VRx

An instant classic and a definitive introduction to the healing power of virtual reality. VRx is a tour-de-force bolstered by Dr. Spiegel's impressive scientific credentials, innovative clinical work, and deep empathy for the physical and emotional suffering of his patients. It is destined to become a guiding light for anyone who wants to use technology to ease suffering and make a better real world. If you need a reason to feel hopeful for the future, look no further. --Jane McGonigal, PhD, author of Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Happy and How They Can Change the World VRx is a book full of magic, miracles, medicine, science, and most important, hope. With eloquence and humor, Dr. Spiegel authoritatively paints the picture of a drugless world in which pain lessens, or is alleviated. The list of experimental evidence of the power of VR includes PTSD, terrible burns, acute pain, depression, difficult childbirth. This new therapy is available through an ancient organ: the brain. Its thrilling possibilities and triumphs are the story of this book. --Susan Stamberg, Special Correspondent, NPR Virtual reality may seem like the stuff of science fiction, yet it is currently being used to treat some of healthcare's most vexing problems. Brennan Spiegel, a world leader in applying the wonders of VR to patient care, masterfully walks us through both the remarkable science behind VR (which is really about how humans think and process information) and its burgeoning applications. Told with passion and without undue hype, VRx opened my eyes to VR's potential to transform health and healthcare. --Robert Wachter, author of The Digital Doctor If you have ever wondered what the future of medicine holds, VRx is a must-read. It is elegantly written, scientifically accurate, and engaging. Through the voices of patients whose pain, anxiety, and/or suffering have been alleviated by VR, Dr. Spiegel makes the compelling case for VR as a medical treatment for a variety of conditions. --David C. Rhew, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Microsoft If you are curious or concerned about the future of healthcare, then VRX is a must-read. It is smart, thoughtful, and informative -- not only does Dr. Spiegel provide us with an exciting view of the future of healthcare, he also captivates us by weaving into his narrative a healthy mixture of neuroscience, history, philosophy, and drama. --Dr. Walter Greenleaf, Stanford University VRx is an engaging journey into the cutting edge of virtual, augmented, and extended reality. Dr Spiegel, a leading figure in the field, brilliant captures the stories and science enabling this emergent field, and the promise of what lies ahead. -- Daniel Kraft, Founder & Chair, Exponential Medicine, Singularity University VRx is a compelling, provocative, and highly readable account of the transformative possibilities that VR has inspired across healthcare. Spiegel blends those observations with the critical eye of both a healthcare provider and a scientist, and draws insightful connections between VR and philosophy, neuroscience, meditation, psychedelics, the Information Age, culture, health, and well-being. This is more than just another book about virtual reality. VRx asks us to consider the richness of the human experience and the ways that we are challenged to understand it. --Skip Rizzo, University of Southern California