Employing Synergistic Interactions of Virtual Reality and Psychedelics in Neuropsychopharmacology

The increased prevalence of various psychiatric disorders continue to concern [54], [71], [96]. Promising results are starting to emerge from recent experimental interventions employing VR [32], [81], and psychedelics [14], [69] individually. We propose that for certain pathologies researchers need not bother themselves as to which medium offers greater hope. Instead, we hypothesize that the most effective interventions shall necessarily come from a composite approach utilizing both.Traditional medicine adopts similar such synergistic strategies. Combining codeine and acetaminophen increases the analgesic effect. While research into the therapeutic effects of novel interventions using VR and psychedelics, independent of one another, is still in its infancy, we believe that the increased utility of a dual approach justifies closer examination without delay. We posit three main benefits from this integrated intervention. Increases in the efficacy of each individual paradigm due to synergistic coupling, and increases in specificity due to the ability to tailor bespoke therapies for particular individuals and groups, are achieved directly. Such increases in efficacy consequently lead to the third benefit of allowing a therapeutic effect to be achieved while using lower doses of a given psychedelic compound [19].