VR, Biofeedback, and Digital Therapeutics: The Future of Mental Health

Author/Creator

Lyle Maxson

Quick Summary

Exploration of the intersection of virtual reality, biofeedback, and digital therapeutics in enhancing mental health treatments, emphasizing the potential of technology in psychology and psychedelics.

PT321 – Lyle Maxson – Virtual Reality, Biofeedback, and Digital Therapeutics: The Future of Mental Health

In this episode of the podcast, Joe Moore interviews Lyle Maxson: Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Entheo Digital, a “technodelic” company focusing on digital therapeutics and virtual reality as adjuncts to psychedelic-assisted therapy, and theoretically, as new forms of medicine. Maxson discusses using VR before and after psychedelic experiences as a priming and integration tool; VR's potential to ease first-time trip anxiety; Entheo Digital's SoundSelf system and the powerful influence of biofeedback; and the question of whether or not technology (on its own) could initiate a non-ordinary state of consciousness with the same benefits as one brought on by psychedelics. He also talks about the likelihood of using different tools to be able to naturally activate endogenous DMT; the idea of a Steam-like internet marketplace for digital medicine; the possibility for technology to trigger lucid dreaming; the concept of highly-personalized digital schooling, and the tough question of how to not become so reliant on technology in such a quickly advancing technological world. And how can we use technology not for escapism, but instead, for good?