WO2007016241A2

WO2007016241A2 - Interactive systems and methods for mental stimulation

Info

Publication number: WO2007016241A2
Application number: PCT/US2006/029188
Authority: WO
Inventors: Abbas Rashidi
Original assignee: Abbas Rashidi
Priority date: 2005-07-28
Filing date: 2006-07-27
Publication date: 2007-02-08
Also published as: WO2007016241A3

Abstract

The present invention provides methods for stimulating and focusing the mind comprising an interactive system that allow for viewing and simultaneous manipulating the event according to the personal choice. The interactive system includes a computer program data representing the event into a computer memory storage device, a displaying devise to display the event to the subject, and an input device that is controlled by the subject and communicate signals to the computer to accomplish a modified view of the event.

Description

INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MENTAL STIMULATION

I. CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S. C. § 119 (e) to U.S. Utility Application Serial No. 11/191,677, filed July 28, 2005, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure in it's entirety.

II. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to systems and methods that focus and stimulate the mind. In particular, the present invention relates to computerized devices and methods that allow displaying and modification of a personalized event to create positive energy and stimulate the mind.

III. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The general population is more knowledgeable today about the role of thoughts and emotions in negatively or positively impacting illness, health, and private and professional life and the trend is growing. New fields of science, mostly on the theories of metaphysics are developing on a fast rate. For example, the new field of psychoneuroimmunology emphasizes the importance of patients' attitudes to optimal immune- system functioning. Acupuncture, therapeutic massage and chi gong are based on the manipulation of vital energy to ameliorate chronic neurological and muscular diseases. Medical practitioners have managed to reverse serious diseases, such as for example, heart disease with treatments combining meditation, stress-reduction exercises, group therapy, walking and vegetarian diet (see, for example, the work of Dr. Dean Ornish at the University of California; Dr. David Felten, on the discovery of nerve fibers that link the nervous system to the immune system; and Thomas Delbanco of Harvard Medical School who seeks ways to transform the doctor-patient relationship so that patients are more actively involved with their treatments, are a few examples among many.)

Traditionally, metaphysics refers to the branch of philosophy that attempts to understand the fundamental nature of all reality, whether visible or invisible. It seeks a basic, essential and all-inclusive definition that applies to everything. Traditional metaphysicians are interested to discover what underlies different processes. Materialists, who believe that there is nothing but matter in motion, and current naturalists, who believe things are made of lifeless, non-experiencing energy, are just as much to be classified as metaphysicians as are idealists, who maintain that there is nothing but ideas, or mind, or spirit. Cutting across the division of the academic and the popular, there is another way of dividing metaphysics: theoretical and applied. This distinction is like the division between science and technology; one describes; the other applies the description to practical problems, putting knowledge to work. For more information on the current metaphysics trend, see for example, project metaphysics that is a non-traditional, scientifically-oriented form of metaphysics and a mathematically-linguistically-formalistically-oriented form at the Metaphysics Research Lab at the Center for the Study of Language and Information on the Stanford University campus. Also, SUNY Buffalo's Ontology site and Descriptive and Formal Ontology contain much of value.

One aspect of applied metaphysics is concerned with the use of virtual reality systems to positively influence a person's attitude towards a disease by boosting the patient's psychoneuroimmunological response. For example, U.S. Patent No. 5,546,943 discloses a method for stimulating a beneficial human response by using visualization of medical scan data to achieve psychoneuroimmunological virtual reality. Visualization is achieved by the use of a computer system that allows the patient to visualize the disease as manifested by the computerized data. The computer system is composed of a software program that stores the data from the medical scanning instrument that can be visualized by the patient.

U.S. Patent No. 5,920,374 discloses virtual reality goggles connected to a computer that is capable of viewing varying perspective of real time three dimensional objects viewed directly by the human eyes. Virtual reality systems are computer based systems that provide the experience of acting in a simulated environment that forms a three dimensional virtual world. These systems are used in several different applications such as commercial flight simulators and entertainment systems including computer games and video arcade games. In virtual reality systems a participant typically wears a head-mounted device that enables viewing of a virtual reality world generated by the computer. The system also includes a data entry and manipulation device including, for example, a pointing device or a specially configured data glove.

