It giv[es] you a sense of what animals snatched from their homes or bred in labs to be used as unwilling test subjects experience.
PETA’s latest virtual reality experience, called “Abduction,” recently made its way to California State University – Chico’s Student Services Center Plaza on November 7th, 2023, to shed light on the cruel practices that sometimes occur on college campuses involving lab rats.
The virtual reality experience immerses you in the perspective of an animal. You wake up in a cold steel room surrounded by unfamiliar figures, experiencing the psychological torment, mutilation, and killing that laboratory animals endure.
The Research Modernization Deal and Lab Rats
According to PETA, 90% of basic research that involves animals fails to lead to treatments for humans. Based on this data, PETA demands an end to the use of animals as test subjects. They propose the Research Modernization Deal, which aims to replace animal use in experiments with human-relevant methods. The key goals of this strategy include:
- Stop using animals in areas where they haven’t proven to be valuable substitutes for humans.
- Review other research areas to see where we can reduce animal use.
- Create a system that considers ethical costs and benefits when deciding whether or not to use animals in research.
- Encourage government agencies and research bodies worldwide to accept and use non-animal testing methods.
- Use the resources previously allocated to animal experiments to fund non-animal research.
- Train researchers and regulators in non-animal research and testing methods.
Watch the video below for more on PETA’s belief that investing in animal-free research will save countless lives.
Abduction
PETA’s virtual reality experience Abduction has touched down in over 50 college campuses. Filmed using VR180 and with the help of Prosper XR, the immersive experience shows humans being subjected to painful tests by aliens, similar to what animals go through in laboratories. Viewers will witness themselves and their friends going through the same ordeal.
Watch the trailer for Abduction below.
For owners of the Oculus and similar devices, Abduction is also available to view on Meta Quest. Click here to watch now.
To request Abduction on your school’s campus, email Abduction@peta.org.
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[Article Note: This piece was originally published on NewsBreak and has been archived and transferred to DOPE Quick Reads to preserve its informational value. Original publication date: 2023-11-27]
