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title: Interactive Virtual Reality Relaxes You in Minutes: Try It
description: Relax yourself by exploring the wonders of a bioluminescent forest in this self-guided, nonlinear virtual reality experience.
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# This Interactive Virtual Reality Experience Relaxes You in Minutes

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by 

[TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/)


## TIME Staff


Updated: Jan 17, 2024 3:50 PM UTCPublished: Sep 20, 2016 11:00 AM UTC

by 

[TIME Staff](https://time.com/author/time-staff/)


## TIME Staff


Updated: Jan 17, 2024 3:50 PM UTCPublished: Sep 20, 2016 11:00 AM UTC

Imagine leaving a stressful day behind and slipping into a magical forest of calming lights and sounds.

That’s the vision of LUMEN, a relaxing virtual reality experience that launches this week through [LIFE VR’s new mobile app](http://time.com/lifevr).

The app lets you calm yourself in minutes while exploring a bioluminescent forest with LUMEN, a self-guided, nonlinear meditation rooted at the intersection of virtual reality and wellness.

This virtual reality experience begins with a short breathing exercise, then places you in a luminous multicolored woodland where you’ll use ‘headset gaze’ to interact with the sights and sounds of your environment—and de-stress in the process. You’ll stimulate tree growth, choose a hue from the sky’s aurora display to customize your tranquil setting, and navigate a lush forest floor—giving colorful life to the dark and sparse landscape. The soundtrack, created by composer Peter Timberlake, evolves with your every interaction.

LUMEN was created in collaboration with Walter Greenleaf, PhD, of Stanford University’s [Virtual Human Interaction Lab](https://vhil.stanford.edu), and [Framestore’s VR Studio](http://framestorevr.com)—and Dr. Greenleaf and other Stanford research scientists at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital will be evaluating how LUMEN can help children who are undergoing difficult surgical procedures. The experience is just the tip of the interactive iceberg when it comes to the power of harnessing VR to better your life.

LUMEN is available exclusively through LIFE VR’s mobile app for iOS and Android, and on [Steam](http://store.steampowered.com/app/520040/LUMEN/) and [Viveport](https://www.viveport.com/apps/c666dd8d-e42b-403c-91d3-58693f268220) for the [HTC Vive](https://www.viveport.com/apps/c666dd8d-e42b-403c-91d3-58693f268220). To watch full experience and explore more exclusive virtual reality content download the LIFE VR app for iOS and Android or visit [time.com/lifevr](http://time.com/lifevr).

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