The power of storytelling in Virtual Reality

The power on Virtual Reality, why we must adopt immersive technology.

I am led by a row of butterflies glittering into a magical colorful forest, with dreamy ambient sounds in the background. I look to the right, vines appear in strange geometric shapes. I look ahead and see a silent pool, surrounded by tropical vegetation. I walk through this  mesmerizing rainforest, observing the area, when suddenly the butterflies leads me into a Kaleidoscope canal of colors and shapes, actively changing as I progress in weightless gliding. I feel my breathing gets deeper and slower. I feel the moment. I’m forgetting the outside environment,..Up until the experience ends and the  headset removed… then I noticed the long line of people waiting for their turn. reminds me that I am at a science conference.

I did not take LSD. I experienced for eight minutes the virtual reality experience of Tripp, a Los Angeles startup that specializes in combining virtual reality with meditation. A type of meditation on steroids. So virtual reality as a tool can make therapy more effective.

This experience made me realize that mindfulness meditation in virtual reality is something worth testing. You can meditate at home, put on pleasant music and close your eyes. but it is easy to be affected by the external environment or the disturbing thoughts. In virtual reality it is not. The experience almost forces you to stay in the moment. You are a fundamental part of the story.

No specific platforms or dates have been announced, but TRIPP is targeting VR hardware first, with an eye on bringing their software to ‘mixed reality’ in the future, saying they want TRIPP to feature “on every meaningful device that has deep immersion capabilities.”

A group of parents have asked Albert Einstein, how can we help children have brains like yours? He replied “Tell them stories” With Virtual Reality we can experience stories, experience the devastating condition of rainforests, experience how it is to live in a refugee camp, experience the joy of dancing, expand your knowledge of space by traveling with the hovel telescope. By using virtual reality as a medium, immersive virtual reality storytelling art is probably the most deeply interactive form of art. In Virtual reality the story is real! It allows you to feel present. It’s an empathy machine.


TRIPP: TOP PICK at CES 2019 by Washington Post

Leave a comment