SIXTH SENSE
AR experience simulating schizophrenia symptoms to foster clinical empathy and understanding.
OVERVIEW
Sixth Sense is an augmented reality experience that simulates aspects of schizophrenia— auditory hallucinations, visual distortions, and paranoid ideation—to help clinicians, caregivers, and the general public understand what patients experience. Built during XR Brain Jam 2022, the project uses spatial audio, visual overlays, and environmental manipulation to create a visceral, first-person understanding of symptoms that are often dismissed or misunderstood. The goal isn't to replicate the condition perfectly, but to build empathy through embodied experience.
WHAT MADE IT HARD
Simulating mental health conditions is ethically fraught. I consulted with mental health professionals to ensure the experience was educational rather than exploitative—accurate enough to build understanding, but not so intense that it retraumatizes or sensationalizes. Technically, the challenge was creating believable hallucinations in AR: spatial audio that seems to come from impossible directions, visual distortions that blend with real environments, and pacing that maintains immersion without overwhelming users. Every design choice had both technical and ethical dimensions.
WHAT I DISCUSS PUBLICLY
- —Using XR to build empathy—possibilities and ethical boundaries
- —Designing for emotional impact without manipulation or harm
- —Collaborating with clinicians to create accurate simulations
- —Spatial audio techniques for creating believable hallucination effects
WHAT I CONSULT ON
- —XR for empathy and perspective-taking—training, education, and awareness applications
- —Ethical frameworks for sensitive XR content—mental health, trauma, disability simulation
- —Spatial audio design for immersive experiences
- —Clinical collaboration and expert consultation for health-focused XR
RECOGNITION
Featured by Unity — Games for Change
Highlighted by Unity Technologies as an exemplary use of real-time 3D for social impact, demonstrating how immersive technology can foster empathy and understanding for mental health conditions.
CONTEXT
XR Brain Jam 2022
Created during XR Brain Jam, a hackathon focused on neuroscience and mental health applications of immersive technology. The event brought together developers, designers, and clinicians to explore how XR can improve understanding and treatment of neurological and psychological conditions.
Discuss Sixth Sense
Let's discuss XR for empathy, mental health applications, or ethical design.