STEPHANIE HOO steps into 'Mindstorm,' a machine that helps health professionals understand mental illness, in this asap video report.
TITUSVILLE, N.J.
Ever wanted to step into the mind of a schizophrenic? No, that's not a trick question. A new 3-D program lets viewers experience symptoms, and it's used by social workers and law enforcement officials to better understand the mental disorder in case they need to deal with disoriented patients.
asap visited the Titusville, N.J., offices of the pharmaceutical firm Janssen to step into "Mindstorm" and learn more about a disease that affects 2.2 million Americans, according to health professionals.
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WHAT IT IS
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that causes patients to hallucinate and hear voices -- delusions that doctors refer to as "a fixed false belief." New medicines can control the disease's effects, though researchers still have much to learn. In the meantime, they hope to spread understanding. Janssen, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, plans to develop a portable version of Mindstorm.
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WHAT HAPPENED
After stepping into the Mindstorm theater, we sat down, put on 3-D glasses, and nervously clutched the armrests as voices came out of speakers built into the seats' headrests. "Worthless is waking up now," the voices said. "Stupid, so stupid."
There was wind, too, and smells, creating a total experience. It was a little disorienting -- but nothing compared to what true schizophrenics go through. For them, the voices seem real.
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See the video here.
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Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.
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