Currently, medical hypnosis is in full development. And it could one day become a real credible non-drug alternative. In this sense, a French company offers a patient care system based on virtual reality.
Based in Montpellier, Cayceo is a company specializing in medical hypnosis. Remember that this is a practice using a particular state of consciousness , the hypnotic state, for therapeutic purposes. On its online platform, Cayceo explains that it offers the first turnkey solution for medical hypnosis in virtual reality. The latter is dedicated to the treatment of anxiety and pain in the patient care pathway.
Named Ipneo, this system is equipped with five virtual reality headsets . The objective is to optimize the hypnosis sessions but also the storage of the equipment in order to avoid contamination concerns. Ipneo embeds a touch screen that must be used to launch one of the experiences available on the headsets. Thus, the device sets up in seconds , which can save significant time for caregivers.
Cayceo works with psychologists who are experts in hypnosis . This is particularly the case of Antoine Bioy, clinical psychologist, doctor of psychology and university professor. The person concerned said:
“ In many ways, virtual reality is the most concrete modeling of the hypnotic process. That the therapeutic field seizes it is simply in the order of things, an unavoidable beneficial evolution. »
For example, it may be a question of immersing the patient in a beach setting. The goal? Soothe the latter and ease his anxiety , especially before a painful operation. We should also mention the experience of the cave, precisely targeting the feeling and the pain through his visual inductions. The interest of the Ipneo device is thus to favor non-drug therapies in the patient care pathway.
In 2019, we were already talking about the use of medical hypnosis via virtual reality. And there was already talk of a French start-up:HypnoVR. It has succeeded in developing hypnosis software intended to replace conventional anesthesia. Here again, it is a question of favoring gentle methods.
You should know that no less than 12 million general anesthesia are practiced in France. However, a third of these conventional anesthesias cause undesirable side effects. In other words, medical hypnosis represents a more than interesting alternative even if it would not allow all anesthesia to be avoided.
Here is the presentation video of the Ipneo project:
