A new study suggests that virtual reality (VR) experiences designed to mimic psychedelic visual effects could safely boost creativity and flexibility in thinking — without the use of drugs.

Researchers from Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan found that “cyberdelic” VR experiences — computer-generated environments that simulate visual hallucinations — can produce short-term psychological and emotional effects similar to those seen with psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin.

The findings were recently published in Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience by a team led by professor Giuseppe Riva, director of the university’s Humane Technology Lab, along with Giulia Brizzi and Chiara Pupillo.

“We have demonstrated for the first time that virtual reality is capable of replicating some of the positive effects typically associated with the use of psychotropic substances,” Riva said in a university news release. 

Of those effects, he said "the increase in cognitive flexibility and creativity" is especially significant.

"However, it is important to verify whether these effects are truly comparable, on a neurobiological level, to those produced by compounds such as psilocybin or LSD," Riva said. "The data collected, however, suggest that the path taken is promising and deserves further investigation."

For the study, his team recruited 50 healthy adults, who each participated in two 10-minute VR sessions. One session showed a calming environment from "The Secret Garden," while the other used artificial intelligence (AI) to transform the same scene with hallucinatory visuals.

Participants exposed to the “hallucinatory” version showed short-term changes in mood, creativity and cognitive flexibility compared to those who viewed the regular video. 

The researchers said these effects suggest that digital “cyberdelic” experiences could one day support mental health therapies, especially for people who don’t respond well to traditional medication.

However, experts cautioned that virtual reality can cause motion sickness, nausea or disorientation in some users. 

For that reason, the authors said such experiences should only be used in controlled settings under supervision of trained professionals.

Interest in psychedelics for mental health has grown in recent years. 

Compounds like psilocybin, the active ingredient in “magic mushrooms,” are being tested in clinical trials for treatment-resistant depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Psilocybin is legal for therapeutic use in Colorado and Oregon, though still illegal under federal law.

In Italy, the first psilocybin trial was authorized in August 2025. But researchers like Riva say digital simulations could offer similar benefits without the legal and safety concerns tied to drugs.

“Digital psychedelic experiences are not intended to replace drugs,” the study authors said. "But our aim is to exploit virtual reality and technologies to create a safe laboratory in which to explore altered states of consciousness and their therapeutic potential. At the same time, they offer a digital alternative for those seeking the possible benefits of psychedelic experiences without resorting to recreational substance use, and for those who do not respond to traditional treatments."