Inner Activity is a multi-sensory virtual reality art installation that combines VR, sound healing techniques, and physical elements to induce a meditative state. It uses the Oculus Rift headset and a tactile bass system to immerse participants in synchronized audiovisual and haptic experiences. The installation is designed to transition users from the real world into a virtual environment through rituals like removing shoes, in order to explore potential health and therapeutic applications of VR. Future work will evaluate its effectiveness and involve measuring biometric data to provide real-time biofeedback to users.

1. Inner Activity
Anshul Pendse*, Natalie Gravier, David Deedwania, Marientina Gotsis, Mike Patterson, Chanel Summers
School of Cinematic Arts, University of Southern California
Figure 1: The Inner Activity logotype.
Abstract
Inner Activity is a multi-sensory virtual reality experience
presented as a physical art installation. It combines interaction
design and game technologies, sound healing and vibro-acoustic
therapy techniques, physical set design, and concepts from
meditation and spirituality. It utilizes the Oculus Rift and the
SubPac, a tactile bass system for achieving whole body
stimulation through synchronized audiovisual, haptic and
olfactory feedback. This experience is a preliminary exploration
into potential applications for using immersive virtual reality
entertainment in healthcare, therapy and medicine.
Concepts: General and reference~Experimentation • General
and reference~Design • Human-centered computing~Haptic
devices • Computing methodologies~Virtual reality • Applied
computing~Consumer health • Hardware~Sound-based input /
output • Software and its engineering~Interactive games
Keywords: Virtual reality, multi-sensory, vibro-acoustic therapy
1 Art Concept
Inner Activity explores the ritual of transitioning from the real
world to the virtual world using building blocks of meditation and
spirituality. Presented as an art installation, the curated set design
evokes a spiritual atmosphere through the use of visual motifs
from Indian sacred spaces. Participants go through the ritual of
removing their footwear before entering the sacred space, donning
the electronic hardware and being transported into another reality
where they can have a mystical experience. These simple rituals,
such as removing shoes, can enhance participation in public
exhibitions of virtual reality [Gotsis et al. 2004]. The experience
aims to induce a state of meditative trance through synchronized
stimulation of multiple senses, and the contrast between periods
of sensory over-stimulation followed by lack of stimulation. The
use of essential oil scents in the sacred space at particular
moments during the experience complement the sensory
immersion of the participants. The VR experience tries to create
the feeling of awe, which can in turn contribute to the
development of positivity, peace and harmony within participants.
The project incorporates sound healing techniques, and sounds
and frequencies from various indigenous cultures into the sound
design in an attempt to create music and auditory ambience that
has therapeutic qualities. This is accomplished through the
combination of indigenous musical instruments, archetypal and
universal sounds, resonant frequencies and techniques, such as
rhythmic entrainment, which can have a powerful effect on the
participant and their state of mind [Phillips-Silver et al. 2010].
Figure 2: The Inner Activity installation from the outside (left)
and from the inside (right) with participant wearing the Rift.
2 Background
Inner Activity was developed as an MFA thesis project in the
Interactive Media & Games Division at the School of Cinematic
Arts, University of Southern California. The project was inspired
by prior art including Osmose [Davies 1998],
Soundself by Robin Arnott, and Rhythm and the Brain Project by
Adam Gazzaley and Mickey Hart. The project attempts to
combine concepts and techniques from wellness programs
integrated through virtual reality (VR) and vibro-acoustic sound
technology. Preliminary formative research into future
*email: anshulpendse@gmail.com
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Owner/Author. Copyright is held by the owner/author(s).
SIGGRAPH '16 VR Village, July 24-28, 2016, Anaheim, CA,
ACM 978-1-4503-4377-0/16/07.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1145/2929490.2932421

2. applications for this project include tinnitus treatment for which
VR and cognitive behavioral therapy have shown some
effectiveness [Malinvaud et al. 2016]. VR has been also found
effective for dealing with trauma, pain and specific phobias
exposure therapy techniques [Bohil et al. 2011]. The combination
of biofeedback and virtual reality is the next frontier of emerging
research in this field [van Rooij et al. 2016; Lobel et al. 2016].
While the current focus of the project is on experimental sound
design[Summers et al. 2015], future iterations will be exploring
the use of real-time biometric sensing to bring awareness to the
user's internal bodily processes.
Figure 3: Inner Activity virtual environment meditation mandala
(top) and virtual forest close-up (bottom).
3 Future Work
This project’s efficacy and effectiveness in wellness and
healthcare settings needs to be validated through pilot testing and
clinical trials. The project has the potential to become a new
immersive treatment. Inner Activity aims to introduce new kinds
of therapy modalities, which have the potential to become medical
tools of the future. By blurring the lines between immersive
entertainment and digitally mediated therapy, the project aspires
to join a new genre of interactive entertainment that can be
thought of as “mindful entertainment”.
Acknowledgements
Team: Anshul Pendse (Creative & Technical Director), Natalie
Gravier (Art Director), David Deedwania (Composer & Sound
Designer), Zekia Zhan (Cinematography), Sagar Ramesh (CG
Artist). Advisors: Chanel Summers, Marientina Gotsis, Mike
Patterson, Candace Reckinger, Mark Bolas, Dennis Wixon,
Vangelis Lympouridis, Seth Horowitz, Rick A. Friedman, Elina
Kari. Collaborations: Experimental Audio Design Lab; Creative
Media & Behavioral Health Center; Mixed Reality Studio; Caruso
Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Keck
School of Medicine, University of Southern California;
Developmental Psychopathology Department, Behavioral
Sciences Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen.
Figure 4: Participants wearing SubPac and Oculus Rift inside the
Inner Activity dome.
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