Researchers report that a brief immersive virtual reality simulation of a near-death experience can sharply reduce death anxiety. The pilot study involved about 60 young adults, all students from a College of Architecture, and the findings were published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality. The project was led by Zhipeng Lu with doctoral student Parya Khadan; Lu is an assistant professor at Texas A&M and holds roles at the Center for Health Systems and Design and the Telehealth Institute at Texas A&M.
Participants completed surveys immediately before and after a single 12-minute VR session. On average, participants reported a 75% decrease in fear of death and showed a significant drop in stress. The simulation recreated common near-death reports in three stages: an out-of-body sensation after a car accident, travel through a channel of light with memory flashbacks, and arrival at a scenic, peaceful landscape with an uncrossable barrier.
Many participants said the experience was relaxing and prompted new reflections on life and relationships. A minority experienced increased death anxiety or stress. Lu noted that people who had real near-death experiences often change their view on life and treat family differently, and he hopes immersive VR can have a similar positive impact. The researchers conducted the study with support from Olera Inc. and the International Association of Near-Death Experience Studies, and additional coauthors are from Texas A&M and Tarleton State University. The team plans to expand the research to terminally ill patients and to people with mental health challenges, but Lu cautioned that such work must be approached very carefully.
Difficult words
- immersive — that makes someone feel fully involved
- simulation — a realistic model of an event or situation
- near-death experience — an event when a person nearly dies and reports visions
- death anxiety — strong fear or worry about dying and death
- pilot study — a small initial research test before larger research
- flashback — a sudden vivid memory of a past eventflashbacks
- terminally ill — having an illness that cannot be cured and ends life
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- What potential benefits and risks do you see in using immersive VR to reduce death anxiety?
- How might the results differ if the study included older adults or people with different backgrounds?
- What precautions should researchers take when testing VR with terminally ill or mentally vulnerable participants?
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