Vibeke Andersen lived with the persistent, debilitating voices of schizophrenia for 27 years. The 53-year-old spent decades cycling through psychiatric hospitals, often struggling under the weight of hallucinations that told her she was worthless or unloved. Traditional treatments failed to silence the torment. Her condition defined her life, reducing her to a diagnosis and a patient record within a rigid healthcare system.
A New Approach to Hallucinations
In 2020, researchers at the Copenhagen University Hospital’s VIRTU research group offered Andersen an experimental therapy. Instead of medication or standard talk therapy, clinicians used virtual reality. They built a custom avatar based on the specific auditory hallucinations Andersen described, adjusting the visual and sonic elements until the digital entity mirrored her inner experience.
The therapy required Andersen to wear a virtual reality headset and engage in direct, face-to-face dialogue with the avatar. Her therapist acted as the voice of the hallucination, using software to modulate the sound to match what the patient heard daily. The goal was for the patient to reclaim power by confronting the symptom directly. It was not easy. The sessions were difficult, and at one point during her fifth session, her treatment team considered stopping the trial because the emotional toll was so high.
But Andersen refused to quit. She persisted through the discomfort, eventually reaching a turning point where she stood in a simulated forest and demanded the voices leave her life. This process of externalization allowed her to turn an invisible, private burden into a tangible adversary she could interact with and reject.
Insights from the Clinical Trial
Andersen participated in the CHALLENGE project, which involved 270 individuals suffering from schizophrenia-spectrum disorders and persistent auditory hallucinations. The trial compared the results of this virtual reality therapy against standard clinical care. Published in The Lancet Psychiatry in 2025, the findings showed a statistically significant reduction in both the severity and frequency of hallucinations after 12 weeks of treatment. Follow-up assessments at 24 weeks confirmed these positive outcomes held steady.
Louise Birkedal Glenthøj, head of the VIRTU research group, noted that the team was surprised by the success of such an experimental study. They originally wondered if patients would find the experience feasible or overwhelming. While some patients may require more preparation due to the intensity of the confrontation, the researchers maintain the treatment is safe for those it is designed to help. Currently, the VIRTU group is expanding its scope to apply these virtual reality techniques to other conditions like eating disorders, social anxiety, autism, and depression.
Future Directions and AI Integration
Five years after her treatment ended, Andersen remains free of the voices. She has moved past the life of a patient to pursue studies in social work, reclaiming her personal narrative. The success of her intervention highlights a shift in psychiatric care, as clinicians look to bridge the gap between clinical settings and the daily lives of patients through immersive technology.
Looking ahead, researchers are eyeing the role of artificial intelligence to scale these findings. Currently, high-quality, therapist-led sessions cannot reach every patient who needs them. Glenthøj suggests that AI-supported virtual therapists could eventually allow patients to practice coping strategies from their own homes, reinforcing the lessons learned during clinic visits. Furthermore, generative AI tools are being tested to help construct virtual environments based on the personal histories of patients, making the therapy more precise.
Still, the integration of AI into mental health treatment requires strict ethical oversight. The group remains committed to developing these digital tools within a framework that ensures patient safety and clinical integrity. For people like Andersen, the change is measurable. She is no longer a number in a system but an individual navigating a life she once thought impossible.