10 Unbelievable Coma Stories

1

The little girl in coma who woke up singing Mamma Mia!

When young Layla Towsey fell into a coma after contracting meningitis, her family was told to give her a kiss goodbye. But it was far from the final curtain for the three-year-old, who awoke and began singing Abba's pop hit Mamma Mia!. The musical recovery came after she spent five days in coma, with mother Katy waiting only to see how disabled her daughter would be.

Layla was diagnosed with meningitis B and meningococcal septicaemia and spent the next five days unconscious in intensive care. But then Layla began singing the words to Mamma Mia!, having seen the film starring Meryl Streep. She was soon breathing by herself and only blood poisoning scars on her legs betrayed her ordeal. (Source)

2

The 3-year-old girl who started smoking and drinking after waking up from a coma.

A three-year-old has mysteriously picked up an addiction to smoking cigarettes and downing beers after surviving a road crash. Ya Wen has been smoking up to a pack a day since an accident where she was hit by a speeding van. Her parents say that her personality has changed since leaving hospital, where she recovered from five days in a coma and severe injuries. Her mother Gao said she has started acting like an adult. She found her daughter hiding in a toilet and smoking her father's cigarettes. At first she just thieved those, but now gets them on credit from a local shop. Mrs Gao, who lives in a shelter, said her daughter has now been addicted to smoking for a year and has also changed her preference in clothes. She only likes boy's clothes. 
Ya Wen's father has now stopped smoking and the family have moved to the other side of the city, but said she still cries for cigarettes whenever she sees them. (Source)

3

The Coma boy who told his mum to f*** off

A mother waited 41 days for her injured son to come out of a coma - only for him to tell her to 'f*** off'. It was his way of telling her he was going to be OK.

Joanne Hopkins leaned forward to hear son Joey whisper his first words since cheating death in a car smash. But, instead of a touching exchange, the 22-year-old swore at her. Mrs Hopkins, 39, said she 'cried with relief'. 'He had been trying to speak but hadn't managed to get any words out,' she said.

Mr Hopkins suffered serious head injuries and a broken neck and back in the accident in Portsmouth in June. He faces two years of rehabilitation but his mother is optimistic he will make a good recovery. (Source)

4

The mother to be who was coma induced to save her baby's life

A newborn's pinkish face just after birth is the first memory of their child for many new moms. But Valerie Leah doesn't have this memory, because her son Oliver was born while she was in a coma. Valerie, a 35 years old expectant mom, was sick with the swine flu while she was 27 weeks pregnant and in a desperate attempt to save both mother and child, the doctors decided to put her in coma and perform a C-section. It wasn't until 3 weeks after she had actually given birth that she was able to finally hold her newborn. 
The couple, who already has two sons, said the ordeal began when all members of the family were struck down with the H1N1 virus. Valerie was the last to catch the virus but her condition deteriorated fast and she was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties. When she didn't respond to treatment doctors decided to sedate her completely, and put her on life support. Baby Oliver later arrived by C-section weighing 2lb 10oz and was immediately whisked away to the special care nursery. When Valerie opened her eyes a week later she couldn't understand her flat stomach. Then the confusion changed to bewilderment knowing that she had delivered a baby boy. (Source)

5

The woman who forgot her life after being put into coma

She was in a coma for weeks and suffered brain damage. But brave Liz Sykes survived and vowed to fight back. Her remarkable story began in 2008 as she was driving the familiar short route to work in Golcar from her home at the time in Linthwaite. Suddenly her life was turned upside down when she became totally disorientated. She did not know where she was or how to get to work. A week later the 23-year-old was struck down by a series of violent and prolonged seizures. Her partner Shelton rushed her to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and she spent many days there while doctors tried to diagnose her illness. Doctors then took the drastic step of inducing Liz into a three-week coma to try and save her life.

