I’m honored to share that I’ve been named a Champion by EngageXR. I made this video as a thank you. This work is part of a broader journey I've been on — integrating traditional Theravāda Buddhist practice, embodiment-based coaching, and careful psychological research into how new technologies can support (but never replace) human flourishing. This Substack will continue exploring these intersections, always grounded in discernment and respect for the Dhamma.
As a serious lay practitioner of Theravāda Buddhism, a certified embodiment coach through Embodiment Unlimited, and a doctoral candidate in media psychology, my work is guided by a deep commitment to the Dhamma — and by a careful discernment regarding technology’s place in supporting human well-being.
Virtual reality is not a substitute for the Path. It cannot replace the discipline of virtue (sīla), the cultivation of concentration (samādhi), or the development of wisdom (paññā). However, when used skillfully, it can offer supportive conditions for certain embodied practices, particularly for individuals disconnected from their sensory and emotional awareness in an increasingly disembodied digital world.
A growing body of research suggests that VR can enhance therapeutic interventions by creating immersive environments that foster mindfulness, emotional regulation, and bodily presence. 1 2 Mindfulness-based interventions adapted into VR have shown promising outcomes for stress, anxiety, and chronic pain management. 3 4
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I undertook an audio documentary project, interviewing eleven experts, practitioners, and creatives working in the emerging field of virtual reality. At that time, I did not yet own a VR headset myself. I was drawn to the space by a deeper question: what had these veterans learned, and what seeds of wisdom might they pass along to those, like me, standing at the threshold of this new medium? You can listen to the 6-part docu-series below.
When I eventually entered VR, I discovered firsthand that the experience is not universally positive and not universally embodied. I experience significant motion sickness in VR, a reminder that technological immersion is not the same as embodied presence. Research in cognitive science has confirmed this distinction: cognitive presence — the mental sensation of "being there" — is not identical to embodied presence, which involves the sensory and proprioceptive systems rooted in direct bodily experience. 5 6 True embodiment requires the integration of interoceptive (internal bodily) awareness, not merely visual or narrative immersion.
This distinction is critical. VR can simulate environments that feel present to the mind, but without careful design — and often even with it — it may not engage the deeper bodily systems that anchor awareness in reality. As a Buddhist and embodiment coach, this insight shapes my cautious, deliberate use of VR technologies: always remembering that tools are not the goal, and that embodiment must be lived, not merely simulated.
In EngageXR, I have found a platform that makes it possible to guide foundational practices like the body scan meditation in a naturalistic virtual setting, carefully designed to support relaxation, attention, and somatic awareness.
My current research study uses EngageXR to examine the effects of guided body scans in VR natural environments, specifically investigating how immersive settings may support mental wellness among male participants. This work extends existing findings on VR-supported mindfulness interventions, 7while always remaining rooted in the understanding that VR is a tool, not a Path.
Before my doctoral work, I spent nearly two decades teaching in community colleges, helping adults develop skills in media, communication, and critical thinking. In all settings, my goal remains the same: to foster direct, embodied awareness of reality, not escape from it.
I am deeply grateful to EngageXR for providing a platform that can, when used with discernment, support the cultivation of mindful embodiment in a digital age increasingly marked by distraction. It is a privilege to walk this delicate path with care.
I’d love to know how you personally relate to embodiment — online or offline. Do you find presence harder or easier to access in digital environments? Feel free to share in the comments if it feels meaningful.
For those interested in exploring some of the foundational concepts mentioned here, I’ve included a few resources below.
Further Reading
What is a Body Scan?
A body scan is a systematic mindfulness practice where attention is gradually moved through different parts of the body, observing sensations without judgment. It supports the development of somatic awareness and anchors attention in direct experience.
Mindfulness in Virtual Reality
Seabrook, E., Kelly, R., Foley, F., Theiler, S., Thomas, N., & Wadley, G. (2020). Understanding how virtual reality can support mindfulness practice: Mixed methods study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(3), e16106. https://doi.org/10.2196/16106
Why Embodiment Matters in Buddhism
In Theravāda Buddhism, direct bodily awareness is foundational to the practice of satipaṭṭhāna (the Four Foundations of Mindfulness). Mindfulness of the body (kāyānupassanā) trains the mind to perceive impermanence (anicca), suffering (dukkha), and non-self (anattā) not as abstractions, but as direct, lived truths. Without embodiment, wisdom cannot take root. 8
References
Navarro-Haro, M. V., Modrego-Alarcón, M., Hoffman, H. G., López-Montoyo, A., Navarro-Gil, M., Montero-Marin, J., ... & García-Campayo, J. (2017). Evaluation of a mindfulness-based intervention program applied in virtual reality for patients with generalized anxiety disorder: A pilot study. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 17(2), 125–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2017.02.001
Seabrook, E., Kelly, R., Foley, F., Theiler, S., Thomas, N., & Wadley, G. (2020). Understanding how virtual reality can support mindfulness practice: Mixed methods study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(3), e16106. https://doi.org/10.2196/16106
Gromala, D., Tong, X., Choo, A., Karamnejad, M., & Shaw, C. (2015). The virtual meditative walk: Virtual reality therapy for chronic pain management. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’15), 521–524. https://doi.org/10.1145/2702123.2702344
Tarrant, J., Viczko, J., & Cope, H. (2018). Virtual reality for anxiety reduction demonstrated by quantitative EEG: A pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1280. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01280
Slater, M. (2009). Place illusion and plausibility can lead to realistic behaviour in immersive virtual environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 364(1535), 3549–3557. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0138
(Summary: Slater famously distinguished "place illusion" (cognitive "I'm here") from true behavioral realism and embodiment.)
Riva, G., & Waterworth, J. A. (2014). Being Present in a Virtual World. In G. Riva, J.A. Waterworth, & D. Murray (Eds.), Interacting with Presence: HCI and the Sense of Presence in Computer-Mediated Environments. De Gruyter Open. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110409708
(Summary: They discuss how presence depends not just on mental "immersion" but also on bodily, sensorimotor integration.)
Wieczorek, A., Schricker, J., Körber, M., & Göritz, A. S. (2024). Effects of virtual reality–based mindfulness interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e51126. https://doi.org/10.2196/51126
Ṭhānissaro Bhikku. (2017). On the Path: An Anthology on the Noble Eightfold Path Drawn from the Pāli Canon. https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/OnThePath210213.pdf
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