Embodying compassion: a virtual reality paradigm for overcoming excessive self-criticism.
Virtual reality has been successfully used to study and treat psychological disorders such as phobias and posttraumatic stress disorder but has rarely been applied to clinically-relevant emotions other than fear and anxiety. Self-criticism is a ubiquitous feature of psychopathology and can be treated by increasing levels of self-compassion. We exploited the known effects of identification with a virtual body to arrange for healthy female volunteers high in self-criticism to experience self-compassion from an embodied first-person perspective within immersive virtual reality. Whereas observation and practice of compassionate responses reduced self-criticism, the additional experience of embodiment also increased self-compassion and feelings of being safe. The results suggest potential new uses for immersive virtual reality in a range of clinical conditions.
Clinical Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Caroline J
CJ
Falconer
Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Mel
M
Slater
Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Aitor
A
Rovira
Clinical Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
John A
JA
King
Mental Health Research Unit, University of Derby, Derby, United Kingdom.
Paul
P
Gilbert
Department of Computer Science, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Angus
A
Antley
Clinical Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
Chris R
CR
Brewin
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety; D001290:Attitude; D004644:Emotions; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012984:Software; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063367:Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy; D055815:Young Adult