Slip on a set of virtual reality (VR) goggles and connected gloves, and you are transported to another world. For the entertainment industry, that kind of immersive VR may mean shoot-'em-up games where players have to blast blood-thirsty aliens or other bad guys to save the day. For the military, it may be simulations for pilot instruction or soldier training. And for a growing number of researchers-and now companies-the focus is on using VR systems to help patients deal with pain.