Combating Stress with Immersive Neurofeedback

Stress has long become part of everyday life for many people in Switzerland. The increasing burden of time pressure, constant accessibility, and high performance demands is leading ever more frequently to mental exhaustion (Health Promotion Switzerland, 2022). An innovative approach to stress prevention is neurofeedback training – particularly when it is made more immersive and motivating with virtual reality.

According to the World Health Organization, stress ranks among the greatest health risks of the 21st century (WHO, 2020). The consequences range from concentration problems and declining performance to serious illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, depression, burnout, or anxiety disorders. As a result, companies and institutions increasingly search for effective prevention measures to support their employees.

Immersive Neurofeedback: An Innovative Training Approach

An approach that has gained increasing attention in recent years is neurofeedback training. Participants learn to positively influence their brain activity in real-time – for example, to deliberately induce a state of relaxation. Studies show that regular neurofeedback training can be helpful in reducing stress, improving attention, and strengthening emotional regulation (Thibault et al., 2018; Marzbani et al., 2016). Since this is a training method, repetition and practice are essential prerequisites for sustainable success.

Against this background, a project funded by the BFH thematic field Humane Digital Transformation raised the question of how neurofeedback training could be made more motivating and attractive. The goal of the “Immersive Neurofeedback” project was to investigate whether VR-supported training could enhance user experience and motivation compared to a traditional screen-based training.

For the study, 27 participants each completed two sham neurofeedback sessions – once in the traditional setting with a screen and once in an immersive virtual environment using VR goggles. The virtual training environment developed at BFH simulated a flight through space: the goal was to slow down the pace of a spaceship through mental relaxation while it traverses a meteorite field.

Five key parameters were measured: the subjectively perceived relaxation state, physical well-being (e.g., the occurrence of nausea or headaches), user experience, technology acceptance, and behavior-based motivation – measured by the amount of training time voluntarily invested.

More Motivation Through Immersion

The results of our study paint a nuanced picture. Regarding technology acceptance and physical well-being, no significant differences were found between the two training environments. Particularly noteworthy: the VR-supported neurofeedback training did not cause any physical side effects such as nausea or headaches – symptoms known as cybersickness that commonly occur with immersive technologies (Rebenitsch & Owen, 2016).

The differences in user experience, however, were more striking. Unsurprisingly, participants rated the VR training as significantly more “novel” and exciting – an important finding, since engaging and innovative experiences typically promote more intensive participation. This became particularly evident in training motivation: in the VR environment, participants trained significantly longer than in the traditional setup. This behavior hints at increased intrinsic motivation – a crucial factor for the long-term success of training programs (Deci & Ryan, 2000). However, no immediate effect of VR on the perceived relaxation state could be established.

Virtual Reality and Neurofeedback – A Future Model for Stress Management?

Our results suggest that virtual reality can be a promising means of increasing interest in neurofeedback training – particularly in professional contexts. While this study found no immediate effect on subjective relaxation perception, there are plausible explanations for this: first, the training duration of only two sessions was very short – significantly more sessions are typically required for sustainable effects. Second, no specifically stressed individuals were recruited, which naturally limits the potential for stress reduction.

Nevertheless, the positive feedback on user experience and increased training motivation show that VR can offer clear added value – especially in applications that depend on regular participation.

Whether significant effects on stress levels and recovery also emerge in more heavily burdened work environments must be examined in future studies. Similarly, the long-term impacts on stress regulation and resilience need to be researched more thoroughly.

One thing, however, is already clear: the combination of neurofeedback and virtual reality holds great potential for modern, effective workplace prevention programs.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268.

Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz. (2022). Dossier: Stress | Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz. Retrieved 15 May 2025, from https://gesundheitsfoerderung.ch/node/9466

Marzbani, H., Marateb, H. R., & Mansourian, M. (2016). Methodological note: Neurofeedback: A comprehensive review on system design, methodology and clinical applications. Biomedical Engineering: Applications, Basis and Communications, 28(03), 1630005.

Rebenitsch, L., & Owen, C. (2016). Review on cybersickness in applications and visual displays. Virtual Reality, 20(2), 101–125.

Thibault, R. T., Lifshitz, M., Birbaumer, N., & Raz, A. (2018). Neurofeedback, self-regulation, and brain imaging: Clinical science and fad in the service of mental disorders. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 87(4), 193–207.

WHO (2020). Occupational health: Stress at the workplace. World Health Organization.