ABSTRACT
The most common immersive Virtual Reality (VR) devices to date are head mounted displays or cave automatic virtual environments, of which both can create immersion, despite their very different setups. The potentials of VR for mental training, however, remain to be explored. Along the lines of using VR for exposure therapy to treat phobias, C. Stinson and D. A. Bowman developed a resilience training system for athletes to simulate and practice high-pressure situations. In a single-case study on biofeedback, VR was used to practice breathing skills during golf performance and to test the athlete’s performance playing nine holes of VR golf. Results of VR studies on anxiety/pressure, attentional focus, observation, and imagery indicate that VR may be a valuable way to augment mental training. Collaborative research is warranted to explore the potentials and limits of immersive, interactive VR systems together with related embodied experiences for future VR-based mental training.
