ABSTRACT
The distinction between the veridical reality of the world out there and the virtual world of pre-packaged fantasy provided first by cinema, and then TV, and the computer, begins to erode, surely not to disappear entirely, but to seem less relevant. In the land of the Lotus-eaters, virtual reality—an oxymoron if ever there was one—comes to rule triumphant. Virtual reality begets virtual therapies, which focus more on reducing distress then enriching life. Patients are desensitized by confronting them with the virtual reality version of their terrors. Certainly this must provide a more vivid experience than the usual desensitization processes that require looking at pictures of spiders or sitting in airport terminals. Patients come to realize that the gap between fantasy and reality, the effort required in coming to terms with shortfalls, the effort to love what is not-me and imperfect, engenders true desire. The patient wears a helmet with screens producing a stereoscopic view—very much like a flight trainer.
