Video Game Meditation

I’ve learned a lot from my video games so much so that I call it my ‘video game meditation time’. A time for me to explore within the game I’m playing the natural dynamics of flow. How things move and change from moment to moment. And what triggers those changes. And what can I do to control those changes?

It all starts from a system like awareness. I wont lie, I got high. The world expanded and things that were there weren’t there before. It’s hard to explain the experience without analogy. As if there were more “algorithmic possibilities”. Things that weren’t noticed before were noticed. Captioned strongly in consciousness and somehow mysteriously integrated in a teleological way to the intent of my any action.

My mind moves with my thoughts from player to player and each in accord with the change of state being perceived in the game. A one, very strong conscious desire to focus on particular elements: defending each player, and as the ball moves, quickly anticipate it, get there before the ball and find the best angle. On defence, hold the LT button. On offense, be judicious with your use of the RT button. Both speeds are useful.

Focus on not “one thing” but the whole court. Each player, on your time. Somehow your mind takes it in and integrates the “My” with my focus of concentration. I pass when its time. But did I even see that? I don’t even feel like I was there when I made the decision. My unconscious takes over in flow. Experience is very ephemeral when you reach the deepest areas of it. But we never stay in the same state. We come in and out in and out. And everytime we feel ourselves “out” we try to push ourselves back in. But try without the “try”. The trying is implicit in the focus you will choose to acquire, but keep it a mystery, as dangerous to look at as the face of medusa. You will turn to stone. You will become rigid. Overly cognitively involved. And by being so consciously focused and metacognitively dissociated from the flow of experience, you will suck. You will make stupid passes, take stupid shots, play at a pace that is too disordered and careless as to the general state of your play, will underlie your whole approach.

Relax. Breathe. Focus. But only on “points”, “dots” within your awareness. And let yourself become consumed in it. Absorbed in it’s content. No thinking “about” it. Just being it. With it. It’ll leave you, as it always does. But when it leaves, put yourself back in. Remember. Remember the power of your thought. Of where you can put your attention.

a reply to: Astrocyte

Hello my friend.

You've experienced what I like to call the 'zen' state of gaming. I'm pretty sure almost EVERYONE who's ever reached a decent skill level at a game (which requires various cognitive/conscious abilities) has experienced this at some point.

You do not have to be high, although being high does open your awareness to whole a new level of perception.

I am sure this is to do with it's effect of breaking a certain veil that has intricately linked your consciousness to this reality since it were born.

Once that veil is first lifted, it becomes like the moment 'Adam and Eve' were meant to realise they were naked. You realise your thoughts and actions unlike ever before, and become aware of the very real seperation that exists between your genuine consciousness and the physical faculties of thought and reason.

It is truly a marvellous experience that changes you for life.

But back to the 'zen' state - I agree that it becomes a state of being where you allow all your relevant physical cognitive abilities to flow effortlessly between each other.

You loosen your awareness of YOUR OWN awareness, and allow it to work in harmony with your subconscious faculties.

This practically results in enhanced ability.

Video game wise, FIFA or Pro Evo (football games) are PERFECT examples although it can be achieved with anything and everything. I used to reach the same state while doing real, physical boxing when I was younger.

But with FIFA, I've played friends where we couldn't remember a single detail at the end of a match. We had NO awareness of it. Yet, we watch it back and it was some of the greatest play, mind games and execution we've ever pulled off.

Another good example is tricky challenge games like Geometry Wars or 'the worlds hardest game'. Games that require intense reactions and hand-to-eye coordination. Or Wipeout. When you reach that state with these games it is sheer brilliance.

You do things you could not under normal circumstances.

It definitely is a therapeutic experience. Do you play any fighting games like SF/Tekken? At high level, those games can easily trigger these states.

I can't speak for most gaming, but there is a game on the Playstation Network (is it even called Playstation Network?) called Journey that, imo, is quite literally a meditation. It is a beautiful game that only takes a couple hours to play. It is both calming and intense with an extremely simple play-style. It might even be free, but don't quote me on that because I wasn't the one who originally downloaded it.

a reply to: awakendhybrid

Journey really is an amazing game. I especially like being able to play with someone via PSN. To a certain extent you gain an emotional connection to another person who can never see or even speak to beyond the limited communication allowed by the game. You're just two people with a mutual goal looking out for one another... no words, nothing just caring for another individual as you play a highly immersive yet simple game. Love it.

a reply to: Astrocyte

I do know exactly what you are describing.


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