JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Relaxation techniques, such as the “safe place” exercise, are simple and accessible strategies to cope with the negative effects of stress. Virtual reality (VR) combined with artificial intelligence (AI) could bring this safe place to life, potentially facilitating relaxation.

Objective:

To evaluate whether the use of virtual reality enhances the relaxing effect of the safe place imagery exercise by generating an individualized virtual environment representing each participant’s personal safe place with AI. Additionally, the roles of imagery vividness, presence, and satisfaction with the AI-generated safe place were examined.

Methods:

This randomized controlled trial involved a laboratory session with four measurement points followed by a five-day online follow-up period involving daily self-report questionnaires. A total of 60 healthy adults were randomly assigned to the experimental condition or control condition. In the experimental condition participants engaged in the safe place imagery exercise, a stress induction task, and a three-minute relaxation period conducted within an AI-generated virtual environment representing their personal safe place. In the control condition, the same procedures were implemented, however, in the three-minute relaxation period participants imagined their safe place with closed eyes. The outcome was self-reported relaxation, assessed with the Relaxation State Questionnaire (RSQ).

Results:

The three-minute relaxation period of both conditions enhanced self-reported relaxation levels with no statistically significant differences between conditions. Imagery vividness, presence, and satisfaction with the AI-generated safe place did not influence relaxation levels.

Conclusions:

While relaxation in the AI-generated safe place in VR was effective in promoting relaxation, it did not demonstrate a benefit compared to traditional in sensu imagery. Future developments might increase the potential of AI and VR as an effective tool for promoting relaxation. Clinical Trial: No trial registration per se - but preregistered analysis plan at the Open Science Framework on the 8th of February 2025. (OSF, DOI: 10.17605/OSF.IO/BP53A)