Psychological and physiological health outcomes of virtual reality-based mindfulness interventions: A systematic review and evidence mapping of empirical studies.
Alissa Wieczorek, Florian Schrank, Karl-Heinz Renner, Matthias Wagner
Digital health 2024 DOI: 10.1177/20552076241272604 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Intervention | VR-based mindfulness interventions |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Virtual reality Head-mounted display Health |
| Citations | 19 |
| Key findings | Virtual-reality-based mindfulness interventions show initial psychological and physiological health benefits, but more methodologically rigorous studies are needed. |
Abstract
In the past two decades, mindfulness, rooted in Buddhist traditions, has gained considerable scientific interest. Virtual reality (VR) technology, in particular head-mounted displays, offers immersive experiences and is examined in this systematic review in terms of VR-based mindfulness interventions and their effects on psychological and physiological health outcomes. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analyses guidelines, a systematic search was conducted with the following search terms: [(mindful* OR "meditat*") AND ("virtual reality" OR "VR") AND (health OR physio* OR psycho* OR mental OR physical)]. Considering critiques of methodological quality in existing systematic reviews, this study adopts Boell and Cecez-Kecmanovic's hermeneutic approach, critically evaluating research outcomes. Psychological benefits include improved anxiety, mindfulness, emotions, disease patterns, affect, stress, (presleep) arousal, meditation and others. Physiological effects focus on neurobiological markers, heart rate/heart rate variability, pain, blood pressure, cortisol and galvanic skin resistance. Evidence mapping shows that more research has been conducted in the last 6 years, particularly by North American and South Korean authors, and points to gaps in study methodology. In addition, attention regulation is identified as a primary mindfulness mechanism in VR scenarios, often in nature-based virtual environments, with mainly single-session studies lasting 5 or 10 minutes. Critical mapping reveals the need for additional studies to support and extend initial findings in this emerging research field. Methodologically, there is a call for more true-experimental studies to enhance rigor. From a content perspective, VR protocols are currently still strongly characterized by single-session interventions, which makes it especially difficult to make a dose-response statement regarding long-term effects. In summary, the studies provide important initial findings on psychological and physiological effects of VR-based mindfulness interventions on health. In addition, the need for more methodologically rigorous studies was emphasized, along with other methodological adjustments that must be carefully considered in the planning of future studies.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being Diverse adult clinical populations | 2014 | Meta-analysis | n = 3,515 |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Stress Management in Healthy People: A Review and Meta-Analysis Healthy subjects | 2009 | Systematic review and meta-analysis | |
| The psychological effects of meditation: A meta-analysis. Nonclinical groups of adult meditators | 2012 | Meta-analysis | n = 163 |
| Efficacy of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in Prevention of Depressive Relapse Adults with recurrent depression in full or partial remission | 2016 | Meta-analysis of individual patient data from randomized controlled trials | n = 1,258 |
| Mindfulness‐Based Stress Reduction and Mindfulness‐Based Cognitive Therapy – a systematic review of randomized controlled trials | 2011 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- The potential of virtual reality for enhancing the efficacy and acceptability of mindfulness training in non-clinical adults: a pilot randomised controlled trial Virtual Reality September 5, 2025
- No added benefit of VR and neurofeedback-enhanced VR for trait mindfulness in long-term mindfulness training Computers in Human Behavior Reports October 6, 2026
- The Psychological Reconstruction of Mindfulness: From Buddhist Origins to Modern Operationalization Human Arenas May 7, 2026
- Physiological and psychological health effects of a mobile VR-based mindfulness breathing meditation with integrated biofeedback: a replication study Virtual Reality September 15, 2025
- Preliminary Study on the Clinical Effectiveness of Short-Term Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Using Virtual Reality 신경정신의학 2025
and 3 more in the library
Cites 37
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Mind the Hype: A Critical Evaluation and Prescriptive Agenda for Research on Mindfulness and Meditation Perspectives on Psychological Science October 10, 2017
and 32 more in the library