PTSD Game

"PTSD Game," a virtual reality game using the Oculus Rift DK2, transports a player into the PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) mental experience. Experiencing PTSD, one never knows when a flashback will strike. PTSD can be triggered by something as subtle as a strange sound. To simulate this situation, "PTSD Game" starts in a darkened, gray walled room. As the viewer traverses this space, unrecognizable sounds are heard. As one keeps going, the footsteps become louder and seemingly closer. Similar illusions recur as the game progresses: hallways never seem to end, sounds lack a source, and rooms seem to spiral into themselves, making it difficult to escape. In this mental environment, even normally functioning senses, like sight and sound, do not function properly. As a result, the sense of location is lost making it difficult to escape the game, or to leave the virtual environment.