Beyond Virtual Reality: Towards Screen-Free Interfaces for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Interventions

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) has emerged as a promising posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) treatment by enabling controlled exposure to traumatic cues. However, VRET interfaces decouple users from their physical surroundings, effectively dissociating them from their body and social environment. We review the benefits and disadvantages of VRET and suggest that the audio-motor coupling induced by gesture sonification may overcome some of these limitations. Preliminary findings suggest gesture sonification increases bodily awareness and the sense of agency, essential in PTSD. Further research could offer new pathways to promote trauma recovery through multisensory integration.