I’ve never been into video games, even though I can see the attraction of taking on a character such as Thrizlard from the Barren Lands and losing yourself in some kind of medieval world. I used to do that as a kid, immersing myself in science fiction, and would get quite swept up in the stories. When I read Frank Herbert’s Dune about the desert planet Arrakis, I made sure I drank my orange cordial sparingly so it lasted as long as possible.

Photo © Eugene Capon/Pexels

In short, I am quite impressionable, so when I tried some virtual reality goggles recently, it was a revelation. Walking around a tropical beach, I felt myself start to relax and forget about my surroundings and whatever was worrying me that day. It all disappeared.

Pilots use simulators so they can experience every conceivable emergency without crashing a real aircraft, so why not have a virtual reality simulator where you could safely confront all of life’s difficulties? Standing up in front of an orchestra for the first time was quite frightening, so I wish I could have walked to the podium...