Journeying Inwards – The Power Of VR-enabled Mindfulness Training
360° Videos and VR
- Improve Mindfulness
- Are Cost-effective
- Are Flexible
- Are Accessible To A Broad Audience
SUMMARY
This study examines the effectiveness of using virtual reality (VR) in mindfulness interventions compared to conventional mindfulness practice. The study found that VR practice is a viable means of delivering mindfulness skills and provides further evidence in support of VR-aided mindfulness skills practice. These findings have important implications for the use of VR in public health and clinical treatment programs.
KEYWORDS - Mindfulness | Virtual Reality | 360° Video | Decentering | Cost-effective | Flexible | Accessible To Broad Audience
Reviewed Study: A virtual reality approach to mindfulness skills training
ABSTRACT
The present study examined the efficacy of virtual reality (VR) in facilitating mindfulness. Thirty-two adults were randomly assigned to either a control condition, in which they listened to a mindfulness audio track, or an experimental condition, in which they received mindfulness practice in a VR beach environment. The study found that participants in both conditions experienced an increase in mindfulness, with the VR condition showing a significantly greater increase in decentring, a component of mindfulness. The research suggests that VR-based mindfulness interventions could be a viable alternative or supplement to traditional mindfulness interventions, providing cost-effective, flexible, and accessible options. However, more research is needed before these interventions can be fully endorsed for use in clinical practice.
INTRODUCTION
Mindfulness training research done at RMIT University in Melbourne confirms that mindfulness practitioners benefit greatly from the immersive nature of the Sphaeres 360° VR Experiences, particularly if they wish to improve their decentring skills. Decentring is a person’s ability to view his or her thoughts and feelings with some distance and dis-identification and acknowledge them as temporary and passing events in the mind, rather than as actual manifestations of reality.
METHOD
The RMIT experiment combined the early Sphaeres VR Experience “A Walk on the Beach”, shot on the magnificent Port Noarlunga beach in Australia, with an audio recording for mindfulness practice, titled “external world and breath”, which was obtained from the Counselling and Psychological Resources section of the University of Melbourne. Participants in a control group listened to the mindfulness training audio track only and were instructed to close their eyes during the exercise or to direct their gaze downward or steadily at a single location.
The Toronto Mindfulness Scale was used to assess two of thirteen mindfulness factors: curiosity and decentring. Curiosity reflects an attitude of interest, e.g. “I am curious about each of my thoughts and feelings as they occur”. Decentring reflects a shift away from personal identification with cognitions and feelings of one’s experience, e.g. “I am receptive to observing unpleasant thoughts and feelings without interfering with them”. Participants had to rate how well each statement represented their experiences before and after the brief mindfulness exercise.
RESULTS
While VR-based mindfulness training proved to be as effective as standard audio training in enhancing mindfulness overall, the more interesting outcome of the study was that VR-based mindfulness training is statistically significantly more effective at decentring than standard audio training. This means that people who suffer from mood disorders could benefit from the increase in decentring that VR mindfulness offers. VR contexts could help those who constantly get caught in a cycle of negative thoughts and excessive, iterative reflection to cultivate decentring and to curb and reduce their negative thought patterns.
WHO IS USING 360/VR?
Sphaeres VR Experiences are used by hospitals, healthcare organizations, and wellness app developers. The meditations have also found application in the transportation industry, where they are used in airplanes, on buses, and in waiting areas such as airport lounges and doctor’s offices. Patient and user feedback is very positive and more details about different business applications for Sphaeres VR Experiences are available here.
360° VIDEOS AND VR EXPERIENCES FOR YOUR USERS
If you want to provide your audience with 360° Videos and VR Experiences that are proven to reduce stress, provide relaxation and restore attention, you can find a large collection of over 450 individual 360° nature and travel scenes here and 22 edited VR Experiences here. If you have any questions or would like review samples of any of our videos, please contact us.
ACADEMIA & NON-PROFIT
For registered research organizations that want to further investigate the effectiveness of 360° videos to reduce stress as well as increase relaxation and improve mood of VR users we offer a 30% academic discount on top of all volume discounts for the royalty-free 360 stock videos. Our Sphaeres VR Experiences are free to use in their original, unaltered form for all non-commercial, strictly academic research. If you have any questions about the 360 video license conditions or would like review samples of any of our 360 stock videos or VR Experiences, please contact us.
Author
Dr. Eric Fassbender holds a PhD in Virtual Reality and since 2013 he and his wife Susanne Fassbender have created a large catalogue of 360° Videos and VR Experiences that have been used successfully in numerous scientific research studies.
Citation: Chandrasiri, A., Collett, J., Fassbender, E. et al. A virtual reality approach to mindfulness skills training. Virtual Reality 24, 143–149 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-019-00380-2
Conflict of Interest Declaration: While this study used one or more of Atmosphaeres’ 360 VR Experiences or stock videos, the study was conducted fully independently by the study authors and without any involvement of the video creators Eric & Susanne Fassbender (Atmosphaeres).
Disclaimer: This summary was created with the help of AI writing tools. The content may therefore not always be entirely accurate. We assume no responsibility for any false or incorrect information provided in this article. It is essential to independently verify the content in the original publication which is linked in the citation section above.
AT A GLANCE
What was studied?
The effectiveness of using virtual reality in mindfulness interventions compared to conventional mindfulness practice.
What was measured?
The study measured the effectiveness of VR-enhanced mindfulness training in increasing mindfulness and its sub-constructs, curiosity, and decentring.
What methods were used?
A randomized controlled trial design was used to allocate participants to either a control condition (audio track) or an experimental condition (VR beach environment), where participants received mindfulness practice.
What were the results?
Participants who received mindfulness training in a VR environment reported a significant increase in state mindfulness, and VR-aided mindfulness skills practice is a viable alternative or supplemental approach to traditional intervention.
What is the Conclusion?
VR-aided mindfulness skills practice can be a viable alternative or supplement to traditional intervention, which could potentially increase access to mindfulness training for individuals who have experienced a lack of adherence to traditional psychotherapy.