Not only does virtual reality offer the possibility of an intentionally designed reality that can be conducive to focusing attention and sparking wonder, VR can be a gateway to insight into the nature of reality, virtual or otherwise. 

It can benefit us by offering a supportive training ground for the development of our awareness (or mindfulness) skills. It can help us cultivate presence.

Once we have established some stability, it can be a tool to gain insight. We can begin to see how just like in VR, clinging tightly to objects in this physical reality, with the idea that they will last and never change, or that they can be the source of our happiness, eventually leads to suffering. We can learn to move through the world with a lighter grip. 

Using VR as a tool isn’t about escaping. It isn’t skillful to discount our everyday reality or try to bypass our emotions and difficulties. Yet we can learn to be a kind and open observer of the flow of life. We can learn to be a witness to our own inner worlds without getting caught up or overwhelmed by the stories in the mind. With practice, we can remember that they are real, but not necessarily true. 

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From here, we can show up in the world with wisdom and clarity, play with form, and serve where we can.

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Pathways to this kind of freedom and peace make up a lot of what I contemplate, write about and teach. For more about me and events I lead online and in-VR, see about and offerings.

To go deeper into how to use VR as a tool, read A Brief Introduction to My Fascination With Virtual Reality.

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