--- title: "Virtual Reality for Serious Illness: Connecting, Healing, and Inducing Awe | Part One" description: In this episode, Kathleen Benton and VR innovator Teri Yarbrow reveal how virtual reality is reshaping hospice and palliative care by restoring something often lost in modern medicine—human experience.  --- [TCNTalks ](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast) # [Virtual Reality for Serious Illness: Connecting, Healing, and Inducing Awe | Part One](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/virtual-reality-for-serious-illness-connecting-healing-and-inducing-awe-part-one) Written by [Chris Comeaux](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/author/chris-comeaux) | 4/29/26 1:36 PM What if, even in the most limiting and uncertain moments of serious illness, a person could still experience freedom, movement, beauty, and a renewed sense of meaning?       In this episode, Kathleen Benton and virtual reality (VR) innovator Teri Yarbrow reveal how VR is reshaping Hospice and Palliative Care by restoring something often lost in modern medicine—human experience.  As care becomes increasingly clinical and documentation-driven, VR creates space for patients to reconnect with meaning, beauty, and identity beyond their diagnosis.   The impact is rooted in how the brain responds to immersion.  Through **presence** (feeling transported), **embodiment** (shifting out of “patient” identity), and **agency** (regaining choice), VR helps reduce pain and anxiety while restoring a sense of control.  For patients who can no longer travel, move, or explore, these experiences are not trivial—they are transformative.   The stories are powerful.  A Hospice patient skydives.  An ALS patient explores space.  A fragile palliative care patient surfs and leaves with renewed energy.  Each moment underscores a critical insight: when experiences are thoughtfully matched to a patient’s emotional state, VR becomes a form of care—not just distraction.   At its deepest level, this work is about **awe**.  The feeling of encountering something bigger than ourselves—oceans, stars, vast landscapes—can bring peace, perspective, and even spiritual grounding.  Through VR, awe becomes accessible at the bedside, reminding patients that even in limitation, there is still room for connection, beauty, and meaning.   **Highlights:** - VR is emerging as a powerful tool in Hospice and serious illness care - Three mechanisms drive its impact: presence, embodiment, and agency - Real patient stories demonstrate measurable emotional and physical benefits - Matching VR experiences to patient needs is key to effectiveness - Awe is not a luxury—it’s a therapeutic necessity at the end of life   [Show Transcript](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/TRANSCRIPT-%20%20Virtual%20Reality%20for%20Serious%20Illness-%20Connecting%2c%20Healing%2c%20and%20Inducing%20Awe%20%7C%20Part%20One.pdf)         Our Guest   ## Kathleen Benton Chief Executive Officer, Hospice Savannah, Inc. and Co-Author of the book, Virtual Reality for Serious Illness [**Contact**](mailto:kbenton@hospicesavannah.org) ** [Biography](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/Kathleen%20D.%20Benton%20-%20Bio.pdf)** [Purchase Book:](https://www.amazon.com/Virtual-Reality-Serious-Illness-Kathleen/dp/1032649755/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XRCDRXR99T24&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sdETj5i0_YMAA2VJnrbXsZHIyHsQ5ehEGXiPf0U9KZGmZIqsz2SdrsdUmISp1d1cOhkJzkGLT1HTPxnmWgTVf8nqYPUmMS5eafcBhhHB2jQlw-2NggHTyrgPXEUZrWB6nrz3PavnI84DrQKzVE2euDnXlLwOWjm39wYNR0Dku661VETA3gLrxjWTLoTg2hOSi-XWaJst10ap5UF7q_Lj2tahUgIND3839hbBvULaEvw.InMv7EstEd07JMTw3yqQ8sr2RX5Z3UW-AujrHVuqgIs&dib_tag=se&keywords=Virtual+reality+for+serious+illness.&qid=1774376196&sprefix=virtual+reality+for+serious+illness.%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-1)   ## Teri Yarbrow Founder of "Creating AWE", President of Magika VRx and Co-Author of the book, Virtual Reality for Serious Illness [**Contact**](mailto:teri@magikavrx.com) ** [Biography](https://www.teleioscn.org/hubfs/Teleios%20Collaborative%20Network/Documents/Teri%20Yarbrow%20-%20Bio.pdf)**   [www.magikavrx.com](https://www.magikavrx.com/why-vr) [Cedars Sinai](https://www.cedars-sinai.org/search.html?query=Research+Virtual+Reality+&source=page-search&tabOrder=.%2Findex.html%2Cprograms_and_services%2Cresources%2Chealthcare_professionals%2Cenews_articles%2Cfaqs%2Cconditions_and_treatments%2Clinks%2Clinks_research%2Cevents&facetFilters=%7B%7D&filters=%7B%7D&referrerPageUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cedars-sinai.edu%2F&verticalUrl=enews-articles.html) # [Virtual Reality in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9319274/)       Our Host ## Chris Comeaux MLAS, CPA President / CEO of Teleios [Request More Information](mailto:ccomeaux@teleioscn.org) Order Book On Amazon** ** [The Anatomy Of Leadership](https://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Leadership-What-Do-Leaders/dp/B0CP1H4Q9Z/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13TCTTE4MERHU&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.k8JMNI42KjHquGeyhSi2yVsqgt34wii5hGbTnBxh7y_GjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.lb1wV3NFqwfao2camDL9e5NU93vuV9f3YVbZrNXuARs&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+anatomy+of+leadership+by+chris+comeaux&qid=1723572559&sprefix=The+Anatomy+Of+Leadership%2Caps%2C85&sr=8-1)                       [View full post](https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/virtual-reality-for-serious-illness-connecting-healing-and-inducing-awe-part-one) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Chris Comeaux" }, "dateModified" : "2026-05-01T11:06:48.861Z", "datePublished" : "2026-04-29T13:36:43Z", "headline" : "Virtual Reality for Serious Illness: Connecting, Healing, and Inducing Awe | Part One", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 1700, "url" : "https://4731444.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4731444/Virtual%20Reality%20for%20Serious%20Illness%20-%20Blog-image.jpeg", "width" : 2550 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast/virtual-reality-for-serious-illness-connecting-healing-and-inducing-awe-part-one", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Podcasts" } } ```