She was eventually diagnosed with encephalitis, the illness causes inflammation of the brain and is caused by a virus, infection or mosquito bite. When Liz awoke from the coma, her memory had been totally wiped. She could no longer do the simplest of tasks – even walking and talking had to be relearned. She spent 11 months in special centres in Leeds and York alongside other victims of brain damage, including serving police officers and soldiers from Afghanistan. Liz still suffers from some short-term memory loss and lacks confidence in certain areas, but her recovery steps have won her a nomination for Most Determined Learner in the Kirklees Community Adult Learning Awards. (Source)

6

The woman who falls into coma every time she says: 'I love you'

A devoted mother is battling a rare medical condition that puts her into a coma every time she tells her children: 'I love you.' Wendy Richmond, 53, slips into a 'waking sleep' that leaves her almost paralyzed every time she becomes emotional or wants to laugh or cry. But drugs to treat the condition are expensive and not funded by her local NHS trust, meaning she has to shut off her emotions to avoid collapsing.

Mrs Richmond, from Pitsmoor, Sheffield, has suffered from sleeprelated illnesses cataplexy and narcolepsy since her late teens but was diagnosed only in her 30s. Detailed figures on sufferers are rare because most cases go unrecognized or unreported. However, experts believe there could be up to 30,000 narcoleptics in Britain. (Source)

7

The Croatian girl who awoke from coma speaking fluent German

A teenager went into a coma and awoke speaking another language. The case of Sandra Ralic, 13, has doctors baffled. She spoke Croatian before, but since waking up from her 24 hour coma, she has been unable to speak Croatian, but is able to communicate perfectly in German. 

Her parents say she had only just started studying German at her school in Knin, southern Croatia. Local hospital chief Dujomir Marasovic said: "We are still trying to find out what caused the coma and why she has apparently forgotten how to speak Croatian." (Source)

8

The granddad who became a sex addict after waking up from coma

An 81-year-old granddad has been put under house arrest by his family after a bizarre accident turned him into a sex addict. Frail Angelo De Luca was in a coma for four days after he fell out of a plum tree at the family home in Biasca, Switzerland. But coming round from an operation his family was horrified to watch their devoted widower dad turn into a randy teenager again.

Sex mad Angelo blew £3,000 of his savings in one session at a local brothel after falling head over heels for a hooker young enough to be his granddaughter. His son Daniele has taken control of his dad's two houses and bank accounts after judges ruled that his sex addiction made him unfit to govern his own affairs. (Source)

9

The crash victim who woke up 19 years later

A man awoke from a coma after 19 years, turned to his mother who was at his bedside, and said: 'Mum.' Terry Wallis, 39, then uttered the word 'Pepsi', followed by 'milk'. 

Mr Wallis was 19 and had just celebrated the birth of his daughter when, on Friday 13 July 1984, the truck he was travelling in slewed through a road barrier and plunged 25ft into a creek. It was 24 hours before the truck was found. He was left paralyzed from the neck down and in a coma. Despite doctors giving him little chance of regaining consciousness, Mr Wallis's parents and his wife Sandi put him in a rehabilitation centre. Every other weekend they drove him to their farm 26 miles away, where they talked to him in the belief that familiar surroundings might restore him back to consciousness. Four weeks ago, Mrs Wallis went to the centre for what she believed would be a typical visit. It was then when her son opened his eyes and spoke. Mr Wallis, from Arkansas, is talking freely and getting to know his daughter, Amber, who is now 19.

The brain damage he suffered in the accident has left him with poor short term memory, and, perhaps inevitably, he remains stuck in 1984. When asked by his mother who the president was, he replied: 'Ronald Reagan.'

A peculiar fact: he wrecked on Friday the 13th and 19 years later he started talking on Friday the 13th. (Source)

10

The man who chose to be in coma

After years of excruciating pain that drove him to thoughts of suicide, John Roach decided to gamble on a controversial new treatment—a ketamine-induced coma. 

Suffering from a debilitating neuromuscular disorder called reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD), John, 50, is one of about 100 chronic-pain patients resorting to a radical new treatment in search of relief—a medically induced coma using ketamine, a surgical anaesthetic and hallucinogen sold illegally as "Special K." Advocates say ketamine comas can be a godsend for some. Dr. Robert J. Schwartzman, neurology chairman at Philadelphia's Drexel University College of Medicine, sent more than 60 patients to Germany and Mexico, since coma therapy isn't FDA-approved. Some 200,000 people suffer from RSD, in which ordinary pain escalates to crippling levels. 

