Lucid dreaming has mental and physical health benefits, but most induction techniques require extensive practice. A portable interactive prototype called LuciEntry was designed to help induce lucid dreaming using timed visual and auditory cues. Lab and field studies were conducted, and interview data revealed three themes. From these findings and design practice, seven considerations were derived to guide future lucid dream systems. The work aims to inspire further research into interactive technologies for altered states of consciousness.
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.
Thirty mindfulness practitioners with varying levels of experience participated in nine magic machine workshops to explore and reflect on their personal everyday mindfulness activities. They generated designs that support daily practice, resulting in six categories: everyday objects, physical spaces, wearables, metaphorical art, companions, and toys. The practitioners' thought processes emphasized eliciting and regulating emotion and associating mindfulness with routine daily activities. The findings suggest that individualized mindfulness products and co-design magic machine workshops can help explore practical design spaces for supporting everyday mindfulness beyond formal meditation training.
Meditation benefits wellbeing, yet interactive technologies designed to support real-time meditation often overlook the role of bodily sensations. Workshops with 24 experts explored the bodily experiences that arise during meditation. Using material speculation, participants described their lived meditation experiences and identified stages where additional, often multimodal, support could help. Findings highlight the value of recreating mindful physical sensations during mind-wandering, particularly to regulate attention through embodied metaphors and haptic feedback tailored to key transitions in meditation.