What I tell to Myself – VR – Alexandra Tamayo

Could VR be a tool for mental health? And Social Change?

Research shows that girls from 16 to 25 are the most affected psychologically by their inner negative thoughts.

Negative self-talk is recognized as a potential performance deficit condition, especially in young adult women that can lead them to a vulnerable social state (Cadinu, Mara, et al. 2005).

How we can use VR as a tool to change the perspective of this target group and support them to decrease the habit of negative self-talk?

This was the mean question that motivated me and my colleague Eliane Eid to create – What I tell to myself VR

The Experience

During our research, we discover that the only way to tackle this struggle in women is the motivate them to question their thoughts. Ex: Is this idea true? Why am I getting this negative impression? Am I really like that? (The idea of questioning our own thought is often a technique used in therapy and coaching sessions.)

We use gamification to use this technique – learn by playing.

First, we develop a persona (target audience)

Second, after brainstorming and acting on our idea, we develop a hero journey and then a user experience based on that story cycle. Before putting our hands on Unity and the VIVE VR.

Third, in the digital space, we use physical elements and body movement to dive into self-reflection and acceptance.

Inside the Headset …

The game dynamics of this game are very simple.

After getting confutable in the new environment and learning how to move around this gravity special world, the user is able to catch “bobbles of thoughts” spread along the space.

Each bobble of thought contains one audio recording with an idea or self-talk example. This audio message could be positive or negative.

Subsequently, after hearing the thought the user needs to decide of trowing this bobble away to darkness or to “keep it” by adding it to the thoughts tree and make it grow.

The more “positive decisions” the user takes the more trees would grow and the darkness would decrease.

We experiment with lights, ambient, and music to use this physical space as a storytelling tool.

Mean considerations…

We are interested on continue with this project and development into a final stage, therefore we realice that we need a bigger team, including a phycologist, 3D artist and programming.

If you are willing to collaborated – contact us!

If you want the playable link, please let us know 🙂