Medical Xpress December 29, 2025
Texas A&M University researchers have found that a brief virtual reality (VR) simulation of a near-death experience can sharply reduce people’s anxiety about death. In a small pilot study of about 60 young adults, participants reported a 75% decrease in their fear of death after a single 12-minute session.
Death anxiety is a psychological fear associated with thinking about death. It is commonly linked to depression, stress, panic attacks, illness anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and phobias. Research shows this anxiety often peaks around age 20, declines in midlife, then increases in people over 65. It can also affect those with terminal illnesses, such as cancer.
The study, published in Frontiers in Virtual Reality, was led by Dr. Zhipeng Lu and his...
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