Of Machines and Rats. A Renewed Focus on the Sensitive Aspects of Care in Virtual Territories.

Abstract Contrary to the discourse on the dehumanization induced by digital technology, we show that VRET [virtual reality exposure therapy] introduces a renewed focus on the sensitive dimensions of care by reconfiguring the conditions under which therapeutic work is carried out. This dispositif creates a new therapeutic place in the form of a unique virtual territory coconstructed by the therapist and the patient. The description of concrete situations of consumption, with details of objects, places, and gestures, provides access to the patient’s intimacy through the ordinary. This immersion combines a cartographic and biographical approach. It fosters a distinctive therapeutic approach that transcends theoretical divisions. This virtual territory operates as a stage where emotion becomes a therapeutic target. The logics of conditioning and experimentation are reappropriated to engage the patient in an emotional work. This work involves enduring temptation to regulate craving and remembering beautiful things to reconfigure everyday life without addiction.