Data entry and manipulation devices for computers include keyboards, digitizers, computer mice, joysticks, and light pens. One function of these devices is to position a cursor on a display screen of a monitor connected to the computer and cause the computer to perform a set of operations. Once the cursor is at the desired location, buttons on either the mouse or keyboard are depressed to perform the instruction set. Alternative means for data entry and manipulation into computers have been provided in the prior art. One increasingly prevalent data entry device comprises a data entry and data manipulation glove, commonly known as "data gloves" and "virtual reality gloves". Data gloves are currently used in several virtual reality-related applications ranging from virtual reality entertainment to education systems. In a virtual reality system, the data glove is provided to enable the operator to touch and feel objects on a virtual screen and to manipulate the objects.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,981 discloses an apparatus and method for generating control signals for manipulating virtual objects in a computer system according to gestures and positions of an operator's hand or other body part. The apparatus includes a glove worn on the hand which includes sensors for detecting the gestures of the hand. The computer system includes circuitry connected to receive gesture signals and hand position signals for generating control signals. The control signals are used to manipulate a graphical representation of the operator's hand which is displayed on a monitor coupled to the computer system.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,252 discloses a motion sensor which produces an asymmetrical signal in response to symmetrical movement, hi a first embodiment, a plurality of motion sensors are placed over the joints of a hand, with each sensor comprising an optical fiber disposed between a light source and a light sensor. An upper portion of the fiber is treated so that transmission loss of light being communicated through the optical fiber is increased only when the fiber bends in one direction.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,537 discloses a glove interface for digital data entry for entering specified characters one-by-one in the manner of a computer keyboard. A similar technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,905,001. This technique is coupled with a light pen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,540,176.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,988,981 discloses interpreting hand motion signals by mounting a transmitter on the glove and aiming it at receivers located at various positions near the periphery of the video display.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,140 is directed to an integrated virtual reality rehabilitation system that employs a force feedback system, such as a force feedback glove to simulate virtual deformable objects. A patient places his or her hand in a sensing glove that measures the force exerted by the patient. Information from the sensing glove is received by an interface and transmitted to a computer where the information can be used to diagnose the patient's manual capability.

Not addressed heretofore is the recognition of the need to use an interactive system by combining available technology to create a personalized system and method to boost positive thinking in normal day to day life, which methods and systems are tailored to address and boost personalized somatic and psychological responses of individual users. Accordingly, there is continued interest in the development of new interactive systems to stimulate and focus the mind of the users in order to empower them to take positive action towards affecting a desirable end result. The invention described herein addresses this and other needs by providing a new interactive system and method to influence, energize and focus the mind of the user towards an intended and beneficial result.

IV. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention as described herein provides a method of focusing the mind of a subject to an event comprising: providing an interactive system to allow for simultaneous viewing and manipulating the event including: a) inputing a computer program data representing the event into a computer memory storage device; b) displaying the data on a display device visible to the subject; c) providing an input device that is controlled by the subject; d) accepting signals from the input device controlled by the subject to produce a modified view of the event; e) displaying the modified view of the event to the subject, wherein focusing of the mind of the subject to the modified view of the event boosts positive energy and produces psychoneuroimmunological response.

In one embodiment, the computer program data is not generated by a medical instrument and the event comprises a somatic event, a psychological event, or both.

hi one embodiment, the somatic event comprises a medical or a non-medical event.

hi another embodiment, the event comprises activities related to health, beauty, romance, sport, business, education, vocational activities, emotional and psychological issues, fear, interpersonal relationships, drug dependency, grief, professional work (e.g., accounting, law, finance, construction, medical, computer, etc), among others.

hi yet another embodiment, the event comprises a specific somatic disease, a defect in an external or internal organ or tissue of the subject, or both.

In one embodiment, the data is visualized through computer generated graphics, images imported from photographs, films, videos, or a combination thereof. The data is visualized in silence, or accompanied by a narrative, music or both.

In another embodiment, the display device comprises goggles, a head-mounted- display system, surround projection screens, virtual environment screens, screens on cell phones, personal computers, hand- held devices, or cameras, or a combination thereof. In yet another embodiment, the input device comprises a hand-held grip, joystick, mouse, button, data glove, or a combination thereof.

In another aspect, the invention provides for an interactive system for mental stimulation and focusing comprising a computer program data representing an event into a computer memory storage device, a display devise for display the data to the subject, an input device that is controlled by the subject and communicates signals to the computer to produce a modified view of the event selected by the subject, wherein displaying the modified view of the event to the subject focuses the mind of the subject which in turn boosts positive energy and initiates psychoneuroimmunological response in the subject.

