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Patients with schizophrenia can come face to face in virtual reality with an avatar representing the voice they hear, which is often threatening or abusive. According to a study by researchers at Semmelweis University, published in Acta Psychologica, the treatment was associated with significant reductions in the frequency of the voices and the distress they caused, with more than 40% of participants showing meaningful improvement overall. While the results are promising, the researchers stress that VR-Avatar therapy cannot replace medication and should only be used as an add-on treatment.

Researchers at Semmelweis University conducted the study between January 2024 and June 2025 with 30 patients who had experienced persistent auditory hallucinations for at least three months despite medication. At the beginning of treatment, the patient and therapist jointly created a virtual representation of the voice the patient heard most often or found most distressing. They customized the avatar's appearance, voice and tone, as well as the phrases it would use.

During the VR sessions, the therapist voiced the avatar, while the system altered the therapist's voice to closely match the patient's hallucinatory voice. If the experience became too distressing, the therapist could switch back to their own voice to reassure and support the patient.

"The encounter can feel very real, so we prepare patients in advance for every situation: nothing happens unexpectedly, and the process can be stopped at any time.

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