Using the Metaverse to Heal Others with Christian Ulstrup - Step into the Metaverse podcast: EP16
Using the Metaverse to Heal Others with Christian Ulstrup - Step into the Metaverse podcast: EP16
In this episode of the Step into the Metaverse Podcast, I interviewed Christian Ulstrup, the Co-Founder and CEO of Virgilis, which focuses on building bridges back to reality by helping parents and kids get control of family screen time. With his work, he aims to help psychiatrists understand virtual reality and coach them on how to use these digital tools for the benefit of patients.
During the interview, we discuss the mental health issues related to the metaverse and how it will change people’s behaviour. We covered how virtual reality can help people with mental issues and what ethical issues we can expect in the metaverse. Stay tuned for that and more!
Highlights
- [01:12] - Running a company that facilitates medical development in virtual reality.
- [06:24] - Why people are more empathetic towards others in a spatial computing environment.
- [08:58] - Spatial computing + AR + VR + Blockchain = Metaverse.
- [09:45] - Behavior change made possible by the metaverse.
- [12:46] - How virtual reality can help people heal their minds.
- [16:15] - Revolutionizing coaching businesses through the metaverse.
- [19:01] - Health issues that may be brought about by the metaverse.
- [21:59] - Potential ethical challenges and dangers that the metaverse must be hedged from.
Quotes
“Because of the metaverse, there’s gonna be an explosion in creativity unlike anything we’ve ever seen before” - Christian Ulstrup
“It’s not too far-fetched to argue that we’re kind of already in the metaverse” - Christian Ulstrup
“Pseudonimity becoming the default mode is worth more thinking and exploration” - Christian Ulstrup
Learn More About Christian Ulstrup in the Links Below:
- LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianulstrup/
- Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/curious_vii
If you are interested in learning more about the metaverse, you can order my book Step into the Metaverse here.
Frequently asked questions
What does Christian Ulstrup's company Virgilis do?
Virgilis focuses on building bridges back to reality by helping parents and kids get control of family screen time. Christian Ulstrup, its Co-Founder and CEO, also works to help psychiatrists understand virtual reality and coaches them on how to use these digital tools for the benefit of patients.
Link to this questionWhy are people more empathetic in the metaverse?
The discussion highlights that people tend to be more empathetic towards others within a spatial computing environment, suggesting that the immersive nature of these virtual spaces changes how individuals relate to and understand one another compared to traditional digital interactions.
Link to this questionHow can virtual reality help with mental health?
Virtual reality can help people heal their minds and is being explored as a tool that psychiatrists can use for the benefit of patients. The technology also enables behavior change and has potential to revolutionize coaching businesses, offering new ways to support people's mental wellbeing through immersive experiences.
Link to this questionWhat ethical concerns exist around the metaverse?
Potential ethical challenges and dangers must be hedged against as the metaverse develops, including health issues that may arise from its use. Another concern raised is pseudonymity becoming the default mode of identity in these spaces, which is described as needing more thinking and exploration.
Link to this question
Dr. Mark van Rijmenam
Dr. Mark van Rijmenam is The Digital Speaker, a world-leading futurist and global AI keynote speaker who helps leaders decide what AI, and the technologies that follow it, mean for their business. He speaks to leadership teams at their retreats and to conference audiences worldwide, and his WAVE framework gives them a way of deciding that they keep using long after he has left the room. His Intelligence Age Scorecard measures how ready an organization is across the four WAVE pillars.
He holds a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney, is a Certified Speaking Professional and Global Speaking Fellow, and ranks among the world’s top futurists on the Global Gurus list (#1 in 2025, #3 in 2026). Salesforce named him one of its 16 leading AI voices. He has written six books, most recently Now What? How to Ride the Tsunami of Change, writes the Synthetic Minds newsletter on Substack, and founded Futurwise. Talk to his digital twin on WhatsApp: +1 (830) 463-6967.
