Exploring technology-assisted mindfulness: a systematic progressive review on the role of virtual reality
Mengru Liu, Anthony Kong, Fuxuebing Huang, Newman Lau, Johan F. Hoorn
Virtual Reality September 2, 2025 DOI: 10.1007/s10055-025-01224-y (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 8 |
| Key findings | The review argues that VR is the central medium in technology-assisted mindfulness, organizing the field into technological, physiological, and psychological dimensions with three intersectional areas. It proposes three VR-based design strategies—Adaptive Self-Regulation, Environmental Guidance for Cognitive Ease, and Bidirectional Mind-Body Regulation—and recommends future research on personalization, kinetic meditation, and social VR to improve accessibility, engagement, and efficacy. |
Abstract
With the advancement of digital technology, mindfulness practices have evolved beyond traditional methods into immersive, interactive, and biofeedback-supported experiences. This study proposes the Systematic Progressive Exploration Methodology (SPEM) to examine technology-assisted mindfulness, narrowing its focus from 3,053 peer-reviewed publications (publication trends and disciplinary contributions), to 10 top-tier HCI studies (key technological tools and methodologies), and finally to 30 empirical papers (core topics and design strategies) through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and inductive coding. The analysis identifies six core topics clustered around three primary dimensions: technological (VR as the dominant medium), physiological (four sensory designs: visual, auditory, haptic, and olfactory), and psychological (five mindfulness objectives: emotional regulation, attention, bodily awareness, targeted psychological needs, and social connection). Additionally, three intersectional areas: biofeedback technology, calm technology, and psychophysiology, highlight how these dimensions interact. From these findings, three VR-based design strategies emerge: (1) Adaptive Self-Regulation, (2) Environmental Guidance for Cognitive Ease, and (3) Bidirectional Mind-Body Regulation. These strategies contribute to immersion, care, and daily adaptability mindfulness experiences. To enhance accessibility, engagement, and efficacy, future research should explore personalization for different experience levels, kinetic meditation, and social VR practices. Overall, this review confirms the central role of VR in technology-assisted mindfulness, providing a comprehensive foundation for understanding this interdisciplinary field and guiding the development of more adaptive and inclusive interventions.
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 4
- Enhancing Mindfulness Effects on Well-Being Using Immersive Virtual Reality in Non-Clinical Populations: Where Are We Going? Mindfulness November 10, 2025
- Human-Computer Co-Regulation: A Review of Biofeedback for Meditative Practice Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive Mobile Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies September 30, 2026
- Designing for well-being: a wearable prototype supporting emotional regulation through immersive multisensory interaction Proceedings of the Design Society July 2, 2026
- Using Generative Artificial Intelligence in Mindfulness Technology Within an Everyday Digital Context Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting September 7, 2026
Cites 21
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
- Mindfulness: Theoretical Foundations and Evidence for its Salutary Effects Psychological Inquiry October 19, 2007
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
and 16 more in the library