Virtual Iraq: a VR solution helps combat post-traumatic stress disorder.(VR/Medical)

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The Humvee bumps along the dirt road, its rough ride vibrating through my body. The scent of body odor competes with the smell of exotic spices and garbage; I scan for insurgents and suspicious activity, and hear the sound of a helicopter droning overhead and the Muslim call to prayer. Suddenly, the Humvee in front explodes, the result of an IED, and amid the smoke and walkie-talkie static, insurgents leap into the road, firing directly at me.

That's a scenario that happens every day in Iraq, but I'm not in the Middle East; I'm at an office in Marina del Rey, California, wearing a wrap-around head-mounted display and holding a ...