Cover image was made using pictures from OpenClipart and photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash

Nana: What on earth are you doing now?

Nina: I borrowed this VR set and game from my friend. It’s awesome.

Nana: Virtual reality? You look like a puppet on drugs.

Nina: Yes, virtual reality. You’re just jealous, Nana. I bet you're itching to try it out.

Nana: I’d never waste my time with nonsense like that. I find it absurd that anyone will want to experience fake reality, when you know, there is real reality.

Nina: It’s not like that Nana. You watch movies and read books. Whats the difference? Aren’t you immersing yourself in a fake reality or an imitation one when you do that?

Nana: That’s different. Reading can introduce you to new ideas, philosophies and theories, while movies can show you how people behave in a variety of situations. Both broaden your horizons. What does VR do besides play some silly tricks on your mind?

Nina: Every medium has it’s strengths and weaknesses, Nana. Books can be used for propaganda, and Movies can be made to reinforce stereotypes. But they can also do a lot more. The same is true for VR. Even in its nascent stages it shows a lot of promise.

Nana: Pfft. What good can come of something that makes you blunder around like a zombie bat?

Nina: I like shooting dinosaurs and planes, and that may make me look funny, but so what? I also like meeting Rembrandt and visiting Nefertari’s tomb.

Nana: Nefertari’s tomb? That’s interesting. Isn’t that closed to the public?

Nina: Yes, indeed to help preserve the valuable paintings.

Nana: Then how do you get a VR experience of it? Is it even accurate or some stupid fantasy version?

Nina: A VR developer and a streaming company collaborated and sent 3 of their members to map the tomb and capture its nuances with 3D scanning technology and thousands of DSLR images.

Nana: Wow! Now that’s something. But its still entertainment and its already done. Whats so promising about VR?

Nina: Oh that would be its applications in medicine.

Nana: Now we have to swallow VR devices? No thank you, I think I’ll stick to pills.

Nina: Don’t be silly, Nana. The VR either distracts or tricks the mind ,so the pain either vanishes or is diminished.

Nana: You mean like hocus pocus hypno bogus?

Nina: No Nana. Techniques like meditation and behavioral therapy are used to manage pain anyway. The VR technology just makes it easier to implement.

Nana: But video games are known to be addictive. Who knows what horrid side-effects this will have.

Nina: So are many painkillers, Nana. In fact, painkillers like oxy often do more harm than good. I am so glad that western medicine is setting down the scalpel and finally thinking outside the pill box. Perhaps it will work, and perhaps it won’t ,but it’s certainly worth a try. A synergy of eastern philosophy and western technology is just what the doctor ordered for today’s ailing planet, don’t you think?

Nana: Are they paying you a commission or something? You sound like a walking talking billboard.

Nina: But Nana, this stuff is being developed for people just like you and me.

Nana: Whatever do you mean?

Nina: I mean they hope to use VR to help kids and old people, see, just like you and me.

Nana: How so?

Nina: They have already developed a some VR programs to make vaccinations less traumatic for little children. Remember, we talked about how important they are. The VR program tricks children into mistaking the prick of a needle for being nibbled by a friendly fish.

Nana: How silly. Kids just need to toughen up they’re simply too coddled these days. I don’t see how such silliness could help old people.

Nina: They’re working on developing VR programs to help older people deal with chronic pain. So far they have had some success with significantly reducing chronic pain in some trials. VR programs are also being deveoped to ease pain post surgery, during labor and through cancer treatments.

Nana: I must say I am skeptical, but its worth a try. Anything to be rid of chronic pain. I should know what a menace it is. After all, I have to deal with you everyday.

Nina: <singing>

Pain pain go away

never come back

I’m off to play

VR is here to stay

Yay yay yipee yay!

This post is a part of the #NinaAndNana series I co-host with Lavanya Srinivasan. Her posts can be found here.