John, a jovial retired phone-company worker, had tried surgery, physical therapy and heavy doses of pain medication, including OxyContin, codeine and fentanyl. When nothing worked, he thought of ending it all. Back home now, John is amazed that he's been virtually pain-free. Getting regular ketamine booster injections (at non-coma levels) from his physicians, Schwartzman and Dr. Anthony Kirkpatrick, he has removed a protective compression sleeve he wore for years and can once again wear his watch and wedding ring. Best of all, he can walk hand in hand with Rosemary and scoop up his granddaughters for hugs. (Source)

9 Amazing Stories of Incredibly Brave People

Too often, when you check out the news it all seems to be so negative. There are some good people out there that we don't hear about. Incredibly brave souls who do things because it just seems like the right thing to do. People in the military, the police and firefighters – while some do get a bit of recognition, there are many others that don't and a true hero never asks for glory. 

Since this is a website that focuses on the strange, let's give a little of that glory to some of the more unconventionally brave people out there. Turn on the David Bowie song “Heroes” as a soundtrack and read this list about some truly inspiring people who have done incredibly brave things with no thought of getting anything back in return.

1

The Polish man who volunteered for Auschwitz

There's no denying that life in Nazi concentration camps was truly hell. Located in southern Poland, the Auschwitz death camp was the largest of the concentration and extermination camps.

During World War II, millions of Jewish people and perceived enemies of the Nazis were sent to their deaths in concentration camps. Upon hearing about these atrocities, a 39-year-old veteran of the Polish-Soviet War and member of the resistance, Witold Pilecki, volunteered to be imprisoned at Auschwitz to secretly collect intelligence and then escape.

While in the concentration camp Pilecki was responsible for informing the Allies of the atrocities of Auschwitz and organizing a resistance movement.

In 1943, after three years in Auschwitz, Pilecki escaped. He took part in the Warsaw Uprising in August 1944 and served the London-based Polish government in exile, but was executed in 1948 by Stalin's police for “foreign imperialism.” 

Pilecki's exploits were suppressed by the Communists for years and it wasn't until 1989 that the world heard of this heroic man and his bravery.
(Source | Photo)

2

The three men who swam through Chernobyl's radioactive waters to stop a nuclear meltdown

In 1986, a sudden surge of power during a reactor systems test destroyed Unit 4 of Chernobyl's nuclear power plant, spewing massive amounts of deadly radioactive material into the environment. The death toll was unknown and rumored to be anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand. 

While many perished, three clean-up volunteers – Alexi Ananenko, Valeri Bezpoalov and Boris Baronov – willingly met their fate.

During the well-documented disaster, a pool of water used for emergencies in case of a break in the cooling pumps or steam pipes became flooded with a highly radioactive liquid that was in danger of blowing up. These three men suited up in scuba gear and swam into the radioactive waters of the flooded chamber, knowing full well they would die as a result. They opened up a gate valve, which allowed the contaminated water to drain out.

Days after reaching the surface all three men succumbed to radiation poisoning and were buried in lead coffins. If not for the bravery of the “Chernobyl Suicide Squad” a thermal explosion would have taken place resulting in unfathomable disaster.
(Source | Photo)

3

The teens who chased a carjacker in hopes of rescuing two children

When two Tuscon, AZ teens – Roy Madril Jr. and Chris Martinez – stopped at a local gas station to fuel up, they heard a woman nearby screaming, “He has my kids! He's stealing my car!”

The woman pleading for help was a 27-year-old mother of two young children, ages two and six. The mother – known only as “Inna” – and her mother were chatting outside of the vehicle while the toddlers remained in the car. Seemingly out of nowhere, a man pushed the women aside, hopped in the car and sped off.

Madril and Martinez took matters into their own hands and pursued the carjacker themselves. As Martinez drove, Madril called 911 and gave a blow-by-blow account to the police. 

