This is going to read crazy, miraculous, godly, or downright nonsense.
The disclaimer is out of the way, let’s get on. VR Reunites Korean Mother to Dead Child: Looking Beyond the Buzz Into VR’s Mental Health Applications.
Virtual Reality (VR) is becoming a part of everyday life for gamers and designers. Yet, those are not the only applications of VR technology, as was recently shown on the Korean TV show “Meeting You”.
On Feb 6, 2020, the show brought on stage a grieving mother still struggling to get over the loss of her beloved 7-year old daughter.
The show offered Jang Ji-sung a VR headset and a pair of touch-sensitive gloves. In the massive green room, she could move around and feel whatever she saw through the VR headset.
During the show, the greenroom transformed into an open space, presumably, a park, with trees, piles of wood, and a very real depiction of her daughter. Not only could she see her and “speak” to her, but she could also interact with her using VR tech.
The virtual model of her child responded to her mom’s questions and the viewers saw the moving emotional moment when the two reunited.
“Where have you been? I have missed you a lot”, said the little girl in response to Jang Ji-sung calling her name.
The two spend their time talking, holding hands, picking flowers, celebrating Na-yeon’s birthday, sang a song and made wishes. Na-yeon’s virtual model wished that her dad “would quit smoking”, and that her siblings would stop fighting among themselves. Her last wish before blowing out the candles was for her mother “to stop crying”.
The entire experience was moving for the grieving mother and served as a closure for the sorrow she has been grappling with. Now, everyone can hope for a day when VR helping mental health crises will be the reality.
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It is one of the examples where experts have used VR for more than gaming. The nine-minute video has gone viral with over 13 million views on YouTube in less than a week. The seemingly simple concept of recreating virtual models of those lost to death has moved millions across the entire world.
Many have offered their condolences and sympathies to Jang Ji-sung. Many more have vocalized their concern about the effects of the short interaction between the bereft mother and her 6-year old daughter.
Interestingly, others have expressed their desires to meet the loved ones they have lost on public forums and YouTube comments through similar VR-mediated experiences.
What Are The Controversies That Surround The Mother-Daughter Virtual Reunion?
Jak Wilmot, the co-founder of Disrupt, said that he has spent an entire week living in the world of virtual reality.
When he finally stepped back into the real world, he only faced minor discomforts like mild dizziness and disorientation. These lasted only a few minutes.
That leads one to conclude that using VR even for long periods might not have long-term side effects.
Wilmot’s experience shows that there are no physical side effects of a person traveling to the world of VR and back. Yet, high-octane interactions like that between Jang Ji-sung and her dead daughter might not be as harmless.
Psychological effects of virtual reality interactions like these can be manifold. Without substantial support from the family and psychologists, the effects can be detrimental to the mental health of the participant.
At the same time, airing of the episode has raised a critical question, “will society ever become more accepting and receptive towards the interaction with the virtual rendition of a deceased individual?”
Will We See VR In Grief Counselling Or Psychological Therapy Soon?
The broadcasting of this interaction has been contentious. Nonetheless, it has given a ray of hope to many suffering from stress and depression, from the loss of their loved ones. It has opened new possibilities for treating chronic depression resulting from sudden loss and bereavement.
Will VR mental health therapy become a mainstream practice for the treatment of depression?
Will it help people journey through the five stages of grief?
Can VR help people find closure and move on with their lives?
These are all questions that stem from the experience of Jang that Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) aired earlier in February.
Is There Hope For Those Struggling To Overcome Sorrow Or Depression Over The Loss Of A Loved Someone?
MBC spent more than eight months in research, design, programming, and filming to render a realistic and interactive model of Na-yeon. So, even if VR becomes a robust tool for psychological counseling and grief counseling, it will be an expensive one.
Each session will require extensive personalization, background research, design and programming for each individual searching for some closure.
MBC insists that the entire video was to promote the importance of mental health and to “console the grieving family”. They maintain that it was not for promoting VR across South Korea.
Since the airing, Jang Ji-sung has mentioned feeling “really happy” on the blog. However, her blog is now private and not accessible to the public for viewing or commenting.
