When the past meets the future: VR-evoked nostalgia as a pathway to subjective wellbeing

[en] Nostalgia, a powerful emotion frequently used in marketing, has been linked to subjective wellbeing. While virtual reality (VR) offers many benefits for brands and consumers, its connection to wellbeing remains underexplored. Drawing on self-determination theory, we explore the relationships between subjective wellbeing, types of nostalgia, and VR features. Our qualitative research focuses on Eternelle Notre Dame and involves various participant groups. Our analysis reveals that VR-evoked nostalgia supports three manifestations of wellbeing: temporal relatedness, self-realization and experience mastery. We also provide evidence of the VR features that relate to these dimensions. By exploring how VR experiences, nostalgia, and subjective wellbeing intersect, we clarify the psychological and sociocultural mechanisms that underlie VR experiences and their impact on wellbeing. This study also provides insights for practitioners designing VR experiences to enhance wellbeing.

Research Center/Unit :

HEC Recherche. Marketing & Service Innovation - ULiège

Disciplines :

Marketing

Author, co-author :

Dessart, Laurence ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Marketing et intelligence stratégique

Standaert, Willem ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Marketing and Strategy

Schyns, Michael ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Opérations : Informatique de gestion

Mazurova, Elena ; Université de Liège - ULiège > HEC Liège : UER > UER Management : Marketing and Strategy

Language :

English

Title :

When the past meets the future: VR-evoked nostalgia as a pathway to subjective wellbeing

Publication date :

March 2026

Journal title :

Journal of Business Research

ISSN :

0148-2963

eISSN :

1873-7978

Publisher :

Elsevier BV

Volume :

206

Pages :

115987

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Tags :

HEC-Digital-Transformation
HEC-Sustainability

Development Goals :

3. Good health and well-being

Additional URL :

https://api.elsevier.com/content/article/PII:S0148296326000214?httpAccept=text/xml

Available on ORBi :

since 15 February 2026

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