Second Life
Background
Second Life, a virtual metaverse, was created by Linden Labs in 2001 and is defined by its creator as a “3D world, imagined, created and owned by its residents.” This virtual environment thrives on the interactions of real world individuals and their CGI residents or avatars. The avatars interact with people, businesses and organizations in a 3D environment. There are currently 7.5 million residents in Second Life.
The Center for Connected Health recognizes Second Life as a new, unique, and rich communications medium that deserves attention and research.
Research Overview
This research program combines the spaces of wellness and virtual worlds. The aim of this program is to determine whether the Relaxation Response (RR), designed by the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, can be successfully taught using the medium Second Life.
Research in stress reduction treatment has revealed positive physical and mental benefits to patients. The approach was first described by Dr. Herbert Benson in the early 1970s. The physiological effect of treatments is characterized by decreased oxygen consumption, diminished heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure.
Second Life also appears to be a good fit for applying RR in a virtual world, as it addresses the geographical and cost constraints that can be associated with stress reduction therapies. By adapting a face-to-face protocol for the Relaxation Response to fit Second Life, we will measure the effects of teaching the response in a virtual environment.
The study recruited 35 healthy, in-world Second Life users. The participants will be taught to elicit the Relaxation Response within Second Life. Pre and post testing of quality of life instruments and symptom monitoring will be compared before and after the study.
Results
The study recruited 28 healthy, in-world Second Life users. The participants were taught to elicit the Relaxation Response within Second Life. Pre and post testing of quality of life instruments and symptom monitoring were compared before and after the study.
The participants attended an average of 6 of the 8 scheduled sessions during the eight week pilot program. Nearly 70% of participants reported a very good or excellent experience with the virtual program. Results are currently being analyzed.
Feedback from research participants exiting the program included:
“Seeing more than one av glow [with a crown] was significant because we had been discussing feelings of compassion and it [the group crown experience] built a sense of other spiritual beings – the image was right there in front of us; [we were] a community of strangers all wanting the same thing- trying to achieve a sense of wholeness – I felt connected.”
“Tears came to my eyes the other day when I was listening to the Hearts Desire [Meditation] –It was like the meditation granted me the permission to visualize a desire of myself. Over the last few weeks [of the study] I was playing with the height, weight and age of my avatar. I finally decided that it was okay to have a thin av because my av is the manifestation of some hoped for idea that I’m working towards.”
“The group silence was very powerful- The group was silent out of will and felt like a shared experience – occasionally, I’d open my eyes and I would look at the screen and see their little avatars on the cushions [and I felt like I was with them].”