[Although this story from Blooloop doesn’t use the term, several elements of Not Fade Away, a new immersive media attraction next to the historic Surf Ballroom music venue in Clear Lake, Iowa, are designed to evoke presence. See the original version of the story for three more pictures, and for more information see the Clear Lake and Surf Ballroom websites. A 2:02 minute video news report is available from KAAL ABC 6 TV in Clear Lake. –Matthew] Trivium Interactive helps bring immersive storytelling to Surf Ballroom with Not Fade Away New multimedia experience tells the story of the iconic museum…

[Researchers in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota are testing the potential benefits of a program of nature experiences via virtual reality for children and adolescents who are undergoing stem cell transplants to treat cancer. An “adapted” version of this story was published on January 9, 2026 by the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. More details about the study are available at ClinicalTrials.gov. –Matthew] [Image: Assistant Professor Erica Timko Olson explains how to use the virtual reality headset and controllers to a young patient]. Virtual reality may offer a natural escape for young cancer patients A new…

[The very short story below, from the website of KOAT in Albuquerque, New Mexico, describes that city’s role in the 2026 celebration of the 100th anniversary of the famous U.S. highway Route 66, a celebration that includes a variety of presence-evoking experiences. For context, an October 2025 story from the University of New Mexico includes this: “U.S. Route 66, also known as The Mother Road, starts in Chicago, Ill., and ends at the Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif. It passes through eight states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, for a total of 2,448…

[The 10 campuses of the University of Hawaii are using AI chatbots to provide both information and personal support to their students. This story describes the funded project and indicators of its success, including the level of student engagement (which likely includes medium-as-social-actor presence). The original version of the story includes a YouTube short, and there’s a second one in one of the related stories linked at the end. For more information on this topic, you can listen to (or read the transcript of) a half-hour episode (no. 174) of the podcast The Key with Inside Higher Ed titled “Voices…

[The film described in this story from the Chicago Sun-Times uses virtual reality technology to give users the first-person experience of a refugee’s escape from the Cambodian genocide and decades-long search for his son. The article notes that: “A standout feature of the virtual reality experience is the hyper-realistic digital replica of [the refugee Pin] Yathay, which participants encounter before they embody him. [Filmmaker and technologist Victoria] Bousis said she used artificial intelligence to ensure Yathay’s digital eyes followed the participant’s movements, thus establishing an emotional connection.” See the original version of the story for five more pictures. In addition…

[Here’s an intriguing proposal for one or many structures called Telepresence Observation Pavilions. It’s from the Trend Hunter website, where you can find seven more images. For more about the person proposing the Pavilions and his other work, see architect Michael Jantzen‘s page on the site (and for more about Trend Hunter see the site’s About page). –Matthew] The Telepresence Observation Pavilion January 12, 2026 The Telepresence Observation Pavilion is a proposal for an observation tower that does not have to be fabricated in the traditional way, in order for visitors to enjoy elevated views of various landscapes. In this…

[This interesting story from Fast Company captures the challenges and opportunities of being among the first creators figuring out how to best utilize the presence-evoking capabilities of immersive media, in this case, the Apple Vision Pro spatial computing device. See the original version of the story for five more pictures and a 1:06:55 minute video (also on YouTube). –Matthew] With Apple’s help, storytellers are figuring out Vision Pro The headset opens up immersive new opportunities for dramas, documentaries, music videos, and beyond. Some filmmakers and developers are diving right in. By Harry McCrackenDecember 17, 2025 More than any other Apple…

[The presence-evoking virtual reality experience “Taste of Exile” described in this story from Philadelphia’s WHYY “immerses participants in an animated meal prepared by immigrant chefs… to explore the immigrant experience of displacement and resilience.” Note the creator’s interesting comments analogizing the displacement and disassociation of VR and immigration. See the original version of the story for two more images; you can watch a 2:11 minute video of a prototype of the experience on Vimeo. For more information and context, see the essays at the link in the story and visit the websites of Illya Mousavijad, Paloma Martinez-Cruz  and Cristina Martinez.…

[This story from the Los Angeles Times describes a virtual reality film being created by a team led by our colleague Nonny de la Peña to document the emotional effects of devastating fires that occurred in that city a year ago. Note the indirect and direct references to presence. See the original version of the story for three large, vivid images.  –Matthew] [Image: Musician David Low plays the cello in a scene from the virtual reality film “Out of the Ashes,” a work in progress that aims to capture the devastation, rebuilding and emotional toll of Palisades and Eaton fires.…

[A team of researchers at the University of Florida studied audience reactions to different types of cultural experiences in presence-evoking virtual reality, with some interesting results. In addition to the link in the second paragraph below, you can read the research report at ResearchGate (at this writing at least). –Matthew] Bringing Van Gogh to life: How VR could redefine the way we experience art and culture By Alisha Katz, APRJanuary 7, 2026 Tampa crowds are currently sailing underneath Vincent van Gogh’s twinkling “Starry Night” and drifting through his golden “Wheat Fields” in the 360-degree digital art exhibition, “Van Gogh: The…

[This story from the PC gaming website Rock Paper Shotgun describes the presence-enhancing effects of a new free, open-source VR mod that turns 2D images into 3D interactions for thousands of existing games, The author reports that with the mod “it really starts feeling like you’re there in the thick of it, blasting raiders and sneaking through space stations,” and that with it he found himself “having to remind myself it was just a game.” See the original version of the story for two more images and a 2:29 minute video (also available on YouTube). –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Gearbox Software]…

[A new study has demonstrated mostly positive effects of using virtual reality to simulate a near death experience. Details are in this story from Texas A&M University (also available from Medical Xpress). See also related ISPR Presence News posts from October 2022 and August 2017. –Matthew] [Image: Top left: Out-of-Body Experience, top right: Lights and Dark Tunnel, bottom left: Peaceful Landscape, bottom right: Encountering Friends and Family. Credit: Frontiers in Virtual Reality (2025). DOI: 10.3389/frvir.2025.1644131. Source: Medical Xpress] Texas A&M University researchers use virtual reality to reduce anxiety about death Pilot study finds immersive VR experience can significantly lower fear of death…