the Vive. PSVR is considered the third of the trio of high-end VR systems (the other two being he Oculus and Vive). It's less immersive than the Oculus or the Vive, but it is cheaper, and has the advantage of a 36-million unit install base of PlayStation 4s already out in the wild. PSVR will ship in November 2016.
Spatial Navigation
Self-orientation and locomotion in virtual worlds.
Stereopsis
Binocular vision of images with different views by the two eyes to distinguish depth.
Stereoscopic
A technique or method to enhance the three-dimensional (3D) viewing of a media such as image or video by introducing the illusion of depth to it.
Stitching Program
A stitching program in VR merges a set of images together to create a single large image without noticeable joins.
Storify
An online service that allows users to organize and create “stories” by importing and displaying social media content such as Tweets, Facebook posts, and other media. For example, a Storify of a Twitter chat might serve as an archived summary or transcript for users who were unable to participate in real time.
Storyboard
The process of making an outline of what a resource will look like before it is actually created. Storyboards are used by designers to organise the ideas and content used to convey a story. A high-level storyboard, in the form of a flow chart or in text, sets out events and identifies media requirements (such as photography, graphic design etc.). A graphical storyboard consists of sketches of virtual reality sequences, which may be accompanied by a script and a detailed description of how the user will interact with the content. Storyboards are modified throughout the design process.
Synthetic Environment
The military definition of a synthetic environment is a computer-based representation of the real world, usually a current or future battle space, within which any combination of 'players' may interact. The 'players' may be computer models, simulations, people or real equipment.
Tactile Displays
Devices that provide tangible and kinesthetic sensations.
Technsplanation
Use of VR technology and other communication technology to explain or teach.
Tele-Existence
Virtual reality experienced from remote locations. Telemanipulation - Robotic control of distant objects.
Teleoperator
The person doing telemanipulation.
TeleosTM
A tool to create Silicon Graphics computer-based real-time interactive environments with “life-like” deformable objects.
Telepresence
A technology to mimic that you are present in the particular location although your physical body is at somewhere else.
Temporal Lobe
An area of the brain in front of the occipital cortex and the parietal cortex which is the receiving site for hearing.
Terrain
Geographical information and models that can be either randomly generated or based on actual data.
Texture Mapping
A bitmap pattern added to an object to increase realism.
Textures
These are images which are applied to the surfaces of objects in virtual reality models to give the appearance of building materials or other surface details. Textures may be either photographs of real-world objects or simplified images that are created using drawing software.
The Fear
A feeling of unease that can build whilst immersed in VR. Easily countered by taking a quick Safety Peak.
Three-Dimensional Graphics
The presentation of data on a two-dimensional display surface so that it appears to represent a three dimensional model.
Thumbnail
Low-resolution digital images, usually used for quick reference and linkage to a larger, higher quality image.
TIFF
Tagged Interchangeable File Format/TIF (PC) or TIFF (Macintosh). A widely used graphic image format.
Track Shot
Rotating display of the same scene. See also dolly shot and pan shot.
Tracker
A device that provides numeric coordinates to identify the current position and/ or orientation of an object or user in real space.
Universe
The collection of all entities and the space they are embedded in for a VR world.
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Content (e.g., text, photos, video) that is produced by users (e.g., visitors, non-experts) and published via the web or social media. Care is often taken to be clear about what content is generated by the publisher vs. by users.
VDU
Visual Display Unit – a computer monitor.
Virtual Environment (VE)
It is an environment which is created digitally using computer technology that can make the user feel like he or she is there. Furthermore, they can also explore and manipulate the objects in that digital world.
Vection
Sensation of egocenter caused by motion of the visual environment.
Vector
A geometric way of displaying spatial information as a series of points, lines and polygons.
Viewer
Viewers or plug-ins are software programs that are used to extend the capabilities of a browser or operating system. In the case of virtual reality, viewers to enable users to see models on desk-top computers.
Viewpoints
Points from which raytracing and geometry creation occurs. The geometric eye point of the simulation.
Virtual MIS
Use of computer models and specialized interaction devices that mimic surgical tools to allow medical personnel to practice minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures
Virtual Prototype
Simulation of an intended design or product to illustrate the characteristics before actual construction. Usually used as an exploratory tool for developers or as a communications prop for persons reviewing proposed designs.
Virtual Reality (VR)
A three-dimensional, usually computer-generated environment which can be explored and sometimes interacted with using a closed headset or head mounted display (HMD) that provides full immersion into that environment. VR environments are mostly designed for gaming, entertainment and exploratory experiences, but the technology is also used for simulation purposes in various industries (industrial prototyping, military, education, commerce, and healthcare).
