IMPACT OF VIRTUAL REALITY-BASED IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE ON SPIRITUAL AWARENESS AND SOCIAL SOLIDARITY: EVIDENCE FROM INDONESIA

The rapid advancement of digital technology presents a unique paradox in religious communities: while religious observance remains high, social pathologies such as drug abuse and juvenile delinquency continue to rise. This study explores the potential of Immersive Experience based on Virtual Reality (VR) as an intervention tool to bridge this gap. Specifically, it examines how simulating the history of the Prophet Muhammad SAW through VR affects Spiritual Awareness and Social Solidarity among the youth in Jember, Indonesia. Using a quantitative approach with Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), data were collected from 211 respondents selected via purposive sampling. The results demonstrate that the Immersive Experience has a significant and positive influence on both Spiritual Awareness (T-statistic = 15.512, p < 0.001) and Social Solidarity (T-statistic = 15.288, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the model explains a moderate to substantial amount of variance in the dependent variables (R2 > 0.40), with discriminant validity confirmed by HTMT ratios < 0.90. These findings suggest that VR technology can transcend its entertainment value to become a transformative medium for spiritual and social education, fostering a "Digital Transcendence" that strengthens both vertical and horizontal human relationships.