In yet another aspect, the invention provides for an interactive computer network for providing to a consumer sensory and mental stimulation comprising, a) a central integration site that receives a consumer's request for an interactive session, b) a storage medium coupled to the central integration site comprising one or more databases that store a data representing a plurality of events in a form of a film, wherein the consumer is able to manipulate the film to produce a modified view of the event and accomplish a desired result for self-improvement.

Other preferred embodiments and aspects of the invention will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in light of what is known in the art, in light of the following description of the invention, and in light of the claims.

V. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices and methods that stimulate the mind of a user for self improvement. In particular, the present invention relates to a computerized device for viewing and manipulating an event to accomplish a desired result. It is well documented that human's health, well being and success are improved upon by maintaining the proper frame of mind and by having the ability to properly focus or concentrate. For example, the results of a student's test, a sport player's ability to score on a shot, a business executive ability to conduct a successful meeting, successful performance of an artist, and a person's general mental and physical well being can be drastically different between one who is in mental control and focused and another who is not.

An object of the present invention is an interactive system or method which is used to interact with the user and to assist the user in the mental imagery and introspective measures for mental stimulation. The interactive system provides selectable visual imagery representing an event in a virtual environment with input devices to guide the user to manipulate the event to accomplish a desired result for self improvement. The viewing is prior to or simultaneous to the manipulation of the event.

The interactive system and method of the present invention provides sensory and mental stimulation. The sensory and mental stimulation are provided in the form of a visual data such as a film or an animated cartoon. Visual data is silent or is combined with selectable narrative, musical presentations, or both. The subject matter of self improvement can be, for example, in improving the conditions of a disease, in controlling the physiological aspects of the body, such as improvement in the performance of an athlete; and in the emotional or psychological well being of a person.

The methods of the invention provide the users with increased self-efficacy because these methods enable users to achieve cognitive, emotional, and behavioral successes during immersion is a virtual environment. Increased confidence from these therapeutic methods is hypothesized to increase a psychoneuroimmunological (PNI) response. Maier et al. (1994) (incorporated herein by reference in its entirety) state "The immune system and brain form a bidirectional interacting set of processes each regulating the other. Psychological processes can influence this network and in turn be modulated by it. Classical conditioning can modify immune processes, stress can alter immunity, and immune products can feed back and modulate behavior. Therapeutic methods involving virtual environment has been surprisingly effective in the assessment, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric conditions which include acrophobia and co-existing anxiety disorders, other phobias, depression, and substance related addictions, among others. The methods of the invention use performance strategies in virtual environments to influence cognitive processing, emotional arousal, and skill development. Performance accomplishments, based on personal experience where mastery of a situation or task is attained, are considered the most influential in creating a sense of competence. Accomplishments create expectations of future success. The power of the procedure will strongly determine the strength of personal belief to achieve desired goals.

The method of the invention also provides a treatment to which the patient can benefit from as the need arises. The intrinsic fun of a novel, interactive virtual environment ensures higher treatment compliance for all patients, and in particular, adolescents. The ability to modify and transform ones environment according to ones personal values and choices, additionally induce patients to independently perform measurements of physical parameters associated with their psychological, psychiatric, or medical condition.

In one embodiment, the interactive system includes a computer program data introducing an event into a computer memory storage device; displaying the event on a display device visible to the subject, providing an input device that is controlled by the subject; accepting signals from the input device to produce a modified view of the event, displaying the modified view of the event to the subject to focus the mind of the subject to the modified view of the event, which in turn triggers positive energy and benefits the subject.

hi another embodiment, the method of the invention takes place during immersion in a fully interactive- three dimensional virtual reality environments. An event is visualized through computer generated graphics, images imported from photographs, films and/or videos, or a combination thereof. Visualization is achieved with a wide variety of devices including, by way of example and not limitation, goggles, a head-mounted-display system, surround projection screens, or other monitors or devices that permit the user to have a virtual experience.

Alternatively, the visualization is achieved by an electronic device such as for example, cell phones, personal computers, hand- held devices, cameras, etc. The visualization may be achieved in silence or may be accompanied by a narrative, music or both.

