Virtual Reality for Serious Illness: Connecting, Healing, and Inducing Awe | Part One

What if some of the most meaningful moments at the end of life could still be experienced—no matter the physical limitations?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. 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 careThree mechanisms drive its impact: presence, embodiment, and agencyReal patient stories demonstrate measurable emotional and physical benefitsMatching VR experiences to patient needs is key to effectivenessAwe is not a luxury—it’s a therapeutic necessity at the end of lifeGuest:Kathleen Benton,  Chief Executive Officer, Hospice Savannah, Inc. and Co-Author of the book, Virtual Reality for Serious Illness; Teri Yarbrow, Founder of "Creating AWE", President of Magika VRx and Co-Author of the book, Virtual Reality for Serious Illness Host:Chris Comeaux, President / CEO of TELEIOS, author of The Anatomy of LeadershipTeleios Collaborative Network   /   https://www.teleioscn.org/tcntalkspodcast