[A new study described in coverage by The Guardian demonstrates the effectiveness of using virtual reality in the treatment of (especially more severe) agoraphobia. Materials from The University of Oxford in Medical Xpress identify the study as “the largest ever clinical trial of VR for mental health,” and provide more details about the gameChange VR program used, two short informational videos (on YouTube here and here), and a link to the paper in The Lancet. The researchers here and in the paper note that the knowledge that though realistic the simulation isn’t real is a major contributor to the therapy’s…

[This story from Sky News describes a new project in Ireland that uses augmented reality to create 3D images of pioneering female scientists to inspire schoolchildren and encourage more young women to pursue careers in STEM fields. See the original story for three more images and the Learnovate website for more details about the project, and see the Volograms website for more on that company’s mobile app that lets users create volumetric holograms of themselves. Volograms has also posted a 2:37 minute Sky News report on YouTube. For information about related campaigns, see It’s Nice That and the Nexus Studios…

[PsyPost describes a new study of some interesting after-effects of using virtual reality; as the authors note, the results raise several new questions related to the effects of the technology and the presence experiences it produces. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: By Gerd Altmann from Pixabay] Virtual reality can induce mild and transient symptoms of depersonalization and derealization, study finds By Eric W. Dolan April 2, 2022 New research sheds light on how virtual reality (VR) can influence a person’s sense of reality. The findings have been published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. There have been some preliminary indications that…

[A cautionary story from CNN describes two recent deepfake videos released to affect the war in Ukraine, one featuring President Zelensky, along with some of the ways experts are trying to blunt the impacts of the rapidly evolving technology. See the original story for a 1:26 minute video. A related CNN opinion piece by a foreign policy expert is titled “The Zelensky deepfake is a warning for Corporate America” and provides examples of how “the use of believable manipulated media could be used to confuse customers, partners and employees and damage corporate brands and valuations” and argues that “the experience…

[This example-filled story from The Boston Globe describes and speculates about some of the reasons behind an increase in interactive, immersive (presence-evoking) attractions. See the original story for four more images. –Matthew] [Image: Guests take a ride at RiseNY’s official grand opening on March 2, 2022. Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for RiseNY] ‘The reality is no longer enough’: Immersive experiences are filling travel itineraries By Jon Marcus, Globe Correspondent March 24, 2022 NEW YORK — Cold mist sprays from a fireboat, a subway train hurtles closer through a tunnel, the night sky crackles with fireworks, and the inviting scent of…

[The extent to which the views and concerns of entertainment industry leaders parallel those of presence scholars is striking, as demonstrated in this blog post from SMPTE (the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers). As in academic work, the terminology and relationships among concepts, and predictions for the speed and nature of technology evolution, vary. But the same basic ideas are there, which suggests that academia and industry would both benefit from more communication and collaboration. –Matthew] Meet the Metaverse By Michael Goldman March 29, 2022 In Chaitanya Chinchlikar’s opinion, the newest digital business buzzword—Metaverse—is a label that has…