In medicine, fear of heights is called acrophobia.

She suffers 2% -5% of all people on the planet.

Employees of Oxford University have found a way to overcome this phobia with the help of virtual reality at home. For this they created a game and already tested it on volunteers.

The experiment involved a hundred adults in the UK experiencing a panic fear of heights. Half of them were offered to experience the effect of a new VR-therapy.

Subjects for two weeks spent from 4 to 6 gaming sessions lasting 30 minutes. They had to navigate high objects and perform various tasks. For example, to remove a cat from a tree or to transfer items on the upper floor of a tall building. Between the case, volunteers had to answer questions of the system.

As the final surveys showed, the acrophobia of the participants in the experiment significantly weakened. On average, it fell by 68%. The control half of the British was 3.3%. Moreover, for 34 volunteers, virtual reality therapy has been so beneficial that it has lowered the figures below the boundary at which psychiatrists determine acrophobia.

The positive effect of the game persists even after two weeks. It is worth noting that, unlike other similar methods of fighting fears, this does not require close monitoring of a psychiatrist.

sundaynews. info.

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