Over the past decade “griefbots” and deepfake avatars have become commonplace, allowing the bereaved to chat with simulations of their dead loved ones. Now, researchers are exploring something even closer to the Black Mirror concept: Virtual reality technology that revives not only the deceased’s image, voice, or way of conversing, but a virtual simulation of their physical selves. Unlike most existing grief bots, virtual reality creates the illusion of presence. Virtual reality has been successfully used to treat mental health conditions like PTSD and anxiety by exposing patients to triggers or feared situations in a safe, simulated environment. Some experts believe prolonged grief isn’t a disorder at all, but rather the medicalization of a normal and inevitable form of suffering.