Virtual World
The whole virtual environment or universe within a given simulation.
Visualization
The ability to graphically represent abstract data that would normally appear as text and numbers on a computer.
Virtuoso
A proficient user of Virtual Reality.
VLegs
A user who has become accustomed to VR motion sickness and isn’t affected by even the most extreme applications. “Just ten minutes in Minecraft VR and already I’m reaching for the sick bucket. I really need to get my Vlegs.”
Voxel
A cubic volume pixel for quantizing three-dimensional space.
VR Face
The slightly embarrassing, slack-jawed look people get on their face when they wear an HMD.
VR Headset (See Head Mounted Display or HMD)
A VR headset consists of a goggle-like device which includes a display and lenses to let you explore virtual reality environments. There are currently two main types of HMDs: tethered and mobile (or portable). Current high-end tethered headsets designed for gaming (requiring a PC or gaming console capable of delivering a rich graphic experience) include the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive and the PlayStation VR, all to be commercially released in 2016. Mobile headsets, powered by 4-6 inch smartphones, offer a more casual, entry-level experience, with a focus on video and lightweight graphics games. There are literally hundreds of models available on the market, from the under $20 Cardboard viewers to the more sophisticated Gear VR by Samsung, and standalone headsets that do not require a smartphone.
VR Sickness
Simulator sickness or virtual reality sickness (also known as cybersickness) occurs when exposure to a virtual environment causes symptoms that are similar to motion sickness symptoms. The most common symptoms are general discomfort, headache, stomach awareness, nausea, vomiting, pallor, sweating, fatigue, drowsiness, disorientation, and apathy. Other symptoms include postural instability and retching. Virtual reality sickness is different from motion sickness in that it can be caused by the visually-induced perception of self-motion; real self-motion is not needed. It is also different from simulator sickness; non-virtual reality simulator sickness tends to be characterized by oculomotor disturbances, whereas virtual reality sickness tends to be characterized by disorientation.
World in the Hand
A metaphor for visualized tracking where a tracker is held in the hand and is connected to the motion of an object in a display.
Yaw
The angular displacement about the vertical axis.
Zenith
In 360 capture, Zenith refers to the camera(s) that captures the top of the sphere.
Originally published by fredtime.com.
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Originating in Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular in the West as the incidence of anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders plague the undercurrent of our fast-paced industrialized way of life. Recent scientific research on mindfulness has demonstrated beneficial effects on several holistic aspects of personal health, including the mind, the body, and behavior.
Mindfulness meditation has been proven medically effective to decrease stress and improve well-being when practiced consistently. Yet many people still struggle with the concept or application of mindfulness-based therapy. A new wave of delivery is emerging which is combining this ancient practice with modern technology to bridge the gap and appeal to a modern generation of meditators. Studies show not only relaxation, but important shifts in cognition, emotion, biology, and behavior that may work synergistically to improve health. There is also emerging evidence that mindfulness training is associated with greater meaning and peace in one’s life (spirituality), as well as enhanced relationships with others (Carmody et al., 2008; Carson et al., 2004)
Imagine you are sitting peacefully on a beautiful beach. You can hear seagulls against a backdrop of pebbles clinking together with each breaking wave. You take deep belly breaths and listen to your meditation teacher as she sits beside you and guides you through the film roll of anxiety and consciousness unfolding behind your eyes. Now imagine that you take off your virtual reality headset to discover you in fact never left your own living room (and saved hundreds of dollars on a flight to a meditation retreat in India.) This is an example of one scenario that modern entrepreneurs are envisioning the marriage of mindfulness and technology to enhance the effectiveness of well-being and relaxation intervention. Virtual reality devices can be combined with health tracking technology such as Provada Health's iOS app; “…incorporated into (the) app (is) the ability to link health-tracking wearables, such as the Apple Watch, to quantify the effects of a meditation session on, for example, your resting heart rate. Or look at how your sleep is being affected by taking time out to meditate.”
Modern gaming technology is another avenue where it seems there is potential for mindfulness to be cultivated. Take for example one gaming app available via Play Store called 'Pause,' which was created through the principles of mindfulness meditation and Tai Chi. The creator Peng Cheng explains, “It started with my own severe experience of stress and depression. I gave myself 6 months, I practically didn't do anything but I meditated and practiced Tai Chi with the goal to do nothing but staying in the here and now as much as possible.” The simple game involves a little blob which follows your finger across the screen and facilitates focused awareness by growing in size as you maintain a slow concentrated speed. “Most of our stress only exists in our head and absorbs all our attention. To break this pattern, I need to focus on what is physical and tangible and actively put my attention in the moment.”
