Modulating sensory perceptions during psychedelic induced therapy
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for modulating sensory perceptions during psychedelic induced therapy. Remote distributed virtual environments can be created enabling virtual group psychedelic therapy. Visual, auditory, and olfactory devices can be used to alter a patients' baseline sensory perceptions and obfuscate or limit knowledge about whether a patient was in the treatment or control group within placebo-controlled clinical trials. Various mechanisms are used to administer psychedelic drugs to a patient and accumulate psychedelic drugs in specific areas of the brain. Virtual environments can be tailored and specific brain wave states induced enabling targeted therapeutic outcomes in psychedelic therapy.
1 . A method comprising:
administrating a psychoactive agent to a patient;
receiving virtual environment code from a cluster;
executing the virtual environment code while the patient is under the influence of the psychoactive agent, including:
simulating a patient virtual environment including visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli;
presenting the patient virtual environment to the patient, including the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli, using one or more hardware devices;
modulating the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli, and the olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment to induce a specific patient response; and
presenting the patient virtual environment to the patient again, including the modulated visual stimuli, modulated auditory stimuli, and modulated olfactory stimuli, using the one or more hardware devices.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising utilizing sensory deprivation of the patient prior to executing the virtual environment code.
3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising emitting isochronic or binaural tones through an audio device, included in the one or more hardware devices and worn by the patient.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment comprises emitting a sound through an audio device.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment comprises emitting a scent at aromatics equipment.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein simulating the patient virtual environment comprises simulating a distributed virtual environment (DVE).
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein executing the virtual environment code comprises including a 3D digital representation of an object associated with the patient in the patient virtual environment.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein administrating the psychoactive agent to the patient comprises administering the psychoactive agent via one of: intranasal, inhalation, oral ingestion, or intravenously.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
injecting microbubbles into the patient;
controlling focused ultrasound (FUS) equipment to move the microbubbles to accumulate the psychoactive agent in a targeted brain region of the patient.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli, and the olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment to induce the specific patient response comprises modulating the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli, and the olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment to induce a specific patient therapeutic outcome.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein modulating the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli, and the olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment to induce the specific patient response comprises modulating the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli, and the olfactory stimuli within the patient virtual environment to induce a specific patient psychophysical outcome.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the patient virtual environment to the patient, including the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli, using one or more hardware devices comprises presenting auditory cortex simulation introducing various audible tones and rhythms during a psychedelic, or simulated psychedelic, therapy session.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the patient virtual environment to the patient, including the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli, using one or more hardware devices comprises presenting a soundscape or specific sonic frequencies associated with one or more of: a specific brain wave state, a state of consciousness, or a psychophysical response, tailored to support a therapeutic outcome.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein presenting the patient virtual environment to the patient, including the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli, using one or more hardware devices comprises presenting the patient virtual environment to the patient obfuscating whether the patient is in a control arm of a clinical trial or in a drug arm of the clinical trial.
15 . A method comprising:
administrating a psychoactive agent to a patient;
receiving virtual environment code from a cluster;
executing the virtual environment code while the patient is under the influence of the psychoactive agent, including:
simulating a distributed virtual environment including visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli for the patient and including visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli for one or more other participants;
presenting the distributed virtual environment to the patient, including the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli, using one or more hardware devices, wherein one or more of the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli are presented based on actions of the one or more other participants having previously been presented the visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, and olfactory stimuli using the one or more hardware devices;
modulating the visual stimuli, the auditory stimuli, and the olfactory stimuli within the distributed virtual environment based at least in part on the actions of the one or more other participants; and
presenting the distributed virtual environment to the patient, including the modulated visual stimuli, modulated auditory stimuli, and modulated olfactory stimuli, using the one or more hardware devices.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one of the one or more other participants is a clinician supervising a psychedelic assisted therapy session of the patient.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more other participants are part of interactive group therapy during a psychedelic assisted therapy session.