When the getaway car briefly stopped, the 6-year-old tumbled out. After arriving on the scene, police told the boys to stay back in case of gunfire and soon apprehended 34-year-old Tom Vallancourt. The carjacker ended up serving a 6 1/2-year sentence for kidnapping and auto theft.

The mayor of Tuscon and the Red Cross honored Madril and Martinez with a “Real Hero Award” while Inna gave the boys her eternal gratitude.
(Source | Photo)

4

The bedridden quadriplegic who started a magazine and nonprofit to help people with disabilities

Rajinder Johar was a senior occupational therapist at King George's Medical College in Lucknow, Uttar Prodesh, India. After arriving home from work one day his life was forever changed.

Johar was shot by three men demanding money during a home invasion robbery. He was rushed to the hospital where he and his family were devastated to learn that he would be forever paralyzed. One of the robber's bullets had irreparably damaged his spine.

Never one to feel sorry for himself, Johar learned to type using just two fingers and a thumb and started The Voice, a magazine that helped to create awareness for people with disabilities.

Johar then started a trust called Family of Disabled (FOD). FOD helps the physically challenged and the financially disadvantaged seek employment. He was especially proud when his daughter decided to work for FOD. She continues his good work to this day.
(Source | Photo)

5

The boy who protected a rape victim while his home was burning

Let's honor another young person for his bravery, one even younger than Madril and Martinez – 14-year-old Michigan resident James Persyn III. 

It was a cold January night in 2013 in the town of Shepherd, Michigan. Persyn was watching TV while his two younger siblings were playing in the living room. Their father, Angus Persyn Jr., had just left the house to pick up his fiance' who was working nearby.

What an exciting few moments those turned out to be! Right after his father left, James heard a loud banging at the door by a panicked woman. As the young boy later described, "Her voice was, like, she was going to die if I didn't open that door." 

The woman was a student at Central Michigan University who had been raped by a 30-year-old ex-con, Eric Ramsey. She had clear packing tape wrapped around her body and was covered with bruises. James let her in and after she was safe inside he locked all the doors, turned out the lights, got a knife and took everyone to hide in the bathroom. 

The rapist soon found out where his victim was hiding. Ramsey approached the house and shouted, “Let me in or I'll kill you.” James called his dad who in turn called 911. 

Unable to get into the house, Ramsey doused it with gasoline, lit it on fire and left. Angus arrived home just in time and stopped the fire from spreading further. 

The Persyns and the CMU student all ended up safe – the rapist who was shot and killed by police soon after.
(Source | Photo)

6

The woman who led Burma in non-violent protest against a ruthless dictator

With the recent death of the National League for Democracy's co-founder Win Tin in Myanmar (also known as Burma), we are also reminded of the nation's symbol of democracy for the country, Aung San Suu Kyi.

The daughter of liberation movement leader Aung San, Aung San Suu Ki spent years studying abroad. Upon her return she witnessed the appalling slaughter of protesters under the savage rule of the country's dictator, U Ne Win. 

Suu Kyi led the opposition against the savage dictator and – along with Tin – was one of the founders of the National League for Democracy. She called for change by practicing non-violence, much like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Prize for peace in 1991. After being a political prisoner for almost 20 years, she was finally released in 2010. We tip our hats to you both, Suu Kyi and Win Tin!

So, let me get this straight, we practically see what Kim Kardashian had for lunch every night on TV, but has anyone seen any reports on Win Tin's recent death on the news?
(Source | Photo)

7

The incredibly brave teachers who gave their lives to protect the students of Sandy Hook

Like astronauts, every good teacher is a hero. It bears repeating that the tragedy of Sandy Hook Elementary should never be forgotten. 

On December 14, 2012, 26 people – 20 students and 6 adult staff members – were shot and killed at Sandy Hook in Newtown, CT. 

A 27-year old teacher, Victoria Soto, sacrificed her life when she hid her students in a closet to protect them from crazed gunman Adam Lanza. When Lanza entered her classroom, she told him that the students were in the gym. The terrified kids started running from the closet and Lanza began shooting. Soto threw herself in front of the children and was killed. The last moments of her life were spent protecting her young students by using her body as a shield against bullets from the deranged madman's gun.