Cultivating focused attention in the present moment is the core foundation of mindfulness practice preached hundreds of years ago, in ancient India, and today via a squiggly blob on a hand-held screen or through a high-tech headset. Proper use of technology has the capacity to transform the quality of our lives and the delivery of ancient therapies such as mindfulness which are being lost on a section of the modern generation unaccustomed or afraid of 'spiritual mumbo jumbo.' Many trials of research have found that people with higher levels of mindfulness – even without “formal” meditation training – report feeling less stressed, anxious and depressed, and more joyful, inspired, grateful, hopeful, content, vital, and satisfied with life (Baer et al., 2006; Brown & Ryan, 2003; Cardaciotto et al., 2008; Feldman et al., 2007; Walach et al., 2006).
Another benefit of mindfulness is the ability to recognize and accurately label emotions (Analayo, 2003). More mindful people appear to have a greater ability to control emotional reactions in the middle part of the brain (the amygdala and the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [ACC]) by engaging the front part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex [PFC]), which is associated with attention, concentration, and emotion regulation. This means when you’re practicing mindfulness you’ll better be able to control your emotions and correct unpleasant mood states.
Believe it or not, there is increasing scientific evidence to support the therapeutic effect of mindfulness meditation training on stress-related medical conditions, including psoriasis, type 2 diabetes, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic low back pain, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Several new technologies, including brain imaging, wearable tech. and virtual reality, are being used to look at and extend the potential health benefits of mindfulness. Finally, research is beginning to prove what mindfulness practitioners have known for centuries…that greater focus, awareness, acceptance, and empathy can make for more flexible, adaptive responses to stress, which, in turn, can help free us from suffering and realize greater well-being & happiness.
Please also read our white paper: "Using Virtual Reality for the Reduction of Anxiety: An Introduction to How Immersive VR Can Improve the Treatment of Anxiety"
There are two technologies that humanity has been looking forward to for decades. One of these technologies is time travel. The other is virtual reality. You may want to throw ‘flying cars’ up there somewhere as well, but some people haven’t seemed to realize that planes essentially are just that. Regardless, of all of these technologies that humanity has wished for, only one of them has come to pass so far: virtual reality. The thing is, with virtual reality, it may be possible to experience the other technologies through it. In fact, some of the leading physicists think time is an illusion.
Granted, virtual reality will never be able to truly, physically send you through time and space to exist in a different era. But, with the power of virtual reality, it may be possible to experience the past and future in every sense besides the legitimate physical.
Imagine, for instance, virtual reality that lets you experience the American Revolution firsthand. As a soldier perhaps, or even one of the commanders. Or perhaps you would just be present in an ethereal sense, watching everything from the safety of virtual reality. Or consider the opposite. What if you could go into virtual reality, and experience a programmer’s idea of the world in the year 3000? While you can’t claim any accuracy to what people think is the future (though Back to the Future did an uncannily good job with their Cubs World Series prediction), you could still experience what people believe the future will be like, from flying DeLorean’s to those hover boards we never got when we were supposed to.
Obviously, none of this will truly take you to the past or the future. You will still physically be present in the world of 2017, but, the real question is, does it make a difference? If you experience something that is so real to your senses that it may as well have been, does it really matter if it actually happened? To some people it might, but to many others it does not.
If you could use virtual reality to experience say, sky-diving, would it not be the same as actually sky diving so long as it was realistic? The same notion can be held to the idea of pseudo-time travel through virtual reality. Maybe you didn’t really travel in time back to the Crusades, the American Revolution, or one of the World Wars. Maybe you didn’t really travel to the year 3000 and witness the future. But if the experience is real enough, is it not the same as though you actually did?
It is something that is yet to be seen, but highly anticipated by all. Moreover, the potential is nearly limitless. With this kind of virtual reality, will the way history is taught change? Will students be able to experience renditions of the history they are learning first hand? And what of religion? Rather than read the Bible or the Quran, will you be able to experience every part of it from the perspective of someone who was actually there? You very well could, provided that a programmer desires to make it so. Coincidentally, SpiritualVR officially announced it's developer partner program this week, inviting creators to publish through its network of spiritual and wellness-minded apps.
Virtual reality is one of the most exciting things to happen to humanity in decades. And though we may never truly travel through time, who knows what we could one day experience through the power of the technology we now have. I’ll meet you there or, rather, then.