cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

After-effects of using Oculus Rift

draemn03
Explorer
Maybe someone's mentioned this before. I've been using the Oculus Rift for about a week now, and I notice that when I'm not using it, or even the next day after using it, that my vision occasionally dilates (not sure if that's the right word) or kind of squeezes, as if I was looking through the head set.

Does anybody else witness this kind of effect? In particular, I'd like to hear from someone who's been using it a bit longer, if maybe the effect continues or improves.
73 REPLIES 73

candiedbug
Honored Guest
The symptoms you guys are having make me think there is some de-synchronization going on between the vestibular system and the visual system. I imagine this would probably go away the more your brain gets used to the rift, although different people might take different lengths of time for the effect to go away (hrs vs days vs weeks). I'm going to ask a friend of mine who is a neurosurgeon what her thoughts about this are.

TheGiantRobot
Honored Guest
"MannyLectro" wrote:
feeling of still being inside the rift? sounds like some people might go insane because they cant tell
the difference from vr and real life


No I don't think you understand what I meant... Of course I can tell the difference between being in the Rift and in reality...

Yup, same here. It feels the same as using the rift when moving the head for example


This is what I meant...

Also, since I played with the Rift two days ago I feel dizzy, I have nauseas, trouble focusing my eyes, I feel exhausted and I have eye strain. I didn't touch the Rift since then, but the effects are not leaving. I am a little scared...


I want to preface this by saying I am not a doctor, or a medical professional of any type, so this is "just some guy on a forum" here, but if it makes you feel any better I am a decently educated guy on a forum 😛

It sounds like, at least to some degree, it may be psychosomatic. Again, not a professional, and kind of impossible to make a judgement call on a forum, but you seem to be so concerned the anxiety could be making things worse.

There is absolutely no reason to believe you have suffered any sort of permanent damage, the only history of staring at a screen causing any sort of damage that I am aware of is epileptic seizures caused by flashing lights or alternating colors. And as stated above me, any sort of disconnect or dizziness should disappear over time with use as long as you don't over do it.

If you are that concerned about it you should go to a doctor and put them to rest rather than worrying about it and letting your anxiety over the unknown get to you and potentially making any problems you have worse, or even possibly causing them to begin with.

MannyLectro
Explorer
Again, not a professional, and kind of impossible to make a judgement call on a forum, but you seem to be so concerned the anxiety could be making things worse.


I started getting worried after these two days. I was thinking that the symptoms would leave, but they didn't, at least not before a long time (I am starting to feel better).

It can't be coming from my anxiety since I started having anxiety a long time after feeling bad.
Rift 3d models available here : viewtopic.php?t=1514

candiedbug
Honored Guest
So, I asked my surgeon friend about this and she told me something interesting. When she was training to use a robotic surgery system, whenever she finished her sessions, which consisted of looking through a "VR" type setup (I'm assuming its the DaVinci system) she would feel spaced out and weird for hours afterwards. One of the things she told me is that she had problems using her phone because she couldn't focus on the screen. This side effect went away 2-3 weeks after starting the training. But here's something interesting: She says if she doesn't use the robotic system for a long time, she gets the side effects too when she goes back to using it. So she plans for training sessions a few weeks before she has an upcoming robotic surgery.

yuanxiaoyu
Honored Guest
really eye strain is expected of anyone,
simply because you are trying to focus on something that "feels" like it is far away but actually very close to you,
it does take a while for the eye to adjust to it,
but depending on the person, it may or may not take a long time,
however tho, there hasn't been a study on the long term effect of being in something like this,
if it turns out that the long term effect of wearing VR goggle is substantial, it might just be the death of screen HMD

scottmana
Honored Guest
Losing focus after using the Rift is not a problem. The eyes need to refocus all the time. In fact, most likely, this problem is because some people don't change the distance of what they are looking at often enough. Still, you should limit the time you spend in the Rift based on how much of a problem you have with this.

If after using the Rift, your eyes seem out of whack, just look at things at different distances until you can focus, do it until it becomes easy.

As for the motion sickness, if I remember correctly, it should be solved by simply looking at things that are not moving in relation to the person. Accelerated by reaching out and holding the object from moving in any from the person feels will work. Move to a new object when your sure the last is not going to move. As silly as it sounds, the entire point of higher reasoning and logic is to relate many things, so when they are moving around randomly this destroys this and the person can convulsively try to hold them still. The sickness is induced when the person tried to keep something from moving and it repeatedly moves anyway. The person will always be found to have the mental strain to stop the movement. A heavy strain ensues due to a conflict of different regions in the brain making a headache as well as symptoms of a non existent illness the result. (I can only guess that our ancestors once had a problem with this in the form of a virus, poison or other illness and a full on attack with the immune system was the cure? Example, if you got drunk enough and the room spins, often the person will vomit.) Whatever the cause, it is just as easy to calm as it was to get started.

VRoom
Honored Guest
I felt a bit of light-head after around 5 minutes in Rift for the first time. The slight dizzines remained for about an hour after taking it off.
I went back in again in the evening and this time it was MUCH better. I was trying demos on and off for 2 hours and didn't feel anything after. Today however I feel small constant feeling of light head. Nothing worrisome, but it's there and I decided I won't "jacked-in" till evening.
Anyway, LOVING my Rift! I'm so happy I decided to get it early on 🙂

Recklessnative
Honored Guest
"MannyLectro" wrote:
I have to say I am a bit scared by the after effects of using the Rift.
After 3 days here is my list :

-Small but constant feeling of light head and vertigo even hours after using the Rift

-Feeling of still being on the Rift, mostly for the tracking, few hours after using the Rift

-Eye Strain for hours after using the Rift only a couple of hours (but not worse if used more)

-Having hard time to focus on small text and information for hours after using the Rift

I hope my brain will adjust in the RIGHT way... otherwise I'm a bit scared by what could happen.


All of the above.
What I do notice is a mild feeling of being "disconnected" during some parts of the day. As if I'm not really there. Luckily it just lasts for a split second and then it's gone.

I did some research and there have been some studies on the psychological effects of VR which had some interesting findings:
"Source
Fernand-Seguin Research Center, 7331 Hochelaga, Montréal, Québec, Canada. faardema@crfs.rtss.qc.ca
Abstract
This study utilizes an innovative experimental paradigm to investigate the effects of virtual reality (VR) on dissociative experience and the sense of presence. A nonclinical sample of 30 people were administered measures of dissociation, sense of presence, and immersion before and after an immersion in a virtual environment. Results indicate an increase in dissociative experience (depersonalization and derealization), including a lessened sense of presence in objective reality as the result of exposure to VR. Higher preexisting levels of dissociation and a tendency to become more easily absorbed or immersed were associated with higher increases in dissociative symptoms resulting from VR immersion. Results are discussed in terms of imaginative processes underlying the dissociative experience and potential implications to the treatment of anxiety disorders with VR."

DokoMaster
Honored Guest
I tried my friends rift for only 20 mins or so, and I am getting my own tomorrow.
But I had some nausea for a whole day, felt better next morning but eyes were still tired.

Need to play around more when I get my rift.

candiedbug
Honored Guest
Could this side-effects be worse on a person that suffers from anxiety?