Can VR Help You Achieve Your Goals?

The notion of meeting one’s future self in a virtual room may seem like science fiction, but for Jean-Louis van Gelder and his team at the Max Planck Institute, it’s a tangible tool to help people achieve their goals. The criminologist-turned-researcher has made headlines with his study on using VR to confront individuals with a digitally aged version of themselves.

The science behind van Gelder’s experiment is rooted in episodic future thinking, or mental time travel. By making the future more concrete and vivid, participants are more likely to actively work towards their goals. This approach differs from simply setting goals without a clear plan for achieving them. The VR tool uses a combination of age-processed photos and virtual reality, which seems to have a greater impact than its smartphone-based counterpart.

Van Gelder’s focus on young delinquents as the initial target group is striking. Impulsivity and short-term thinking are common predictors of juvenile crime, yet these individuals often know that their actions will have long-term consequences. Van Gelder aims not to preach or lecture but to help people persuade themselves using their own face, voice, and imagined future.

This raises questions about the relationship between self-awareness and behavior. If confronting one’s future self can lead to more disciplined decision-making, what does this say about our current state of affairs? Are we simply not taking enough time to consider the long-term effects of our actions?

One potential criticism of van Gelder’s approach is its reliance on technology. While a VR headset may seem like an accessible tool, it’s still not something that many people have at their disposal. The development of a smartphone application could help broaden access, but what about those who don’t even own a smartphone? Van Gelder suggests using a more low-tech version: simply asking oneself how one’s future self will look back on a decision.

This exercise in mental time travel has the potential to be a powerful tool for personal growth. By imagining our future selves and considering their perspective, we can begin to make more informed decisions about our lives. Technology could take this concept further – creating personalized AI avatars that serve as daily coaches from five or ten years in the future.

But perhaps it’s time to revisit one of the oldest and most accessible tools available: a piece of paper, a pen, and a question worth pondering. Where do you want to be in ten years’ time – and what would that future individual tell you to do today? The answer may lie within our own minds, waiting to be uncovered.

Ultimately, van Gelder’s work challenges us to think more critically about our relationship with technology. Rather than relying on gadgets and gizmos, we can harness the power of imagination to shape our lives. As we look towards a future that is increasingly uncertain, it’s time to start looking within – to the future self that lies just beyond our reach.