Evaluating the Effectiveness of Mantra Meditation in a 360 Virtual Reality Environment
Durgesh Ameta, Ankita Garg, Parveen Kumar, Laxmidhar Behera, Varun Dutt
Petra July 5, 2023 DOI: 10.1145/3594806.3596587 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 10 |
| Population | Human subjects |
| Duration | 10-minute meditation session |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | A ten-minute VR-assisted audible mantram repetition meditation led to significant improvements in heart rate variability, EEG theta power, psychometric test accuracy, and reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression. |
Abstract
Exercises like meditation assist people in developing their focus, awareness, and emotional stability. Virtual reality (VR) may help meditation practitioners as they frequently struggle to focus or concentrate for various reasons. Of many such studies exploring the usability of VR for meditation, none has tested VR on Audible mantram repetition (AuMR). We recruited ten subjects to perform a ten-minute mantram meditation task. During meditation, practitioners observe an immersive 360 virtual reality (VR) environment. The heart rate variability (HRV) and electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, as well as administered questionnaires (DASS-21, PANAS, and MEDEQ) and psychometric tests (N-back and Stroop task), were measured before and after the meditation to assess changes in the subject’s mental state and cognitive abilities. The results indicated a significant difference in all HRV parameters, increased frontal and temporal theta power of EEG signals, higher accuracy of the aforementioned psychometric tests, and decreased psychological aspects such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Therefore, it can be concluded that there is a positive change in the participants’ overall mental state and cognitive abilities following meditation in a virtual environment. We discuss the implications of using mantra meditation as a cognitive enhancement.