Principal Dawn Hochsprung and school psychologist Mary Sherlach sprung into action, but were killed when trying to keep Lanza from entering the building. Teacher Lauren Rousseau hid her students in the bathroom in her attempt to protect the children and also died while doing so. 

District Superintendent Janet Robinson noted these and other "incredible acts of heroism" that "ultimately saved so many lives."

(Source | Photo)

8

The neurologist who boiled his own penis in the name of science

I've heard of donating your body for science, but this guy “donated” his body in several astounding ways while he was alive! 

In the early 1900s, neurologist Sir Henry Head experimented on himself in the name of science. Sir Henry conducted “a human experiment in nerve division." Frustrated with difficulties he encountered in testing sensory loss in patients with peripheral nerve injuries, he persuaded a colleague to divide two cutaneous nerves in his left forearm to study how sensations change when those cut nerves were left to regenerate. At the time, this was a considered a courageous act that was to earn him unsought publicity.

After operating on his own arm, Head even dipped his penis into extremely hot water in another nerve experiment. He concluded that the tip could feel no sensation of heat, but could still feel pain and cold. This is one case of truly having a lot of nerve, don't you think?

Hey, come to think of it, I've heard of Frank Zappa's Burnt Weenie Sandwich, but this is ridiculous! Anyway, we salute you, Sir Head!
(Source 1 | Source 2 | Photo)

9

The band who caused a riot at a Beatles convention

Let's end this list on a lighter note. Here is a whole different type of bravery for you. The best way to describe the next group of people on our list is “having balls.”

All over the world many people celebrate their love of The Beatles by attending Beatlefest. Beatlefest attendees watch films, meet “celebrities” associated with the Fab Four, buy Beatle merchandise and participate in playing music by the lads from Liverpool.

The 1988 Beatlefest at the Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles proved to be a little different than the rest. On this occasion, a one-time “supergroup” called Tater Totz played (members included former teen idol Jimmy Jimmy McNichol on percussion, Redd Kross' Steve McDonald on bass, the late, great Bill Bartell – a.k.a. Pat Fear of White Flag – on guitar and Jennifer Schwartz from the classic cult film, Desperate Teenage Love Dolls on vocals.) Instead of doing a Beatles song at the 'fest's Battle Of The Bands competition, the Totz decided to perform Yoko Ono's infamous song, “Don't Worry, Kyoko.” 

Beatle fans in the audience were not pleased and started to riot. The band was escorted off of the property for their safety by security. 

The proceedings were recorded and released on vinyl. To this day, Live Hate At Beatlefest remains a classic. Well, at least by me.

Author's opinion

                             Why discover something new?

                I was thinking about my future sitting on my sofa. I was confused. I had two options: Software engineering and Biologist. I have interest in both the occupations. Soon, as always, I was lost in thoughts. One thought led to another and finally, I ended up in this: I have read stories that God didn't intend to impart knowledge to Adam and Eve. That's what I heard. So, if he didn't intend to impart knowledge to humans, we should we discover more and more? Whenever we find a new species, it becomes prone to danger in some way. All these natural disasters and calamities are caused by humans. We don't create anything, we change the form of something and make something new. So, it is all discovery not creation. Gravity existed before humans, but Sir Isaac Newton discovered it.
The ozone layer gets depleted because of human activity. So, if it is dangerous to us, why discover something new?

Science

A glass of water contains 10 million bacteria but all good, claims study

Do you know that a glass of water can contain millions of bacteria in it. Yes, you are reading right, a new study reveals that a glass water can contain more than 10 million bacteria but all are good for health as they help in purifying water.

Doctors always insist on drinking lot of fresh water as it is good for health. A new study has come up that has given another good reason to drink water. Even a glass of fresh water contains more than ten million bacteria that are good for health in some way or other, says the new study. These bacteria help in purifying water, making it healthier for drinking.

Study authors were astonished to find that water on such a large scale was purified naturally by bacteria in pipes and purification plants. Until today, scientists didn’t know about the existence of any such process.

