Mindful touch: Mid-air haptics facilitates novices’ subjective experiences of audio-guided mindfulness meditation
Desiree Cho, Shu Zhong, Madhan Kumar Vasudevan, Marianna Obrist
International Journal of Human-Computer Studies May 6, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103528 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Between-subjects mixed-methods study Qualitative Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Adult novices to mindfulness meditation |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Citations | 10 |
| Key points | Mid-air haptics increased both hindrance and relaxation in novice meditators; the authors interpret these as complementary, with haptics initially distracting participants but eventually facilitating mindfulness via "embodied metaphor," "breath alignment," and "meditative grounding." |
Abstract
With perpetually stressful lives, people are prompted to consider slowing down through mindfulness meditation. We extend HCI research beyond its pre-existing focus on interaction-intensive meditation technologies, to focus simply on whether one's sense of touch can facilitate meditation. We capitalise on the touchless nature of mid-air haptics by rendering subtle sensations on the palm during meditation, using one design derived from pilot testing. In a novel between-subjects study, we compare audio versus audio-haptic guidance in adult novices' mindfulness meditation, through a mixed methods approach which combines standardised questionnaires with micro-phenomenological interviews (n=10 per group). Interestingly, mid-air haptics quantitatively increased both hindrance and relaxation, which appears conflicting but is actually complementary when considered together with qualitative analysis. Specifically, mid-air haptics initially distracted participants but eventually facilitated mindfulness through three processes (embodied metaphor, breath alignment, and meditative grounding). We reflect on the need for future work exploring an integrated, multimodal meditation experience.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- Haptic Meditation Enhancement Device (HMED): An Arduino-Based Multi-Sensor Real-Time Monitoring and Intervention Support System. Italian National Conference on Sensors July 1, 2026
- Breathing Inward: A Targeted-heat Wearable Designed to Deepen the Benefits of Diaphragmatic Breathing International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 13, 2026
Cites 26
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
- Interoception, contemplative practice, and health Frontiers in Psychology June 9, 2015
- Evaluating Mindfulness Meditation Apps April 20, 2018
- Interoceptive Interaction: An Embodied Metaphor Inspired Approach to Designing for Meditation May 6, 2021
and 21 more in the library