Metaverse hypnotherapy will soon be possible

I believe that, in combination with VR, the Metaverse could become a setting for coaching, psychotherapy and hypnotherapy in the near future. It might not be the ideal setting, but it is one that could help fight the supply crisis of psychotherapy.

As soon as hypnotherapy in the Metaverse is technically possible, I’ll be sharing instructions for how you can reach me there for  coaching or therapy – or, if you are a therapist yourself, I look forward to collaborating and helping you to set up your own practice in the Metaverse so that together we can help more people than ever before. 

Get in contact: florian at berlin-hypnose.net

What is the Metaverse?

The Metaverse is a fusion of VR (virtual reality) and AR (augmented reality) with the tangible world. We live in a time where technological advancement is rapid and so it’s likely that, in only a few years from now, the Metaverse will be a reality for everybody, just as the internet is today. Step by step, holograms and virtual living rooms will become the standard and the office in the Metaverse will replace the physical buildings we travel to everyday.

Facebook has changed its name to Meta to emphasize the sheer scale of the Metaverse revolution we find ourselves at the edge of, expanding their ambitions beyond the world as we know it.  But, while this technology advances, life only gets more challenging for us in the tangible world, and stresses upon our physical and mental health are always on the increase. 

What has hypnosis to do with the Metaverse?

Since the beginning of the  Covid-19 pandemic, the hypnotherapy landscape has evolved. More than ever, hypnosis sessions are being conducted via Zoom call, saving precious commuting time for both the therapist and the client – and producing results just as good as an in-person session. The Metaverse is pushing these capabilities even further. Now, therapists can meet their clients in the virtual office – a new world where we can see each other’s motions and gestures. 

Metaverse hypnosis is a new form of psychotherapy

What we are talking about here is not just a vision for the future. It is already happening! Many psychotherapists around the world are experimenting with VR headsets since they readily-available  on the market.

Even the most complex cases of trauma and depression are responding well to the capabilities of virtual reality. Behavioral therapists are using VR extensively for exposure therapy in the treatment of phobias. Someone with trauma  can go back to the location of a  traumatic event, but the setting can be altered by the therapist so as not to trigger a harmful response.

. The research and use cases of this technology are growing steadily.

How could Metaverse hypnosis work?

Hypnotherapy as a practice has the chance to change completely. Apple  and Meta Platforms (formerly known as Facebook) is currently working on the development of VR headsets that can transport facial expressions into the virtual world, and this kind of technology could enable real hypnosis sessions to take place in the Metaverse like they are happening in the tangible world.  In the Metaverse, a client could see all kinds of shapes and forms while listening to the suggestions of the therapist and receiving  binaural beats through their headphones. There is no need for a hypnosis chair in the Metaverse practice, even though the client might be sitting down in the tangible world.

Is there a place for Metaverse hypnosis?

Definitely – yes! Metaverse hypnosis and Metaverse psychotherapy will be necessary to meet the demands of a growing population and growing demands on psychological services, thanks to increasing pressures in the world. The idea of Metaverse hypnosis might seem hard to grasp, but imagine the world in ten years, where the Metaverse is not only widely accessible but is an everyday reality for people.  Today’s digital natives are the young people born into the digital world, and the digital natives of tomorrow will be the young people who  think, learn, work and socialize in the Metaverse. Human behavior as we know it will change.   

The Metaverse will feel real and that’s why it is therapeutic

When we talk about the Metaverse, we often refer to a 3D-internet that will give us fully immersive experiences. In such environments, the brain can’t differentiate between the real and virtual world. So if it feels real, our brains will believe it is real the same way we do hypnosis, but without a formal trance.

Metaverse hypnosis for social anxiety

One disorder that immediately springs to mind when I think about Metaverse hypnosis is social anxiety. Social anxiety often stems from the fear of being judged by others, and for many people who suffer from this, it can be hard to leave the house . In the Metaverse, people are afforded a shield of protection. They can completely alter their appearance to look nothing like their tangible self, forming a new identity and never needing to leave the house to come to a hypnotherapy office. Read more about social anxiety in the Metaverse.  

Metaverse counseling

A trained therapist could offer talking therapy in the Metaverse to help people better cope with mental health disorders, difficult life events, or the mental impact of physical health conditions.

Similar to emergency health hotlines nowadays, there could be a Metaverse counseling clinic, where you can pay a fee to be connected into a  virtual room where there are many counselors, and you’re assigned to whoever is available first.  

Metaverse hypnosis against stress

Stress is one of the main reasons for mental and physical illness. It disrupts sleep and it makes it more difficult for us to interact with other people. Most of our stress hormones are designed to deal with physical stress, but not the level of psychological stress that we find ourselves under nowadays. It’s harder to reduce psychological stress than it is physical stress, which is why it often builds up and becomes unbearable. 

Hypnosis can be a very good tool for stress management: 

1. Hypnosis itself is relaxing for the mind and body
2. Hypnosis can help deal us with the problems that cause our stress
3. Self-hypnosis is an easy-to-learn and easy-to-use tool we can use to reduce stress anywhere and anytime

Read more about how hypnosis can be replicated in a Metaverse environment with an instructor or through an app.    

Metaverse therapy for depression

Self-criticism can be a major contributing factor to depression and vulnerability. In a 2016 study, scientists from England built a VR simulation where depressed patients could hold an avatar of a crying baby in their arms and comfort it with words of compassion.

In the next simulation,  the positioning changed, and the patient could see the  baby being comforted by an adult avatar, and addressed it with the same soothing words. As a result, the comforted patients showed more self-compassion, less self-criticism and their depression scores fell significantly.

Metaverse hypnosis for PTSD

Hypnotherapy is already known to be very effective with PTSD. A combination of hypnotherapy, VR and the Metaverse could see even greater results for trauma patients. Today it can be hard to access a qualified therapist and, very often, trauma patients receive less than effective treatment.

Within the Metaverse, psycho-education would be much easier. Not only would people know where to go for help, but they could start therapy on their own with PTSD apps that are monitored by therapists – meaning one therapist could help several patients at once. In a 2019 study, twelve veterans received six combat-related VR simulations. The result was a meaningful reduction in PTSD symptom severity.

The Metaverse is about collaboration

Are you as interested in the possibilities of Metaverse hypnosis and Metaverse psychotherapy as I am? Then please get in touch and let’s find out how we can work together to build this space. To get in touch, please visit the About section, click the link to my practice website, and view my contact details there. I’d love to connect.

Get in contact: florian at berlin-hypnose.net