Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study
Journal of Medical Internet Research September 6, 2019 E. Seabrook, Ryan Kelly, Fiona Foley et al.
A virtual reality (VR) mindfulness app that placed users in a peaceful forest environment significantly increased state mindfulness and positive affect in a sample of 37 participants from the general population. State mindfulness showed a large increase (Cohen d=1.80), and positive affect also rose. No notable changes in negative emotion, arousal, or simulator sickness occurred. Participants described the experience as relaxing and calming, noting that VR helped them focus on the present moment by using visual and auditory elements as attentional anchors. The sense of presence in the virtual environment supported mindfulness, while interruptions to presence acted as distractors. Minor discomforts related to video fidelity and headset weight were infrequent.