Designing Mindfulness Practice System Based on Biofeedback in VR Environment

Abstract Mindfulness practice has been proved to have sound intervention effects in stress relief and emotion regulation. However, traditional mindfulness therapy relies on group courses under the guidance of experts, which is limited by personnel and site resources. There has been growing interest in mindfulness practice and related interaction products without exploring the role of biofeedback mechanism in mindfulness practice. However, to translate this potential into concrete design applications, we need a qualitative understanding of how breathing feedback is embedded in game design. This article discusses the effects of different physiological feedbacks mechanism in virtual environments for mindfulness game design, exploring the impact of breathing feedback (continuous feedback) versus head orientation feedback (discontinuous feedback) on young mindfulness beginners. Using “MindJourney,” we present key insights that summarize how physiological feedback can be used in mindfulness-based games for immersive interactions, self-state perception, and motivational design experiences. The experimental results show that the MindJourney mindfulness practice system can effectively improve users’ mindfulness practice experience, promote mindfulness ability training and stress relief, and has specific theoretical significance and application value. This article shares practical experiences in the other design and exploration of mindfulness game practice in health interventions to provide youth with a healthy lifestyle.