The input device of the interactive system of the invention includes devices that allow a user to manipulate an event in order to achieve mental stimulation and feedback and to permit the user to interact with objects and navigate within the virtual environment. Encompassed within the scope of the input devices of the invention are body sensors, handheld grips, data gloves, or a combination thereof.

The interactive systems and methods of the invention may be customized to be used by individuals who are interested in improving upon variety of conditions and events such as for example, athletic events, business events, education, diseases, physiological disorders, romantic events, physical attributes, among others. In each case, the visual data demonstrates a specific event to the user, while the user has the ability to manipulate and modify the event in order to bring about the intended desired result. For example, one can manipulate the data to show that one is repairing an internal organ, wining a race, has a successful business, romantic relationships, beautiful face, a perfect figure, or a combination thereof, among others.

hi one embodiment, the visualized data is personalized (e.g., the actor or actress is the same as the individual who is using the system). Additionally, the user has the choice of the type of animation or imagery sequence to be presented. Accordingly, the interactive system of the invention is capable of being customized according to the individual specifications and instructions in terms of the substance and formal issues. The visual data is stored in any medium usable by a computer such as, for example, CD ROM, floppy diskettes, video cassettes, etc. In one embodiment, the computer is equipped with peripheral technology supporting the production of virtual reality environments for viewing and interaction by the user. Such technologies can include a wireless cellular phone fitted with a visual display, a remote site accessed by means of a television monitor, Internet access, wrist, arm, waist, shoulder, neck, and head-fitted devices which are band programmed for random or systematic stimulation at home, in a car, in public transportation, or in public areas which provide access services, and a system for projection of images onto walls, ceilings, or floors that appear to be three-dimensional and real. The user should have the ability to interact with the images.

Inside the computer are fast graphic chips that produce three-dimensional graphics and can process video data. In complex systems, the task of producing fast graphics may be provided by a number of chip technologies. A head-mounted display unit or screen is connected to the computer. The resolution and size of the display screen are sufficient to project visual images generated by the computer graphics. In one embodiment, the display unit is a high-resolution visual display. A speaker can be mounted to the head-mounted display to transmit computer generated sounds through ear-phones.

The interactive system of the invention additionally contains an input device. Input devices are in communication with the computer. The input device can be a hand-held grip, joystick, mouse, button, data glove, or a combination thereof. The input device may also be voice activated through a microphone. A suitable choice of input device is made based upon the use of fully interactive, immersive, virtual reality computer technology that permits the user to interact with the computer-generated graphics. Input devices such as, for example, data gloves are known in the art and one of ordinary skill in the art would know how to obtain and use these gloves.

The data gloves can be used in virtual reality environments with varying degrees of complexity. They are useful for selection of virtual object in a virtual environment. By correlating the position of the hand and the shape of the hand as sensed by the sensors on the glove to the position, shape and assigned function of a virtual object within the virtual environment, the host computer can interpret hand positions as instructions to manipulate the objects. More simply, by sensing the shape of the hand, the host computer can interpret the input as commands to the host system. For example, in one data glove design the contact between the thumb and other fingers to letters of the alphabet is correlated together and gestures are interpreted as commands to enter letters into a computer word processing. In another data glove design, contact between the thumb and the fingers were to be interpreted by the host computer as instructions in a video game program.

A data glove worn on the hand of a computer operator provides a computer mouse function for a computer having a video display highlighted by a cursor, in which the apparatus senses the direction of movement of an element of a computer operator's body and transmits corresponding commands to the computer to move the cursor in the video display in a corresponding direction, whereby two-dimensional movement of the cursor reflects movements of the body element. In one embodiment of the invention, cursor motion is controlled by lateral motion of the operator's wrist and vertical motion of the operator's index finger, whereby movement of said cursor follows the direction of movement of the wrist and index finger. Click button on various fingers of the glove are activated by the thumb to provide mouse click functions.

In one embodiment, the input device is a hand-mounted motion sensing device. The sensing device is in communication with a computer which directly converts movement of the finger or wrist, for example, to cursor movement on the computer's video display. The direction of the anatomical movement (of the finger or wrist, for example) determines the direction of the cursor movement. Thus, as the computer operator moves his finger, the video display cursor follows the motion of the finger in the two-dimensional plane of video display, hi one embodiment of the input device of the invention, left-right movement of the wrist controls the horizontal component of the cursor movement in the video display while up- down movement of the index finger controls the vertical component of the cursor movement. Additional sensors permit other fingers to control "click" buttons on the hand-worn device for implementing the select and drag functions, for example.