One of the lead researchers said that they have found more than ten million good bacteria in a glass of water. Researchers explained that clean tap water always contain these good bacteria and they grow in the drinking water treatment plant and on the inside of our water pipes, which can be seen in the form of a thin, sticky coating – a so-called biofilm. All surfaces from the raw water intake to the tap are covered in this biofilm.

The new find suggests that bacteria can play a vital role in purifying the water in pipes than previously thought. The discovery lead to the theory that most of the water purification in done in pipes in water purification process rather than in purification plant.

Lead study author Catherine Paul from the University of Lund in Sweden said, “a previously completely unknown ecosystem has revealed itself to us. Formerly, you could hardly see any bacteria at all and now, thanks to techniques such as massive DNA sequencing and flow cytometry, we suddenly see eighty thousand bacteria per milliliter in drinking water.”

Paul further added that we have known about the existence of some good bacteria like in our intestine they help in digestion of food and keep us healthy. Maybe they have a much bigger role to play, beyond our imagination and we have to find that, said Paul.

Moreover, the quality of water might be directly proportional to the amount of bacteria present in water, however, further study is needed to confirm the find.

The study appeared in the journal Microbes and Environments.

Economy

Americans Will Return Up to $100B in Gifts

One hot return: Hoverboards that start fires.

Numerous hoverboards, a popular gift this year, have caught fire in the U.S.

The holidays are a special time of giving, followed by a time of returning the stuff people didn't want. Americans spent an estimated $630 billion on presents this year, according to the National Retail Federation, which also projects that up to 15 percent of those gifts will be returned -- amounting to nearly $100 billion in receipts for defective electronics or sweaters that were the wrong color.

Processing gift returns or exchanges is part of the holiday shopping season for stores, but scams can also end up costing them a fortune this time of year. Fraudulent receipts or the return of stolen merchandise are expected to cost retailers $2.2 billion this year, according to Bob Moraca, vice president of Loss Prevention with the National Retail Federation.

"While technology has played a significant role in deterring many in-person fraudulent transactions that would have otherwise gone unseen, there is little that can be done to prevent a determined criminal who will find a loophole one way or another," Moraca said in a press release.

Online sales increased between 6 percent and 8 percent this holiday season, which can make it more difficult for scammers to defraud the system but doesn't make much of a difference when it comes to legitimate gift returns.

Tech toys were among the most sought-after gifts this holiday. Hoverboards didn't have a very merry Christmas, however, as the lithium ion batteries that power the trendy self-balancing scooters have started numerous fires. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating at least 22 hoverboard fires in 17 states. Amazon is offering refunds for the defective devices and urging people to recycle them to avoid the risks that they could start a fire while being returning in the mail.

[ALSO: What to Expect From Virtual Reality in 2016]

Tech

What to Expect From Virtual Reality in 2016

There is big appetite for a new generation of VR gadgets, but it will take time to prove their worth. 

For years virtual reality has been little more than a novelty, but in 2016 the tech industry will launch a huge campaign to make it part of everyday life. The next generation of immersive reality devices from companies like Sony and Microsoft are among the most highly anticipated devices of next year, and businesses ranging from fashion to film are considering the possibilities of the advancing technology.

The gadgets expected to go on sale during the first half of 2016 include the Oculus Rift, the HTC Vive, the PlayStation VR headset and the augmented-reality Microsoft HoloLens, which allows the wearer to view images on top of their real-life field of vision. These headsets won't start a revolution overnight, though. Developers are eager to test the graphics power of these devices but it will likely take them until 2017 to create a wide range of programs to make the technology an everyday tool, says Brian Blau, a research director at market analysis firm Gartner.

The next generation of devices will create an even more immersive experience. The HoloLens and the HTC Vive use cameras to track how the user walks around the room and move the simulation along with the headsets, offering programmers great potential to create a real-time virtual atmosphere.Virtual reality has the potential to change daily life the way smartphones and social media did – one big reason why Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg spent $2 billion to acquire Oculus. The Facebook-funded company has already released theOculus Social app, which allows people who connect through their smartphones on the Samsung Gear VR to chat with other users while watching films together in a 360-degree video atmosphere. Oculus Story Studio has also begun making short films using virtual reality and is pitching the new technology to film studios.

