What does metaverse mean? Its impact on mental health.

Introduction

Now a days everyone is talking about the word “metaverse”.

The metaverse seems to be the most influential and expansive technology so far created. It will bring in limitless possibilities in various fields like health, government sector, retail and education.

The metaverse will also change our social environment. How people interact with each other and with friends ? also the family members, they have not seen for a long time.

These all are also   determined by metaverse. Most important aspect of our life that is mental health, could also change by this technology.

In this  blog post, I will try to discover some of the ways, through which  metaverse will change our mental health for better or worse.

What does Metaverse mean exactly ?

Metaverse is an idea, that has been used by science fiction writers, some futurists and transhumanists.

They describe metaverse as a hypothetical future internet-like space.

The Metaverse, also known as the Oasis or 3rd reality popularly known as the Matrix is an online virtual universe.

It is inhabited by humans and AI (Artificial Intelligence) entities created and experienced virtually by virtual realty headsets and body tracking sensors. In this environment users can interact with others, create and trade items, services and even complete social activities.

Metaverse is currently being developed by the Open Metaverse Foundation (OMF), which was founded in 2017. The whole system infrastructure is maintained by high performance cloud computing providers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) or Microsoft azure.

What does Metaverse mean in terms of mental health?

Metaverse and concept of virtual realty (VR) comes together.

Virtual realty presents itself as a fresh field for experimentation with mind and consciousness.

Therefore it raises philosophical questions about what life is, who we are and whether there are any limits and restrictions to our experience and knowledge.

There are many questions like, how can we put together these experiences into ourselves without losing ourselves in them?

How do we know, if we confuse that if something is real or not, when every sense tells us otherwise?

How can you make a relationship with someone, if you have never met them face to face. But you have only interacted through text or voice chat.

How do you know, if they love you or just want your money?

Can you tell, if someone’s telling you lies when they look at you straight in the eye and say they love you back?

All these questions come up every day now because of virtual reality and its ability to blur lines between physicality and digitality. Even more importantly, virtual reality presents itself as a platform for experimentation with mind and consciousness.

We don’t yet know exactly, what kind of effects virtual realty (VR) has on people over time, but we can guess based on current research in psychology.

One study found that using VR could help patients feel less pain during surgery than those who didn’t use VR.

Another study found tha,t using VR could increase empathy towards others, while some another study found that using VR could help treat depression.

Does metaverse refer to virtual reality ?

Virtual reality (VR) refers to a three-dimensional, computer generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person.

A person using virtual reality equipment is able to look around the artificial world, move about in it, and interact with features or items that are depicted on a screen or in goggles used with the system.

Virtual reality is used in a variety of recreational and training applications ranging from flight simulation to combat training.

Another application involves interacting with a virtual character (avatar) in an interactive game setting.

How can we apply VR technology in our daily life to increase our mental health?

As we know, VR technology is new and growing by leaps and bounds every day.

Scientists, companies, research and development institutions are pouring billions into exploring different ways that it can improve our world.

One day, people will wonder how they ever lived without them. But what exactly is virtual reality ? what are its effects on society, culture and our everyday lives. And how can we apply VR technology in our daily life to increase our mental health ?. We will try to find out.

How can VR change our lives in the future?

As virtual reality technology continues to evolve, it’s only a matter of time before it becomes a part of our everyday lives.

From shopping and gaming to education and therapy, virtual reality will change everything. In fact, some experts predict that we’ll experience full-immersion VR within a few years.

While many people are skeptical about its benefits, those who have tried VR believe that they may come to rely on it in their daily lives much like computers or smartphones.

How will VR affect mental health?

Research shows that VR experiences can also have a positive impact on mental health, giving people opportunities to manage their phobias and take control over their fears.

For example, a study by King’s College London showed that with proper treatment, people who experienced VR exposure therapy for their acrophobia (fear of heights) were able to manage or even overcome their fear.

In fact, in many cases researchers found that experiencing virtual reality therapy had a greater impact than traditional methods.

This might sound surprising, but research shows it is because, patients feel safe in virtual realty (VR) and are not as judgmental towards themselves.

When you can remove factors like embarrassment or feelings of inadequacy, then it becomes much easier to break through barriers to recovery and experience real results.

How does VR help people with schizophrenia or depression ?

What if technology could make your brain think that you are in a different place, far away from your current surroundings, with people who are not physically there?.

It may sound like science fiction, but virtual reality (VR) can make it possible. As already mentioned, The term virtual reality (VR) is used to describe any digital environment presented to our senses, including sound and touch.

In general, it(VR) refers to computer-generated simulation that can recreate sensory experiences.

Nowadays, many people experience these environments using 3D goggles such as Google Cardboard or Oculus Rift which allow them to see high-quality pictures and movies in high definition without any motion sickness.

What are the possibilities, that Virtual realty (VR) can improve mental illness?

Is there something different with first person perspective of seeing things in 360-degrees compared to how we normally perceive?

It makes us think about how well we handle changes. Are there any risks involved with such a dramatic change to our everyday experience or is it all good provided it is used in moderation, like everything else.

I would love to hear your opinions. What can you tell me about metaverse and mental health?

What is my view about this topic?

This is another one of those questions that has no right answer. Obviously, I’m going to tell you how awesome metaverse and virtual reality are for our mental health.

Many people are excited to be able to access and use metaverse in the near future.

While this may be good news to many, some people believe that using metaverse may have negative effect on mental health and well being.

As of right now, there are no studies done to back up or disprove these claims. But it is worth noting, how metaverse could potentially influence our health and well being, specially if we suffer from any mental health issues.

Some people might say that spending hours in a virtual world (whether it’s just 2D avatars or full-on VR) isn’t good for us mentally, but it can help with social anxiety, depression, ADHD and even recovery from surgery.

After all, exercising your mind has positive effects on your body and vice versa.

Instead of sitting at home alone playing video games for hours a day, use virtual realty (VR) to make friends with other gamers and experience new worlds!