Shauna Shapiro is a professor, author, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion. Nearly one million people have watched her 2017 TEDx talk “The Power of Mindfulness," rated top 10 talks on mindfulness. Dr. Shapiro has published over 150 journal articles and co-authored two critically acclaimed books translated into 14 languages: The Art and Science of Mindfulness, and Mindful Discipline. Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Mashable, Wired, USA Today, Dr. Oz, the Huffington Post, Yoga Journal, and the American Psychologist. Dr. Shapiro has been an invited speaker for the King of Thailand, the Danish Government, Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Summit, and the World Council for Psychotherapy, as well as for Fortune 100 Companies including Google, Cisco Systems, Proctor & Gamble, and Genentech. Dr. Shapiro is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, co-founded by the Dalai Lama. Link to video: https://youtu.be/jjUoCE3p5-c http://www.drshaunashapiro.com/

1. Marko Suvajdzic, Ph. D, Associate Professor, Digital Worlds Institute, University of Florid
VIRTUAL REALITY & MINDFULNESS:
IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
Collaborators: Marko Suvajdzic, Azra Bihorac, Parisa Rashidi
University of Florida
Santa Clara University

3. Aim of study: To develop and assess a novel, immersive, intelligent system to
decrease anxiety, improve quality of sleep, reduce pain, lower usage of sedatives,
and stimulate cognition in ICU patients.
The proposed system includes a subset, or a combination of, 3-axis wearable
accelerometers, 6-DOF position trackers, and virtual reality system (VR).
INTRODUCTION

4. VR encompasses a whole ontology of telepresence, of
sensory immersion, and immaterial connectivity, which
affords the construction of new worlds completely
liberated from the constrains of mundane physics.
Virtual Reality

5. Transferring our consciousness from where
our body physically is to a space where we
believe we are. An immersive virtual
environment is capable of fully engaging our
mind so it no longer relates to the actual
location of the body, but its totally engaged
with the virtual reality that is being
experienced.
Virtual Reality

6. Hypothesis: 3Dcyberspace can be used to effectively train mindfulness in ICU patients.
ICU patients have just suffered significant trauma (through surgery or an accident). Lying in
hospital beds, florescent lights, beeping sounds, significant pain.
VR offers a way to give ICU patients a respite from their challenging environment, while
simultaneously teaching them skills to help them cope when they return to their reality.
Example of being caught in a downpour of RAIN. VR is the shelter, Mindfulness is the
umbrella…
Mindfulness and VR

7. Intention – Why you are practicing, what is most important to you.
Attention – Training the attention in the present moment.
Attitude – How you pay attention, KINDNESS AND CURIOSITY
Mindfulness Practice

9. DrShaunaShapiro.com

10. Extra Material.

11. The proposed DREAMS system combines:
A. An immersive digital reality-augmenting system consisting of a
commercially-available virtual reality headset to deliver a mindfulness
practice/experience.
B. SweetDreams platform including physiologic sensors for measurement of
movement, physiologic and emotional responses (3-axis wearable
accelerometers, video camera) and environmental sensors for light and
noise exposures.
C. Electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors for measurement of sleep quality
and response to therapy.
VR IN ICU