Challenges and Opportunities of Immersive Technologies for Mindfulness Meditation: A Systematic Review

Mindfulness is considered an important factor of individual's subjective well-being. Consequently, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has investigated approaches that strengthen mindfulness, i.e., by inventing multimedia technologies to support mindfulness meditation. These often use smartphones, tablets, or consumer-grade desktop systems allow everyday usage in users' private lives the scope organized therapies. Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR, AR, MR; short: XR) significantly extend design space for such approaches. XR covers a wide range potential sensory stimulation, perceptive cognitive manipulations, content presentation, interaction, agency. facilities are linked typical XR-specific perceptions conceptually closely related research, as (virtual) presence embodiment. However, successful exploitation strengthens requires systematic analysis interrelation influencing mechanisms between technology, its properties, factors, phenomena existing models theories construct mindfulness. This article reports XR-related research from HCI life sciences determine extent which frameworks on can be applied technologies, open gaps. Fifty papers ACM Digital Library National Institutes Health's Medicine (PubMed) with without empirical efficacy evaluation were included our analysis. The results reveal at current time, XR-based mainly focuses therapy therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, most currently XR-supported interactions limited vocally guided meditations within nature-inspired virtual environments. While those did not differences compared non-mediated practices, various proposals illustrate provide interactive body-based innovations practice. We propose structured approach future work specify further explore mindfulness-support. resulting framework provides guidelines based elements psychological interactions.