Aviophobia is a pathological fear of flying. The mere thought of boarding an aeroplane can cause physical symptoms such as a racing heart, headaches or nausea several days before the start of the journey. One successful treatment method is confrontation therapy, in which patients are exposed to the stimuli that trigger anxiety.<\/p>\n
It is inevitable that this causes a lot of stress, but a new VR experience is now set to remedy the situation: The VR experience Flight VR simulates the realistic journey from entering the airport to the actual flight. Numerous intermediate steps leading up to real boarding are simulated in detail, such as check-in or the demonstration of safety instructions on the plane.<\/p>\n
The VR experience is the result of a collaboration between the VR visualisation agency Visual Lane and the art studio Chris Bain Design. Mr Bain describes the advantages of the application as follows:<\/p>\n
\"VR is the perfect tool to free people from their acute fear of flying. Traditional exposure therapy creates a lot of stress for the patient and can trigger extreme symptoms such as panic attacks or nausea. Flight VR allows users to go through all the procedures of a flight experience within a photorealistic 360-degree environment. And in their familiar and safe environment at home.\"<\/p>\n
It makes perfect sense to record not only the stay on the aircraft, but also the previous steps. After all, specific situations can trigger anxiety symptoms. The familiarisation effects created by going through the simulation can be effective in combating the phobia.<\/p>\n
Flight VR is being developed as part of the Oculus Start programme, which aims to help small developers enter the VR market.<\/p>\n