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Background: Embodied States: Immersive Practice and Somatic Experience in 360° Video is an installation by coVR Production, a Romanian immersive media studio. It combines three 360° video works—Dancetopic (2021), amniotic artheraπ (2023), and touch XRtherapy (2024)—to explore embodiment, movement, and therapeutic reflection. Developed via artistic research and therapeutic residencies, it frames virtual reality as somatic inquiry rather than spectacle, emphasizing bodily awareness over narrative elements.

Objectives: The installation aims to heighten embodied awareness through immersive encounters prioritizing sensation; activate movement and reflection via dance interrogation (Dancetopic), therapeutic containment (amniotic artheraπ), and guided gestures (touch XRtherapy); encourage non-verbal participation centered on the viewer’s body; and embed immersive media in healing arts discourse, focusing on agency and process rather than clinical outcomes.

Methods: Presented as a seated, individual VR experience with standalone headsets and integrated audio in quiet, softly lit spaces with comfortable seating and facilitation presence to support first-time VR users. Participants select works freely, the flows are curated to guide movement and attention without demanding interactivity beyond natural gestural presence.

Insigths/Results:

• Dancetopic promotes somatic resonance with choreography, shifting viewers to felt bodily presence.
• amniotic artheraπ creates an enveloping sensory field evoking containment and affective depth for inner engagement.
• touch XRtherapy invites real-world gestures during immersion, connecting virtual perception to embodied action.

Conclusion: Embodied States repositions VR for reflective somatic exploration, fostering agency and presence. It enriches healing arts discussions by showcasing ethical, non-instrumental immersive applications, supporting embodied arts and participatory frameworks in art, care, and technology.