Virtual Reality
June 19, 2026
Ylenia D'elia, Catherine I. Andreu, Aida Palacios et al.
Compassion-based interventions have been shown to improve numerous mental health outcomes. However, they are time- and effort-intensive and are associated with high dropout rates. Virtual Reality (VR) could be a useful tool to enhance compassion practice by immersing users in a VR environment, thus facilitating the construction and sustainment of mental images necessary for the practice. The...
Virtual Reality
December 21, 2025
Joana Vidal, Catherine I. Andreu, Maja Wrzesien et al.
Recently, there has been growing scientific interest in studying states of selflessness, where there is no sense of self as the immediate subject of experience. Preliminary findings suggest that this state is associated with increased positive emotions and a sense of connection with the world and all living beings. Given its potential benefits, various practices have been developed to induce or...
International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology
December 17, 2025
Aida Palacios, Sara Martínez‐Gregorio, Catherine I. Andreu et al.
Although the effectiveness of compassion-based interventions (CBIs) has been widely demonstrated to improve mental health and prosocial behaviors, not all individuals benefit equally from these interventions. Therefore, enhancing specific capacities relevant to compassion practice (i.e., mental imagery and somatosensory perception) could optimize the benefits of CBIs. This randomized controlled...
Giulia Parola, Catherine Andreu, Valerie Bonnelle et al.
preprint
Abstract Self-transcendent experiences, characterized by reduced self-focus and a sense of connection to something greater than oneself, have been linked to positive mental-health outcomes. However, existing induction methods, such as meditation, require sustained training, while pharmacological approaches (e.g., psychedelics) raise legal and ethical issues. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as...