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I don't agree. As I understand these things: You are mindful and react on direct stimulus - while gaming, you do not think on future or past, you are immersed

by szemet 9y ago

I don't agree. As I understand these things: You are mindful and react on direct stimulus - while gaming, you do not think on future or past, you are immersed in your actual activity - it IS mindfulness. BUT it does not improve mindfulness - it is easy to be mindful at interesting times - that's normal, but not so when nothing interesting is around, and you are just left alone with your own thoughts or problems. Thats what various mindfulness practices trying to improve - to be mindful in common "boring" or bad situations too. And like for any improvements you usually have to make some effort - not just do something when it is natural.

TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
> You are mindful and react on direct stimulus - while gaming, you do not think on future or past, you are immersed in your actual activity - it IS mindfulness. I disagree. Reacting is the polar opposite of what mindfulness is about. Mindfulness is about, among other things, responding appropriately to what is happening, not reacting. What you're describing, the state people get in when playing computer games, is a state of hyper-vigilance. Acute-awareness of what's directly in front of you induced by a simulated battle.
- Apocryphon 9y ago
  Not all games are shooters that stimulate fight or flight reflexes.
- Jare 9y ago
  It's true that games require player agency and thus by definition are active. However, your characterization of games using terms as "hyper", "acute" and "battle" is rather limited and outdated. Games that underplay or avoid challenge and focus on exploration, immersion or rhythm, can offer a state of mind and activity as conducive to mindfulness as walking or swimming.
  - maroonblazer 9y ago
    What are some games that best exemplify a focus on exploration, immersion or rhythm?
    - Jare 9y ago
      Ico, Journey, No Man's Sky, and RiME most recently worked wonderfully for me. Certain "grinding" activities in MMOs like WoW would count too.
    - pdpi 9y ago
      Rhythm is easy. Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rocksmith are three mega-popular ones. As a hybrid between standard action/rpg type games and rhythm games, Crypt of the Necrodancer is a phenomenal game. Exploration is harder -- I can't think of any off the top of my head that have absolutely no combat component. However, that's pretty much how I play Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I've barely been engaging in the combat aspect of it, choosing mostly to just roam and explore and climb and enjoy the view.
  - TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
    I absolutely agree with what you've written here. My exposure to gaming has been almost entirely seeing other people play FPSs. Thinking about it, the most recent game I played was http://play.quantumgame.io/ http://play.quantumgame.io/ which is none of those things I characterised games as. Thanks for calling me out.
ivm 9y ago
> you are immersed in your actual activity - it IS mindfulness No it's not - it's called "flow", a state where you lose your reflective self-consciousness (i.e. the core of mindfulness).

by szemet 9y ago

TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago

> You are mindful and react on direct stimulus - while gaming, you do not think on future or past, you are immersed in your actual activity - it IS mindfulness. I disagree. Reacting is the polar opposite of what mindfulness is about. Mindfulness is about, among other things, responding appropriately to what is happening, not reacting. What you're describing, the state people get in when playing computer games, is a state of hyper-vigilance. Acute-awareness of what's directly in front of you induced by a simulated battle.

Apocryphon 9y ago
Not all games are shooters that stimulate fight or flight reflexes.
Jare 9y ago
It's true that games require player agency and thus by definition are active. However, your characterization of games using terms as "hyper", "acute" and "battle" is rather limited and outdated. Games that underplay or avoid challenge and focus on exploration, immersion or rhythm, can offer a state of mind and activity as conducive to mindfulness as walking or swimming.
- maroonblazer 9y ago
  What are some games that best exemplify a focus on exploration, immersion or rhythm?
  - Jare 9y ago
    Ico, Journey, No Man's Sky, and RiME most recently worked wonderfully for me. Certain "grinding" activities in MMOs like WoW would count too.
  - pdpi 9y ago
    Rhythm is easy. Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, Rocksmith are three mega-popular ones. As a hybrid between standard action/rpg type games and rhythm games, Crypt of the Necrodancer is a phenomenal game. Exploration is harder -- I can't think of any off the top of my head that have absolutely no combat component. However, that's pretty much how I play Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I've barely been engaging in the combat aspect of it, choosing mostly to just roam and explore and climb and enjoy the view.
- TheSpiceIsLife 9y ago
  I absolutely agree with what you've written here. My exposure to gaming has been almost entirely seeing other people play FPSs. Thinking about it, the most recent game I played was http://play.quantumgame.io/ http://play.quantumgame.io/ which is none of those things I characterised games as. Thanks for calling me out.

ivm 9y ago

> you are immersed in your actual activity - it IS mindfulness No it's not - it's called "flow", a state where you lose your reflective self-consciousness (i.e. the core of mindfulness).