Last night was one of the monthly First Friday events, hosted by various organizations in the Phoenix area. The lab was lucky enough to come across the opportunity to partake in an event that was specifically hosted by ASU’s Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy in the Westward Ho building. While equipped with three posters, two VR headsets, and an energetic atmosphere, our small (yet effective) team from the lab was able to thoroughly educate and, in most cases, entertain everyone who stopped by.
One of the first things that we noticed when we set up our station, though, was how diverse and unique the First Friday community was. There were people from all “walks of life” — old, young, poor, wealthy, ill, healthy, and many more. However, by being present in that ballroom yesterday evening and demoing our VR headsets, along with explaining what the lab does and how what we do applies to the medical field, it seemed like all social barriers were completely nullified.
It’s hard to explain.
Perhaps the best way to put it is that when something is meaningful enough to people, when something clearly has the power to change the world for the better, to help people in need, to inspire change, to motivate research and innovation, and to instill the desire to create something impactful, the social dynamics of an environment inevitably shift. Suddenly, nothing in the room becomes more important than the thing that could potentially change the world.
Last night, the thing that people thought could change the world, was our project with the VR headsets. I had countless people approach me with genuine excitement, joy, and wonder, asking me how soon we could have our technology implemented in hospitals nationwide. Most memorably, I spoke with a woman who worked in nursing, and she passionately explained to me that the majority of patients who are terminally ill and are likely to pass away rapidly usually pity that their place of death is in a white, sterile, unknown place. She continued, and articulated that passing over would be much more peaceful and serene for patients if they had the opportunity to remotely travel to a national park of their choosing.
I also had the chance to speak with two people who worked as full-time caregivers for people of various states of mental and physical health. They explained that most of the people for whom they give care often never leave their homes, or even go into their own backyards, which often leads to a much faster declination of mental well-being than people who regularly go outdoors. Moreover, they went on to say that if each of their patients had the chance to use our technology to visit different places all over the globe, or watch concerts as if they were truly there, their happiness, motivation, and energy levels would dramatically increase.
Overall, the amount of pure emotional investment that we got in return from displaying and presenting the work that we do with the lab was outstanding. People from all “walks of life” were wholeheartedly supportive of our work and wanted to see more of it, and there were folks who approached our table not knowing a single thing about what we do, but left with magnificent smiles on their faces.
Clearly, the work that we do leaves people with a genuine sense of hope and excitement about the future, and I think that’s quite an honorable accomplishment.
