Meditating in virtual reality: Proof-of-concept intervention for posttraumatic stress

We investigate the potential therapeutic application of virtual reality (VR) technology as an aid to meditation practice among persons varying in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. In this within-group mixed-methods study, 96 young adults practiced both VR- and non-VR-guided meditations and reported on their experience of positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), other meditative experiences and perceived satisfaction-credibility of each meditation. Participants reported more PA and greater perceived satisfaction-credibility following the VR as compared to non-VR-guided meditations primarily when the VR meditation was practiced first, before the non-VR meditation, as opposed to vice versa. The experience of NA during meditation practice was infrequent, although persons with increased PTSD symptoms reported increased distress during both VR and non-VR meditation. Further study of therapeutic applications of VR as an aid to meditation practice among people with PTSD symptoms is warranted. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).