Apple's new Vision Pro headset is making headlines but users immersed in virtual reality are reporting an interesting phenomenon called 'phantom touch.'
The immersive visuals of virtual reality evoke sensations within the virtual environment. The phenomenon is similar to phantom limb pain, where people who have lost a limb still feel sensations in the missing part. If properly harnessed, the virtual sensations could lead to new kinds of entertainment and medical treatments.
"Phantom touch sensations often vary from person to person; looking at my current research and experiment results, most people report feelings of tingling, heat, pressure, or a simple presence," Sasha Alexdottir, who is leading research at Bournemouth University investigating the phenomena, told Tech Times in an interview. "Although, for some people, phantom touch may feel almost like real life touch."
Many people experience phantom touch on VRChat, a social gaming platform where you can choose or create your own avatars. This phenomenon suggests that players may develop a strong emotional connection to their virtual character, enhancing the likelihood of experiencing a sensation of phantom touch.
"I have a tendency to build strong relationships between myself and the avatar," VRChat user Kajar9 said. "With nearly 3,000 VRChat hours, I have changed my main avatar only 4 or 5 times. I need to be in a mind space where there is little to no separation between myself and the avatar."
Users report experiencing phantom touch across their body from their arms and legs to their neck and stomach. Interestingly, this does not mean gamers must use humanoid avatars to feel phantom touch. Some users even report feeling body parts they don't have, such as horns, tails, and large animal ears.
"Horns protruded from the jaw of my avatar. And when I touched it, it felt like the back of my lower jaw was being touched." VRChat user UwUlfrich said in an interview, "The tail felt like my tailbone area was being touched."
The phenomenon benefits VR users by reducing loneliness, enhancing gaming experiences, and facilitating intimacy.
"When I attend a lap dance club, the mood and ambiance combine to create a deadly mix," avid VR user Vhalake said. "Because my phantom touch is so strong, I've been labeled as a squeaker. When I am getting a lap dance, I feel a warm touch that sends shivers across my skin; I can't help but to start making squeaking noises."
Not all phantom touch is positive. However, some users report negative feelings.
"I used to roleplay as a police officer in VR for fun," user Mowster said. "There was this one time that I had to act out getting shot in the arm. After acting out the scene, I actually started to experience a weird cramp like pain in my arm that stayed for an hour or so. My brain fully believed I had gotten hurt."
Researchers suggest that phantom touch could assist in care, rehabilitation, and support for disabled individuals. Additionally, it holds significant benefits for the transgender community, enabling them to experience an avatar that matches their gender identity, including sensing genitalia they might not possess physically.
"Phantom touch can have similar physiological and psychological effects on people to real touch. For example, heart rate slows down during the phantom touch interaction, meaning the user feels calm and at ease." Alexdottir said, "This effect shows that people can have a comforting touch virtually, which could improve their mood, mental health, social connections, and aid in relaxation."
A whole range of factors go into the intensity of a user feeling phantom touch, but many users report drugs and alcohol majorly influencing their experience.
"Being drunk makes me really calm and comfortable, which tricks my brain even more easily," Vhalake said. "When I'm drunk, it allows me to feel phantom pain, phantom gender, as well as feel my avatars' tails and wings."
Phantom touch research is in its early phases, with scientists exploring how individuals can reliably experience it for the first time. In some instances, individuals who have spent over 3,000 hours in VRChat still do not experience phantom touch, making them feel left out of this aspect of the experience.
Ryan S. Gladwin is a freelance journalist. His work can be found a muckrack.com/ryan-s-gladwin
