Meeting Your Future (Virtual) Self

By Lucas Fisher

Published July 2, 2025 at 2:07 PM EDT

Brandon Oberlin pictured with his current-self avatar

If you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice, what would you say?

Researchers from Indiana University are developing a virtual reality experience to help patients with substance-use disorders visualize a better future – with a little help from their future selves.

Studies show that people with addiction struggle with choosing immediate gratification over longer-term rewards.

The program aims to help encourage participants by staging conversations with two possible future versions of themselves. Avatars were created using high-resolution photos and recreations of their voices, embellished with narrative elements derived from their own personal lives. One avatar was designed to look like their current self, while the two future versions were age-progressed – but one of them showed signs of continued substance abuse.

Designers focused on details of the virtual world down to the sounds of chirping birds and the rustling of leaves. The participant even sat on a bench in real life that was represented virtually.

First, they met their present avatar of themselves, who explained that they were now in a place beyond time and space. Then, they were given the option to choose one of two crystal balls to travel into the future.

Then, they met one of two future selves in a public park. The first future self was fidgety, anxious, and shared regrets of the past 15 years. The second future self looked healthy, smiled, maintained eye contact, and thanked the participant for working hard to recover.

The results suggest that interacting with age-progressed avatars of yourself can increase your connection to the future. And as virtual reality technology grows more sophisticated, these immersive experiences will only become more convincing.

A special thanks goes to Brandon Oberlin, Indiana University School of Medicine, for reviewing today's episode.