Relaxation with Immersive Natural Scenes Presented Using Virtual Reality

INTRODUCTION: Virtual reality (VR) can provide exposure to nature for those living in isolated confined environments. We evaluated VR-presented natural settings for reducing stress and improving mood. METHODS: There were 18 participants (9 men, 9 women), ages 32 +/- 12 yr, who viewed three 15-min 360 degrees scenes (an indoor control, rural Ireland, and remote beaches). Subjects were mentally stressed with arithmetic before scenes. Electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate variability measured psycho-physiological arousal.The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule and the 15-question Modified Reality Judgment and Presence Questionnaire (MRJPQ) measured mood and scene quality. RESULTS: Reductions in EDA from baseline were greater at the end of the natural scenes compared to the control scene (-0.59, -0.52, and 0.32 mu S, respectively). The natural scenes reduced negative affect from baseline (Delta = 1.2 and Delta = 1.1 points), but the control scene did not (Delta = 0.4 points). MRJPQ scores for the control scene were lower than both natural scenes (4.9, 6.7, and 6.5 points, respectively). Within the two natural scenes, the preferred scene reduced negative affect (Delta = 2.4 points) more than the second choice scene (Delta = 1.8 points) and scored higher on the MRJPQ (6.8 vs. 6.4 points). DISCUSSION: Natural scene VR provided relaxation both objectively and subjectively, and scene preference had a significant effect on mood and perception of scene quality. VR may enable relaxation for people living in isolated confined environments, particularly when matched to personal preferences.