In another embodiment, the data glove is a mouse glove which mimics the operation of a tracking ball. A new concept of a virtual tracking ball is introduced to design such a device. The actions operated with the mouse glove can be performed ergonomically and be mapped to the operation of a real mouse naturally. For example, the linear motion is controlled by the user, and other movements are operated by the thumb and a corresponding finger. Therefore, the user does not have to worry about the finger's position to be in positive or in negative sense. The other dimension for control is the orientation of the movement, which is controlled by sensing the rolling of the hand. With such a design, it is expected that the glove mouse is able to be operated ergonomically with great efficiency.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a mouse glove with a virtual tracking ball for cursor control of a computer. The mouse glove is equipped with, for example, two pair of bending sensors mounted on the thumb and one of the other fingers such as an index finger, and a tilt sensor mounted on the metacarpus of the user's hand. When the hand rolls, the tilt sensor on the metacarpus detects the rolling angle which determines an orientation of the direction line of the cursor movement on a computer screen. A virtual tracking ball is imagined to be held between the thumb and the index finger and the center of orientation was placed at the middle between the thumb and the index finger. The thumb is used to push the cursor from the thumb end to the center and the index finger to push from the index end to the center along the direction line, thus the bending of the thumb and the finger corresponds to the cursor movement in two opposite senses along a direction line.

The data gloves are capable of sensing contact between any combinations of sensors. By continuous and high speed switching of power and sensing between the various contacts, the system can determine any combination of contacts between the contacts on the glove. The gloves perform a multiplexing function across fingers and hands. Thus, gestures are not limited to single digits touching a particular digit. For example, valid gestures include: touching between the index finger and thumb; touches between any combination of fingers; touching the index fingers, thumbs, middle fingers, ring fingers, and pinkies of right and left hands together (this gesture includes five separate independent contacts and is reported to the host computer in a single record); touching the index and middle finger of one hand to the back of the index finger on the other hand; touching the thumb of the left hand to the thumb of the right hand. The other gesture which is maximal is to touch all fingers of both hands together at one time. This can be done by kind of scrunching up the fingers as if trying to get the hand through a small bracelet and then touching the two hands together while doing this. This gesture has all fingers touching each other and is reported to the host computer as a single record.

For more information on data gloves with various functions and designs see, for example, U.S. Patent No 6,452,564; U.S. Patent No. 4,988,981; U.S. Patent No. 4,414,537; U.S. Patent No. 4,905,001; U.S. Patent No. 4,540,176; U.S. Patent No. 4,988,981; U.S. Patent No. 5,429,140, the contents of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the interactive systems and the methods of the invention is implemented on the Internet. On the Internet, the central integration site (CIS) is addressed at a particular Universal Resource Locator (URL) address. Network participants may access the CIS and enter the network by addressing their Internet browsers to the URL of the CIS. The central integration site contains a storage medium and one or more databases stored in the storage medium. The database contains a variety of films related to various events stored in a storage medium, which films are visualized and manipulated interactively in a virtual reality environment, or normal screens in internet.

Virtual reality centers are already located in shopping malls, vacation resorts, and urban centers. This leads to consideration of convenience and self-help applications and responses in desirable environments, The user patient recognizes the importance of medications and treatment regimens in an entertaining manner. Moreover, the patient participates actively in the treatment by following instructions embedded in the virtual environment and by manipulating the environment to bring about a desired setting, which in turn generates positive physiological responses due to stimuli presented in the specific application.

A wide variety of events are presented by the interactive system of the invention. In one embodiment, each event contains several parts and sequences that may occur concomitantly or separately in an orderly or an inorderly fashion, or in a predetermined sequence. These parts include, for example, introduction, education, modification, relaxation, conclusion, or a combination thereof. The introduction includes, for example, for the case of improving the condition of a disease, an explanation to the user the nature of the disease. The education includes a brief education for the patient of the pathology of the particular disease and the disease healing process. The modification requires the user to manipulate the data by the use of a data entry device to accomplish the desired result such as, for example, removing the offensive tissues or cells from the site of the injury. The relaxation part is intended to place the user into a relaxed, receptive state of mind, by utilizing narratives or soothing music. Remarks can be made to emphasize the importance of a positive attitude in maintaining control of the disease.

