Awedyssey: Design Tensions in Eliciting Self-transcendent Emotions in Virtual Reality to Support Mental Well-being and Connection
Conference on Designing Interactive Systems July 10, 2023 Noah Miller, Ekaterina R. Stepanova, John Desnoyers-Stewart et al.
Virtual reality can evoke self-transcendent emotions like awe, which may improve mental well-being when direct access to nature is limited. Designers created Awedyssey, a VR sensory deprivation countermeasure experience exhibited publicly. Qualitative feedback from interviews, diaries, and surveys revealed design tensions: balancing realism, autonomy, vastness, and comfort across diverse individuals. The work articulates design knowledge for creating technologically mediated emotional experiences that support mental health.