Mainstream coverage of virtual and augmented reality has focused primarily on its uses in the entertainment sphere — video games and movies. Occasional forays into more experimental uses are occasionally noted, such as its integration into the Tribeca Film Festival’s Immersive programs, Virtual Arcade and Cinema 360º. While the applications for VR and AR are vast, the most important research being carried out is not being completed for the sake of more and better entertainment, but instead, to find ways to better assist medical professionals in treating patients. An area of particular promise for virtual reality in clinical settings is in the...

For many, night-time offers a welcome respite from the chaos of the day, and sleep comes easily. But for others, restful sleep simply does not. While there are many treatments available to address insomnia, many involve the use of drugs with a range of side effects. While these can be effective, they can also be addictive. For those with mild-to-moderate insomnia, there are more natural but still clinically-valid, scientifically-backed aids for better sleep. One of those therapies is clinical aromatherapy.  Research has shown that there is a range of essential oils that are able to help with sleeplessness. Two that are particularly effective are lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and ylang-ylang...

Research demonstrates that clinical-grade inhalation therapy can decrease both anxiety and depression during hemodialysis treatment.   First came medi-spas, then dental spas. The next trend? Dialysis spas. Besides amenities like custom juice blends, soothing nature sounds and even chair massage, some dialysis centers are also offering aromatherapy as a way to help comfort patients during treatment. But does it work? The science says yes. Peer-reviewed studies have been published on the effects of aromatherapy on hemodialysis patients while undergoing treatment, mainly to study how it may change mood states including levels of depression and anxiety. For instance, 2000 study(1) published in...

The word "organic" has become an important part of the consumer vocabulary for produce, meats and other foods. It’s also used by many companies to market their essential oils. But what does “organic” mean as it pertains to EOs? And are certified-organic essential oils worth the premium asking price? The short answer is almost always, “no”. The long answer, however, is more complicated, because it requires wading into both the marketing spin produced by the behemoth essential oil companies (in particular the MLMs) and the biochemical realities of exactly what makes up a quality, effective essential oil.   We’ll start by...

In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Hamlet’s lover Ophelia becomes unhinged. When she makes her final appearance of the play, she hands her brother Laertes sprigs of fresh rosemary, saying, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray, love, remember.”  Rosemary has long been thought to have memory-boosting properties, and now modern science is backing up this theory. In a study presented recently to the British Psychological Society, researchers found that children in a room scented with rosemary did significantly better on memory tasks than those who didn’t get a whiff of the herb. These findings line up with an earlier study the team did...