The events include activities related to physical, psychological, somatic, emotional, professional, and/or personal well being and improvements of the subject users. Included within the scope of events covered by the claims, and by way of example not limitation, are health, beauty, romance, sport, business, education, vocational activities, emotional and psychological issues, fear, interpersonal relationships, drug dependency, grief, professional activities (e.g., finance, accounting, law, construction, medical profession, etc), among others. Psychological disorders including acrophobia, anxiety disorders, mood disorders, substance- related disorders, and other disorders as described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV, 1994) are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In one embodiment, the methods and systems of the invention assist in providing therapy by using the visualized data for assessment, prevention, and treatment of mental and/or physical conditions. Mental conditions include psychiatric conditions as described above. Visual, auditory, and tactile sensory stimulation and feedback during user immersion in virtual environments in combination with the individual users' ability to modify the virtual environment according to their own specific need or desire assist the individual user in achieving corrective, energizing and positive experiences. The instillation of explicit outcome of a particular way an event is modified by a user and visualizing the result of each action that a user can take to deal with a set of circumstances provided by the visualized data permit users to directly influence psychological, emotional, and physiological processes for the development of their mental and physical health.

In another embodiment, the condition of a disease progress can be improved upon through psychological and neurophysiological measures by employing mental focusing and visualization. Studies have been made which correlate the status of cancer patients with improvement from practicing mental introspective processes and measures. See, for example, "Imagery and Disease", by J. Achterburg and G. F. Lawlis of Institute for Personality and Ability Testing, Inc. in Champaign, 111, incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The interactive system and methods of the invention are psychotherapeutic because they permit assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functioning of the user during immersion in the virtual environment. The methods of the invention are also educational because principles of learning are built into the method so that the user achieves maximum benefit from the experience. Sensory stimulation is known to influence habituation and sensitization (forms of learning associated with neurons) along the visual pathway. Visual sensory input during immersion in the film shows promise for assessing and treating medical conditions related to vision, migraine headaches, pain, strokes and other neurological states influenced by conception and memory. These therapies provide opportunities for self-help when the user of the interactive system of the invention is provided with information on how to benefit from the experience and the user is provided with directions on effective modifications of the visualized data to their specification to bring about the intended result, which in turn stimulate positive energy and stimulate the mind. The methods of the invention provide therapeutic principles and techniques unique to interventions aimed at reduction of distress, found, e.g., in anxiety, panic, phobias, depression, alcohol and drug abuse/dependence, include obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, depression, panic disorder, migraine headaches co-existing with other psychiatric disorders, neurological impairments resulting from stroke and brain trauma, among many other mental diseases, among others.

The method of the invention is also useful in the following areas: cognitive- behavioral, and self-psychology conceptualizations for assessment, prevention, and treatment of psychiatric conditions (memory of childhood abuse, failure patterns, and phobic responses). Biofeedback, hypnosis, neurology (stroke, concussions), ophthalmology, conceived induction states for the purpose of treatment for pain control (e.g., headaches), and their management and relief. Assessment, prevention and treatment (including induction states) are achieved with visual, auditory, and tactile sensory stimulation.

A user, who may be a symptomatic or a non-symptomatic patient, can use the interactive systems of the invention in conjugation with medical or psychological treatments proscribed by medical practitioners. For example, a patient may develop a practitioner-patient relationship, identify presenting problems, obtain history of presenting problems, identify target problems, construct associations between choices, emotions, and behaviors, immerse in virtual environment specific to patient presenting complaints, produce opportunities to confront problems by modifying the visualized data. The modification strategies heavily relies on the theories of sensory exposure and interaction, cognitive re-framing habituation, reinforcement, instillation of self-efficacy, rehearsal, role playing, and mastery experience. The interactive systems of the invention are specifically useful for prevention of adolescent substance-related disorders. Individuals experiencing negative emotional states are expected to seek relief from this condition and may do so through substance abuse. Based upon current cognitive conceptualizations and neurobiological research, the treatment of addiction and underlying conditions is achieved with a model that emphasizes learning, as do the cognitive and virtual therapies. The therapeutic methods of the invention provide the most effective form of prevention for adolescent substance-related disorders because choices made by the individual himself during visualization and manipulation of the event have direct consequences. Successful task performance will be rewarded with sensory stimulation that provides pleasant and desirable experiences (consequences). The patient will learn that choices can result in effective behavior and that this behavior will be rewarded.

