Exploring Breaking News Research and POV on Mental Health Immersive Therapy with Apple Vision Pro (January 29, 2026) – Ryan Schultz

reference: This is a somewhat edited first draft of the notes I frantically took down during this live stream because I wanted to get the word out there about a very interesting application for Apple Vision Pro! Yesterday I came across an announcement about how Apple Vision Pro is being used in research to determine its effectiveness as a support for people suffering from anxiety and depression. As an avid AVP user and Explore POV subscriber, and As a mental health consumer, I will never miss this presentation streamed on LinkedIn (a first for me; I usually use Microsoft Teams or Zoom for these kinds of online events).

I was originally thinking of using AVP’s virtual display feature on my MacBook Pro (due to recent typical work setup, neck and shoulder pain), but I thought: BetterLet’s not make things too complicated. Apparently this is also streaming on YouTube, I’ll look for it later. update: Added YouTube link at the end.

Any omissions or errors are my fault. Sorry, I can only take notes so quickly!

Presenters for the live stream include:

Hala Darwish, Associate Professor, Nursing/Neurology/Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan (currently conducting research, still in early stages)

Jeremy Dalton, XRHQ (event moderator, former head of immersive technology at PwC)

James Hustler, Explore POV (3D video creator named Apple Vision Pro App of the Year 2025, https://exploreimmersive.com)

Event Description: Research is currently underway using Apple Vision Pro to immerse patients in breathtaking natural environments to see whether these experiences can help people suffering from anxiety and depression. Dr. James Hustler, creator of the award-winning Explore POV app, and Associate Professor at the University of Michigan. Join Hala Darwish for a live discussion hosted by XRHQ’s Jeremy Dalton. Together we will explore the technology, the clinical thinking that inspired it, and what it could mean for the future of digital care.

(Unfortunately, I missed the first few minutes while I was fiddling with the sound settings and trying to get the earbuds to work properly, so I missed Jeremy and Hala’s introduction.)

James Hustler travels the world recording amazing 3D videos and sharing them through his subscription service, Explore POV (which I previously wrote about here). While living in a camper van in New Zealand during the pandemic, he began recording 3D videos to share with friends.

Hala is interested in the relationship between mental health and the environment and is conducting early-stage research. Many people do not have access to certain environments (e.g. urban environments with little nature). People may also have access issues (e.g. disabilities). Hala looked to VR as an alternative to real-world experiences, and when they started in 2019, the technology wasn’t quite ready (they tried it with 360-degree video, but felt it didn’t work very well in practice – low resolution, causing motion sickness, etc.). She then tried computer-generated nature graphics for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2023, Apple Vision Pro was released and Hala had a demo. We decided to switch from 360-degree VR videos to 180-degree VR videos.

James: The VR 360-degree video format is not new, but until recently it wasn’t high enough resolution to create a true sense of presence. That is, in an intellectual response emotional The reaction of being there. Explore POV now records in 16K resolution and is experimenting with Apple Immersive Video. The goal is to capture the scene so that the user feels as if it is real.

Hala: Transporting individuals to these natural environments appears to have health benefits (mental and physical health, stress relief, etc.). In addition to Hala’s research areas of anxiety and depression relief, VR is also being used to treat phobias (exposure therapy), performance anxiety (e.g. fear of public speaking), pain management, and as a distraction method.

When asked about feedback on his videos, James said: Although Explore POV was created as a travel app, hundreds of people are contacting him about their mental and emotional reactions to VR video footage, and he says it’s their first time climbing a mountain or paddling a kayak. People have told James that they use the Explore POV app to relax after a stressful day at work. This kind of feedback opened James’ eyes to the possibilities of 3D video in VR. He originally approached his work from a technical problem (e.g. how to create highest resolution 3D video in VR). He emphasized that all these reactions are anecdotal, but scientific evidence is needed.

Hala said of his research: We would like to conduct a clinical trial (but are currently testing feasibility and safety in a limited number of patients with advanced multiple sclerosis and depression). If I provide a patient (e.g. a patient with a disability) with an AVP for use at home, how can the patient use the headset? In the first study, patients were divided into three groups. This is a cross-sectional study. One group will receive standard treatment first and then VR treatment, and a second group will receive VR treatment first and then standard treatment. The third group received only standard treatment without VR intervention. This is an early-stage feasibility study involving 14, 14, and 12 patients in three categories of patients. She is also interested in studying long-term responses to VR therapy.

Hala: I think exposure to natural scenes in VR is a good adjunct to standard treatment. It is still too early to draw firm conclusions. We first want to see if this has an impact on stress and anxiety levels and then eventually expand to larger numbers of patients (currently only a small number).

Which environment has a greater impact? James: We expect to see what we see compared to previous academic research studies using real natural scenes (e.g. MRI brain scans after exposure to nature, e.g. hiking). There is already a large body of academic literature addressing the real-world effects of nature on anxiety and depression in people.

But so far there is nothing more than anecdotal results using nature in VR, and nothing scientific. This research is still in its early stages. For example, one early patient responded very well to the desert environment (but the sample size is only one!). James: If we’re aiming for tranquility, certain VR video environments (e.g. running water, sitting on a mountain watching the sunset, etc.) would be helpful. But again, that’s purely anecdotal at this point.

I asked James, the creator of Explore POV, the following question in a text chat during the live stream: Did James create a specific VR video environment for Hala’s research? .the answer was no. James has not yet created a specific VR video environment for Hala’s research. But so far we’ve shot about 200 videos in 20 countries for the Explore POV app (I think I said 200, but it was hard to keep an accurate note!). He points to a small, nimble team that can adapt quickly to meet the Hala research team’s requests if needed in the future.

In response to another user’s question about using Apple’s SharePlay feature, which allows people to share experiences with other Apple users through Personas, James said he would like to add this feature if possible. Yes, he wants to make Explore POV closer to a multiplayer experience if possible. He talks about people experiencing the same VR video sequentially in Explore POV and thereby “sharing” the experience with other people (e.g. a father and daughter, if I remember correctly).

James: For people who are physically unable to travel due to disability or other reasons, technology is opening up experiences they would never have had otherwise. He thinks we are in an amazing position to be able to give some of these people the experience of visiting remote places that have an impact not only on healthcare, but also on conservation, education and more.

Hala: The academic research process is slow due to recruitment bottlenecks, but the research period (before results are published) is estimated at two years. He points out that in most cases, the people who need nature exposure the most don’t have access to it (they can’t afford Apple Vision Pro, for example).

(Unfortunately for Hala, her remarks soon disappeared from the stream and two other presenters finished them off!)

Conservation, education and healthcare are three areas James wants to focus on with Explore Immersive. In addition to participating in Hala’s research studies, he also works in conservation and educational applications. He hopes to initiate new partnerships in these three key areas and wants to make Explore POV more than “just a travel app.”

In case you missed the livestream, watch the 53-minute YouTube video (Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to embed that content in my blog post, so you’ll have to actually watch it on YouTube.). sorry! Still, I highly recommend you go and watch it. It was amazing and touching.

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