"It will be a great year for virtual reality in 2016, but it also going to be a big year for experimentation and figuring out what sticks," Blau says.

The appetite for the new devices is already strong ahead of their debuts. The Consumer Electronics Show, which begins on Jan. 4, will open its first augmented reality section top showcase, and the event is expected to have 77 percent more exhibitors showcasing virtual reality compared with last year's convention.

Sales of virtual reality devices are expected to reach $1.1 billion in 2016 and jump to $2.7 billion by 2020, according to IHS Technology, which predicts that there will be 38 million virtual reality headsets in use worldwide by 2020.

The Microsoft HoloLens sits on display at a media event for new Microsoft products on Oct. 6 in New York City.

Video game players are expected to be early adopters of this new wave of virtual reality: Oculus Rift will come with a controller for the Xbox and PlayStation VR will be designed to work with Sony's rival console. Virtual reality has failed to live up to its hype in the past, however. Nintendo's Virtual Boy attempted to forge a new frontier in video games but was discontinued in 1996 after lackluster sales.

Consumers are more prepared for the immersive devices this time around, says J.P. Gownder, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. The Internet has changed people's entertainment habits, a more tech-savvy audience has a range of Wi-Fi connected products and improved graphics technology will create a better simulation in the headsets, he says.  

"There will probably always be a proportion of the population that has trouble with 'VR nausea' no matter what," he says. "By minimizing the lag between the movement in your head and what you experience in the goggles they are able to address that issue for most people."One challenge for headset makers is how to create a virtual world without triggering motion sickness for the user. While companies like Oculus and HTC claim to have solved this design flaw Gownder says it will remain a problem for some.

The price for these new devices will be another factor in how fast the market for simulated reality takes off, so developers are likely to use them before the average consumer. This is especially true for the Microsoft HoloLens augmented reality visor, the most advanced gadget slated for release which is unique because it is a miniature computer built into a headset – and costs $3,000 for test models aimed at application developers. That price will go down eventually but businesses are likely to build demand for these new products by owning the headsets for use by their customers, Gownder predicts.

Microsoft's new cloud computing strategy focuses on business customers rather than everyday consumers, so it is fitting that " HoloLens will be a very business-driven device in 2016," he adds.

Nintendo's failed Virtual Boy is a cautionary tale of relying on hype to market virtual reality.

While gaming and media are "obvious applications" for virtual reality, Mike Zucconi, a spokesman for HTC, tells U.S. News that sectors including education, communication and design are expected to use the software as entertainment companies debut more immersive video and games.

"Outside of the gaming industry we are also working with partners in the retail, education, health and automotive industries to develop VR content," Zucconi says. "Audi will use Vive in flagship dealerships so that customers can go on virtual test drives in a fully immersive environment."

Chevrolet has also used Oculus to showcase its cars to customers by depicting a drive on exotic virtual terrain like the mountains of New Zealand.

Numerous industries are already experimenting with 360 degree video and could take their services a step further once new virtual reality devices launch. Marriott has begun using 360 video headsets to offer guests at certain hotels immersive virtual travel experiences that were filmed in the Andes Mountains in Chile, an ice cream shop in Rwanda and in the streets of Beijing.

Fashion is another sector that has used existing immersive technology and could be interested in the new headsets, Gownder predicts. Dior has used virtual reality at its boutiques to let people see behind the scenes at fashion shows and Yves Saint Laurent used the Google Glass augmented reality visor to demonstrate makeup techniques.Lowe's offers a service called its Holoroom in certain stores to help people visualize what a home improvement project will look like with the help of Google Cardboard and Oculus headsets. Gownder says real estate clients of Forrester have expressed interest in using 360-degree video to showcase pre-built condominiums by enabling people to see a simulated view of the home they want to buy.

Blau predicts that by the end of 2016 there will likely be "a slew of content" for 360 video in a number of different businesses, but he says time will tell how fast consumers will embrace more advanced virtual reality as part of their daily life.

"This is still relatively new," he says. "There is a lot of hype to live up to."