hi another embodiment, the interactive systems and methods of the invention are used for ameliorating, preventing or treating the symptoms of a somatic disease or disorder. The clinician determines the therapeutic steps for treating a disease. The user patient is subjected to the visualized event showing the internal and external manifestations of the disease. The user has the ability to modify or treat the condition through an input device and accomplish destruction of the disease. The purpose of this exposure is to assist the patient in developing visual imagery associated with self-efficacy. The modifications affect the user to make a positive cognitive shift and health merges by boosting positive energy, which in turn boosts the immune system.

Visual sensory input shows promise for assessing and treating medical conditions related to vision, migraine headaches, pain, strokes and other neurological states influenced by learning and memory.

One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objects and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification, as indicating the scope of the invention. It is to be clearly understood that resort may be had to various other embodiments, modifications, and equivalents thereof which, after reading the description herein, may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention and/or the scope of the appended claims. The contents of all references, patents and published patent applications cited throughout this application are expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of focusing the mind of a subject to an event comprising:

providing an interactive system to allow for simultaneous viewing and manipulating the event including: a) inputing a computer program data representing the event into a computer memory storage device; b) displaying the data on a display device visible to the subject; c) providing an input device that is controlled by the subject; d) accepting signals from the input device controlled by the subject to produce a modified view of the event; e) displaying the modified view of the event to the subject, wherein focusing of the mind of the subject to the modified view of the event boosts positive energy and produces psychoneuroimmunological response.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer program data is not generated by a medical instrument.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specific event comprises a somatic event, a psychological event, or both.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the somatic event comprises a medical or a non-medical event.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the event comprises activities related to health, beauty, romance, sport, business, education, vocational activities, emotional and psychological issues, fear, interpersonal relationships, drug dependency, grief, professional work (e.g., accounting, law, finance, construction, medical, computer, etc), among others.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the event comprises a specific somatic disease, a defect in an external or internal organ or tissue of the subject, or both.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data is visualized through computer generated graphics, images imported from photographs, films, videos, or a combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the data is visualized in silence, or accompanied by a narrative, music or both.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device comprises goggles, a head- mounted-display system, surround projection screens, virtual environment screens, screens on cell phones, personal computers, hand- held devices, or cameras, or a combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the input device comprises a hand-held grip, joystick, mouse, button, data glove, or a combination thereof.

11. An interactive system for mental stimulation and focusing comprising a computer program data representing an event into a computer memory storage device, a display devise for display the data to the subject, an input device that is controlled by the subject and communicates signals to the computer to produce a modified view of the event selected by the subject, wherein displaying the modified view of the event to the subject focuses the mind of the subject which in turn boosts positive energy and initiates psychoneuroimmunological response in the subject.

12. The interactive system of claim 11, wherein the subject is a symptomatic or an asymptomatic patient.

13. The interactive system of claim 12, wherein the patient is suffering from a mental or a somatic disease or disorder.

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14. The interactive system of claim 11, wherein the computer program data is not generated by a medical instrument.

15. The interactive system of claim 11 , wherein the event comprises activities related to health, beauty, romance, sport, business, education, vocational activities, emotional and psychological issues, fear, interpersonal relationships, drug dependency, grief, professional work (e.g., accounting, law, finance, construction, medical, computer, etc), among others.

16. The interactive system of claim 11, wherein the data is visualized through computer generated graphics, images imported from photographs, films, videos, or a combination thereof.

17. The interactive system of claim 11, wherein the data is visualized in silence, or accompanied by a narrative, music or both.

18. An interactive computer network for providing to a consumer sensory and mental stimulation comprising, a) a central integration site that receives a consumer's request for an interactive session, b) a storage medium coupled to the central integration site comprising one or more databases that store a data representing a plurality of events in a form of a film, wherein the consumer is able to manipulate the film to produce a modified view of the event and accomplish a desired result for self-improvement.

19. The interactive computer network of claim 18, wherein the film is visualized in a virtual reality environment.

20. The interactive computer network of claim 19, wherein the film is accompanied by music, narrative, or both.