"I Feel Myself So Small!": Designing and Evaluating VR Awe Experiences Based on Theories Related to Sublime

TL;DR

The paper tackles the lack of systematic design guidance for eliciting awe in VR by grounding design in theories of the sublime and embodiment. It develops three VR scenes—sublime, embodied sublime, and a control—and evaluates them in a within-subject study (N=28) using the Awe Experience Scale and embodiment measures, complemented by qualitative interviews. Results show sublime-based design significantly increases awe, while adding embodied elements elevates embodiment but not awe, highlighting design trade-offs between terror, distance, and obscurity. The work offers practical guidelines for crafting awe-inspiring VR experiences and contributes a theoretically grounded rationale for sublime-inspired VR design, with implications for wellbeing and prosocial outcomes.

Abstract

Research suggests the potential of employing VR to elicit awe experiences, thereby promoting well-being. Building upon theories related to the sublime and embodiment, we designed three VR scenes to evaluate the effectiveness of sublime and embodied design elements in invoking awe experiences. We conducted a within-subject study involving 28 young adults who experienced the three VR designs. Results demonstrated that the VR design with sublime elements significantly elicited more intense awe experiences compared to the one without, while adding embodied elements did not enhance the intensity of awe. Qualitative interviews revealed critical design elements (e.g., the obscure event should be reasonable) and their underlying mechanisms (e.g., leading to feelings of enlightenment) in invoking awe experiences. We further discuss considerations and implications for the design of effective awe-inspiring VR applications.

Figures (8)

• Figure 1: Three versions of the VR design: (a) VR-Sublime, (b) VR-Embodied Sublime, and (c) VR-Control.
• Figure 2: (a) A viewer finds himself/herself standing on the beach with a virtual body. (b) The viewer witnesses the gradual descent of the sun. (c-d) After the sunset, a huge wave begins to rise from the sea at a distance from the viewer. (e) When the waves reach halfway to their highest point, virtual rain falls. Meanwhile, a vast moon slowly ascends since sunset, eventually reaching the upper part of the viewer's field of vision. (f-g) The huge wave gradually moves away from the viewer and descends back into the sea, with the moon also slowly descending. (h) After the moon sets, the sun rises again, casting warm sunlight on the beach.
• Figure 3: The research facilitator sprinkled water on the participant while she was experiencing “raindrops” in the VR environment.
• Figure 4: Experimental design for research questions.
• Figure 5: Study procedure.