Cheil says #BeFearless with Samsung Gear VR

Fear can be one of the most crippling and debilitating sensations. Not only are you unable to control your thoughts and feelings, but often your actions are affected too.

In a bid to help people overcome their fears and take control of their lives, Cheil Worldwide has teamed up with Samsung Electronics to create the #BeFearless campaign.

After selecting 27 people from almost 7,500 applications worldwide, participants were put on an immersive four week training programme powered by Samsung Gear VR.

Participants were divided into two categories – those afraid of heights and those who feared public speaking – and were taught to manage their fears over three stages of VR; which had to be passed at every level before they were able to move on to the next.

Assessments on heart rate, eye movement and anxiety levels helped Samsung to determine whether applicants were starting to overcome their fears, based on research provided by South Korea’s Yonsei University Gangnam Severance Hospital.

After this training period, the participants’ fear was then put to the test – by either zip-lining through a city or addressing a live audience.

The campaign helped almost 90 percent of the group to reduce their anxieties by more than 20 percent. Not a bad use of tech!

“Through Samsung Gear VR, anyone can reach their full potential,” says Cheil Worldwide’s CCO Wain Choi. “We all have what it takes inside [of] us, but sometimes, we can use a little help.”

The campaign is part of a wider project exploring the effect and usefulness of technology. Click here to find out more or follow #BeFearless on Twitter.

Find out how Dubai-based designer Salminaz overcame her fear of public speaking to further her career, while traveller Fynn Elias Jedrysek overcame his fear of heights to pursue his passion for adventure.