Virtual reality awe experience enhances vagal recovery from acute stress: A comparative study of high and low sense of coherence

Objective The sense of coherence (SOC) plays a crucial role in maintaining health. Individuals with a low SOC exhibit poor heart rate variability (HRV) recovery after stress, indicating reduced cardiac vagal control. Enhanced vagal activity may mitigate stress effects, and the awe experience has emerged as a promising therapeutic approach. However, no study has investigated how the awe experience influences vagal recovery across different SOC levels using the HRV method. We aimed to determine whether the awe experience through virtual reality (VR) promotes vagal recovery from experimentally induced acute stress in individuals with different SOC levels. Methods Thirty-two healthy university students were classified into low and high SOC groups. HRV, indexed by the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), was continuously recorded at baseline, during speech preparation (stress phase), and during the awe phase (recovery phase). Awe was experimentally induced through 360° immersive VR video exposure following the stress phase. Results There was a significant interaction (p=0.008, partial η²=0.170) between the SOC group and the experimental phase. During the reactivity (baseline to stress phase), the high SOC group exhibited a significant RMSSD decrease (p=0.006, d=0.936), whereas the low SOC group exhibited no significant change. During the recovery (stress to recovery phase), both groups exhibited significant RMSSD increases (low SOC: p<0.001, d=1.180; high SOC: p<0.001, d=1.181). Conclusion These findings suggest that the awe experience may serve as a potential compensatory resource for vagal recovery, informing the development of preliminary therapeutic interventions for individuals with a low SOC.