ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes the use of virtual reality (VR) technology in healing cultural trauma. It is a case study, approached through the fields of media psychology and technology, in the community of Pontokomi in Greece, whose once 1.100 inhabitants are now forced to leave their land, as their ancestors a century ago, due to the Power Public Company lignite mining site’s activity near the settlement. The first part of this chapter briefly presents the interconnections between trauma, place, identity and memory, which are the main terms to understand before designing and developing a collective intervention. The second part of this chapter introduces the use of technology, especially VR technology, as a digitally mediated trauma healing practice. Then, the development of a 360° digital environment representing the settlement of Pontokomi is proposed as the collectively developed intervention that will be organised along with the collaboration of Pontokomi’s community that has the characteristics of potentially experiencing trauma.
