VR Nature Therapy: Embodiment and Emotional Regulation through Immersive Virtual Environments

Summary

Here, we present a protocol to investigate the effects of immersive 360-degree virtual reality nature exposures on mood and embodiment. Participants experience forest and marine environments in seated and standing postures, with assessments using standardized scales to evaluate therapeutic outcomes for mental health interventions.

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) nature therapies show promise for emotion regulation, but optimal combinations of settings remain unclear. This within-subjects study examined how cultural familiarity (Hong Kong marine vs. German forest sceneries) and interaction mode (sitting vs. standing) affect mood, embodiment, nature connectedness, and VR presence in 31 participants (mean age 22.5 years, SD 2.1; 18 female, 13 male; no prior VR experience reported by 74%). Using immersive 360-degree VR natural sceneries, we assessed outcomes via standardized scales before and after exposure. Results revealed significant pre- to post-exposure improvements in mood (reduced anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension) and embodiment (enhanced Body Unencumbered Adjustment), suggesting VR nature therapies' potential for treating mood disorders. Standing postures significantly enhanced embodiment compared to sitting, underscoring physical posture's influence on body awareness. Moderate levels of presence and nature connectedness highlighted 360-degree videos' effectiveness for therapeutic benefits. Although no significant effects emerged from scenery changes, findings emphasize VR nature therapies' substantial potential for mental health interventions. Therapists should tailor body positions in VR sessions to optimize embodiment and enhance outcomes. Even simple 360-degree VR implementations can yield meaningful therapeutic effects, warranting further exploration for urbanized populations with limited nature access.

Introduction

Virtual Reality (VR) technology has rapidly advanced, offering immersive simulations across diverse fields, including environmental psychology¹. At the core of VR applications is embodiment -- the multisensory integration process generating our fundamental sense of bodily self². In VR, embodiment arises from perceptual, cognitive, and motor systems, fostering illusions of self-location, body ownership, and agency³. Neurophysiological studies have linked these illusions to brain regions such as the temporoparietal junction and premotor cortex^2,4<....

Protocol

This study was conducted as per the Human Subjects Ethics Committee approval of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Institutional Review Board (Reference number: HSEARS20230502008). The recruited participants provided informed consent before participation.

VR system setup
The virtual reality system consisted of a virtual reality headset connected to a high-performance laptop for rendering 360-degree virtual environments (Figure 1 and Figure 2) created in a game engine (version 2021.3.9f1). Four base stations were positioned at room corners, angled at 30°....

Results

Significant improvements were observed from pre- to post-exposure across multiple mood dimensions (Table 1). The Friedman Test revealed significant reductions in negative mood aspects: anger (χ² = 23.992, p < 0.001, Kendall's W = 0.1935), confusion (χ² = 23.709, p < 0.001, Kendall's W = 0.1912), depression (χ² = 26.690, p < 0.001, Kendall's W = 0.2152), fatigue (χ² = 38.453, p < 0.001, Kendall's W = 0.3101), tension (χ² = 19.640, p < 0.001, Kendall's W = 0.1584), and total mood disturbance.......

Discussion

This study demonstrated that brief 4-min VR nature exposures significantly improved mood and embodiment, supporting the therapeutic potential of virtual nature interventions. The significant reductions in anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, and tension (Table 1) align with previous research on virtual forest bathing and reinforce Biophilia and Stress-Reduction theories^19,20. Enhanced Body Unencumbered Adjustment scores indicate participants fe.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
360-degree Forest Video	Custom Recording	N/A	4-min video clip of forest landscape in Zeisigwald, Germany
360-degree Marine Video	Custom Recording	N/A	4-min video clip of marine environment at Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
Connectedness to Nature Scale (CNS)	Academic Research	N/A	Scale measuring participants connection to nature for both forest and marine environments
Experience of Embodiment Scale (EES)	Academic Research	N/A	Scale measuring embodiment aspects: PBCC, BUA, AF, EESD, ASC, and RO
Gaming Laptop	Various	N/A	High-performance laptop connected to VR headset for rendering
HTC Vive Base Stations	HTC Corporation	N/A	Four base stations positioned at room corners for room-scale interaction
HTC Vive Pro 2	HTC Corporation	N/A	VR headset used for immersive virtual reality experiences
Insta360 X2	Insta360	N/A	360-degree camera used to record forest and marine environments
Insta360 Studio	Insta360	N/A	Software for stitching multiple angles of landscape scenes
Presence Questionnaire (PQ)	Academic Research	N/A	Questionnaire measuring sense of presence in virtual environments
Profile of Mood States (POMS)	Educational and Industrial Testing Service	N/A	Standardized questionnaire measuring mood states including anger, confusion, depression, fatigue, tension, and vigor
Seating Setup	Various	N/A	Chair setup for seated VR viewing condition
Simulator Sickness Questionnaire (SSQ)	Academic Research	N/A	Questionnaire measuring nausea, oculomotor disturbance, and disorientation symptoms
SPSS Statistical Software	IBM	Version 26.0	Statistical analysis software used for data analysis including Friedman Test and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test
Standing Platform	Various	N/A	Platform allowing participants to stand during VR experience within 5 m x 5 m space
Unity3D	Unity Technologies	Version 2021.3.9f1	Game engine used to develop 360-degree virtual nature simulations