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Maybe this is one problem that VR can solve. Virtually simulated suicides? Virtually simulated anything. You don't have to die or hurt yourself, try X in a safe

Maybe this is one problem that VR can solve. Virtually simulated suicides? Virtually simulated anything. You don't have to die or hurt yourself, try X in a safe simulation first to see if you really want to go through with it.

JohnJamesRambo 7y ago
VR marriage apps with faceapp induced aging.
tfha 7y ago
The virtual piece of it would ruin the last second regret. The regret comes from the realization that you've crossed through a door with no return. Can't ever get that in VR unless somehow the subject does not realize it's fake.
- coderintherye 7y ago
  Would it be ethical to subject someone to a virtual suicide they thought was real...in order to convince them to not attempt in the future? The technology seems to be getting to a place we could create such an experience, terrifying though it may be.
  - hiram112 7y ago
    You'd think that once VR got to such an advanced state, we'd have already long before synthesized effective medications / electrical-magnetic therapies (e.g. shock therapy or TMS) to effectively treat depression enough that the VR suicide simulation would be pointless. OTOH, the most effective treatments we have for depression are almost a century old, have tons of awful side effects, and were discovered by accident (i.e. MAOIs and electroconvulsive therapy), so I'm not too optimistic in the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industries.
    - trevyn 7y ago
      Suicidality does not imply depression: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116433/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116433/
  - emiliobumachar 7y ago
    VR seems unnecessary. Just have a gun around with blank rounds.
    - homonculus1 7y ago
      At the range of direct contact to the head, the explosive force of a powder load is deadly whether or not there's a bullet along for the ride.
      - emiliobumachar 7y ago
        Good point. How about weakened blanks?
- dredmorbius 7y ago
  Total Recall / P.K. Dick "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale".
chillacy 7y ago
Placebo pills?
DanBC 7y ago
No, this will increase death by suicide. We know that reading about suicide or watching fictional depictions increases risk.
throwawaylolx 7y ago
That's like learning how to trade using paper money. It removes any threat of consequences and is ultimately not a very useful approximation of reality.
- acid__ 7y ago
  I see where you're coming from, and I think there's an interesting question here -- is the immediate regret a conscious, rational determination? Or is it a primal self-preservation instinct? While video games and paper money can remove threat of consequences, VR is still extremely good at triggering ancient, subconscious brain pathways e.g. fear of heights. If regret from suicide is similar to fearing heights, then perhaps it would actually be useful?

JohnJamesRambo 7y ago

VR marriage apps with faceapp induced aging.

tfha 7y ago

The virtual piece of it would ruin the last second regret. The regret comes from the realization that you've crossed through a door with no return. Can't ever get that in VR unless somehow the subject does not realize it's fake.

coderintherye 7y ago
Would it be ethical to subject someone to a virtual suicide they thought was real...in order to convince them to not attempt in the future? The technology seems to be getting to a place we could create such an experience, terrifying though it may be.
- hiram112 7y ago
  You'd think that once VR got to such an advanced state, we'd have already long before synthesized effective medications / electrical-magnetic therapies (e.g. shock therapy or TMS) to effectively treat depression enough that the VR suicide simulation would be pointless. OTOH, the most effective treatments we have for depression are almost a century old, have tons of awful side effects, and were discovered by accident (i.e. MAOIs and electroconvulsive therapy), so I'm not too optimistic in the pharmaceutical and psychiatric industries.
  - trevyn 7y ago
    Suicidality does not imply depression: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116433/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5116433/
- emiliobumachar 7y ago
  VR seems unnecessary. Just have a gun around with blank rounds.
  - homonculus1 7y ago
    At the range of direct contact to the head, the explosive force of a powder load is deadly whether or not there's a bullet along for the ride.
    - emiliobumachar 7y ago
      Good point. How about weakened blanks?
dredmorbius 7y ago
Total Recall / P.K. Dick "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale".

chillacy 7y ago

Placebo pills?

DanBC 7y ago

No, this will increase death by suicide. We know that reading about suicide or watching fictional depictions increases risk.

throwawaylolx 7y ago

That's like learning how to trade using paper money. It removes any threat of consequences and is ultimately not a very useful approximation of reality.

acid__ 7y ago
I see where you're coming from, and I think there's an interesting question here -- is the immediate regret a conscious, rational determination? Or is it a primal self-preservation instinct? While video games and paper money can remove threat of consequences, VR is still extremely good at triggering ancient, subconscious brain pathways e.g. fear of heights. If regret from suicide is similar to fearing heights, then perhaps it would actually be useful?