VR Motion Sickness Fixes: Apps Rewiring Your Brain’s Balance
Welcome to the world of virtual reality where you can experience a different reality without ever leaving your living room. As exciting as this technology may be, it also brings with it some unpleasant side effects, namely motion sickness. This uncomfortable sensation is caused by a mismatch of information between what our eyes see and what our body feels. Fortunately, there are now apps available that can help rewire your brain’s balance and alleviate VR motion sickness. In this article, we’ll explore some of the top apps that can help you overcome this common issue and enjoy a smooth VR experience.
Understanding VR Motion Sickness
In order to understand how these apps can help combat VR motion sickness, it’s important to first understand what exactly causes it. As mentioned, the primary cause is a mismatch of information between our visual and vestibular systems. When we are in the real world, our eyes and body work together to provide a cohesive view of our surroundings. However, in VR, our eyes see one thing, but our body feels another. This disconnect can lead to symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and disorientation.
The Role of the Vestibular System
The vestibular system, located in the inner ear, is responsible for our sense of balance and spatial orientation. It contains fluid-filled canals and sensory cells that detect movement and provide information to the brain. In VR, when our eyes are seeing movement that our body is not feeling, the vestibular system becomes confused, leading to motion sickness.
The Benefits of VR Motion Sickness Apps
Traditionally, the most effective way to combat motion sickness is through medication such as anti-nausea pills. However, this solution is not ideal for everyone and can also have side effects of their own. This is where VR motion sickness apps come in. These apps use various techniques to retrain the brain and help reduce the effects of motion sickness without the need for medication. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones.
GingerVR
GingerVR is a popular app that uses the well-known anti-nausea effects of ginger to help prevent motion sickness. The app combines the visual and olfactory senses to trick the brain into thinking that the body is in motion. This is done through a combination of visual stimuli and a scent that is released through a diffuser or headset attachment. The scent of ginger has been shown to have a calming effect on the stomach, reducing feelings of nausea and motion sickness.
VRTIFY
This app takes a different approach to tackling VR motion sickness by incorporating music into the experience. VRTIFY creates a personalized soundtrack for your VR adventures, matching the beats and rhythms to the on-screen action. By providing a more immersive and fluid experience, the app aims to reduce the disconnect between our eyes and body, leading to reduced feelings of motion sickness.
Floricane
Floricane is a VR game that was actually designed specifically to help alleviate motion sickness. The game uses fast-paced movements and a constantly shifting perspective to train the brain to adapt to the visual stimuli. This repetitive and gradual exposure can help desensitize users to VR motion sickness and improve their tolerance over time.
Other Tips for Combating VR Motion Sickness
Aside from using these helpful apps, there are also some other things you can do to reduce the chances of experiencing VR motion sickness. First and foremost, make sure you take breaks and don’t overdo it. It’s recommended to take a break every 20 minutes or so to give your brain and body a chance to readjust. Additionally, try to sit or stand in a way that mimics the movements you are seeing in VR. This can help reduce the disconnect between your eyes and body. Finally, if you start feeling nauseous or dizzy, try closing your eyes or taking off the VR headset altogether until you feel better.
Conclusion
Motion sickness is a common side effect of virtual reality, but it doesn’t have to ruin your experience. With the help of these innovative apps, you can rewire your brain’s balance and enjoy a smoother VR experience without having to rely on medication. From ginger-infused scents to personalized soundtracks, the options are endless. So, next time you want to dive into the world of VR, be sure to have one of these apps ready by your side.
