The Neuroscience of XR: Can Immersive Tech Rewire the Brain for Good?

After centuries of investigation, probing, and experimentation, we can successfully say that we really still don’t understand how the brain works. Sure, we have an excellent understanding of the different areas and nodes and our modern scientific equipment helps us identify the physical processes that go on in the brain. But that still doesn’t mean that we know how it actually works.

The Brain: An Old, Mysterious Friend

The Greeks were the first culture to really start to think about the brain. According to Alcmaeon, the brain is where all intellect resides, and it is linked to the rest of the body by poroi, or a sort of interconnected ‘village’ of functional parts that thrived off each other. Greek thinker Praxagoras postulated the presence of neurones as the means by which the brain communicates with the rest of the body in order to direct action. He postulated that neurones were the ‘roads’ by which information could be passed.

Through careful dissection, Herophilus proved the presence of a neurological system separate from the circulatory system, found nerves that led to internal organs and muscles, and differentiated between nerves that controlled sensation and those that moved the body. The Greeks had a pretty good understanding of the brain as the seat of intelligence, but their knowledge was stunted by their lack of technology and could only take them so far.

Whizz to the 21st century and we have built on the foundations made by the Greeks and now have a much more detailed knowledge of how the brain works on a physical level, but are really not any closer to understanding the fundamentals of consciousness and where the actual seat of intelligence may lie in 1.4kg of grey, glutenous matter that makes up an adult human brain. One thing that we are starting to understand though is that the brain can be rewired to change its characteristics, along with those of the owner. 

Changing Behaviours

Behaviour modification is a cornerstone of modern psychological treatments, covering approaches for shaping, modifying, and reinforcing desired behaviours or eliminating undesired ones. It has changed dramatically over the last century, including contributions from prominent experts whose research lay the groundwork for today’s therapy practices.  

At the heart of behaviour modification is the notion of learning something new through rote or exposure. Ivan Pavlov, a Russian physiologist, was the first to study this topic in depth. Pavlov is best known for his discovery of classical conditioning. While investigating dogs’ digestive processes, Pavlov discovered that the animals salivated not just at the sight of food, but also at the sound of a bell that he associated with feeding times. This prompted him to propose that such actions may be learnt by association with certain criteria -the ringing of a bell.

Since that groundbreaking early work, experts in both medicine and psychology have investigated, honed and reported on the latest innovations in behavioural modification, and have identified the most effective tools to do just that. Well now, it seems, they have a new tool; XR.

Virtual Rewiring

Even from its introduction as a massed media form, XR has been investigated for its potential to help with emotional issues in humans. Early adoption in medicine focused on the possibility of using XR – actually just VR in the day – for relaxation purposes and to help a patient attain a good peace of mind. Researchers found that VR environments were an effective means of relaxing individuals with high stress conditions and reducing anxiety. Even though the early VR environments were quite low-poly and headsets were bulky, the calming nature of the immersive content had a huge positive impact on stressed patients. This prompted researchers to investigate further as to how VR – fast turning to the more inclusive and flexible XR with precise aural and haptic capabilities – could be used to permanently change a person.

But What of the Risks?

When we talk about mind-altering therapies, we have to consider the moral and ethical sides to this, as well as the potential for harm. Concerns regarding addiction, dissociation, and desensitisation to real-world stimuli are among the possible negative impacts of virtual reality on mental health, despite the fact that technology offers many benefits. 

We are seeing increased incidence of XR gamers experiencing negative effects from exposure including social isolation, impaired perception and desensitisation to violence becoming more common. These are plainly a result of the brain experiencing a degree of rewiring, and not in a good way.

There are always questions too about abuse and unrequested conditioning being applied.
If XR is that simple to apply, and as effective as it seems, then it could easily become a tool for criminal and dark Government organisations to use for the wrong purposes.

Furthermore, psychological effects may result from prolonged exposure to very intense VR experiences, which may cause users to lose track of the difference between the virtual and real worlds. Responsible content management and ethical standards in the development and usage of XR are needed because certain studies have shown that users’ emotional health and moral sensitivity might be negatively affected by exposure to violent or traumatic XR content.

Plainly there needs to be some kind of regulation around when XR conditioning should be used and what outcomes are expected from the intervention. We simply do not have sufficient information about the effects of XR on the brain to just let it be used without regulation.

Getting it Designed the Right Way

The advantages of XR as a neuroscience tool are undeniable, but so too is the potential for doing great damage. We simply do not have a sufficiently good understanding of how the delicate mind can be manipulated using such tools, and it could easily become a tool for great harm.

Getting an XR project designed by a professional team is imperative, and this is where Unity Developers can help you create an immersive experience that is engaging without being harmful. Contact us today to see how our team can help you make the most of this powerful tool.