The artificial imagery from computer games can sometimes turn into a complete or partial departure from reality. But what if these images were used in such a way that makes them go beyond their self-contained fictional universes? This is the purpose of Harun Farocki’s video Immersion (2009). In this work, part of his project Serious Games, the author focuses on the use of video games as a behavioural therapy for the treatment of Iraq War veterans suffering from Post- Traumatic Distress. The therapist uses a control unit to modulate the image the soldiers see, so that it reproduces the scenario of the traumatic experience and reactivates the mental associations that had such a devastating effect on the patients. Thus, they are required to face the situation that triggered their disorder rather than remaining in denial.
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