BG 205: Gaming as a Spiritual Practice Comments

Paul S.

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:31:12 +0000

I am a gamer. (sounds like an AA intro. Almost.) I also play WoW. Casual. I am also really afraid of heights. (I really hate ladders.) In WoW, there is a place called Mulgore with elevated walkways between mesas. Having my toon walk those walkways make my feel tingle, my stomach clinch and I become AFRAID. lol. Of What? I am just watching my toon walk those bridges? Nobody is actually walking those walkways. Yet I have BIG feelings of FEAR. :) Meditation is where you find it, I think. Life is simply varying degrees of meditation. Take care, Paul S. , Chantilly, VA

Murselle

Sat, 5 Nov 2011 05:53:59 +0000

Question: Is truth subjective? Or is there a universal standard of truth? If so, shouldn't spirituality be about connecting with a higher power so we can move into connectedness and growth in identity with that power? Otherwise we squander it on ourselves.

I don't agree

Tue, 2 Aug 2011 08:29:55 +0000

All major post-nagarjunian schools say the subject/object dichotomy and any notion of 'real' existence are Mara's last stand. I tend to agree with this conclusion.

differing facts

Mon, 1 Aug 2011 10:03:35 +0000

I see this in many of my friends, the brain seems to be becomes addicted to the constant novelty. Making sitting far less effective. Most game companies employ behavioral experts to exploit various evolutionary programs in the brain. I truly believe anything more than extremely moderate use can squash the efficacy of meditation. Moreover, from anyone who has experience going deeply into the bardo, it becomes clear that training the mind to enjoy or find pleasure in violence or disturbing images, or even behavior that is known in your heart to be trivial, creates causes that lead to bewilderment and unpleasantness to various degrees, including extreme.

still someone

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 15:40:27 +0000

Doubt's not even close to being the "final boss" - Mara's last army was/is narcissism.

Johgn

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 15:53:58 +0000

As someone who has loved video games his whole life and has a nascent sitting practice and who probably has adult ADD I appreciated listening to this, but from my own experience it is not the truth. One key symptom of ADD is the ability to focus, actually hyper-focus, on what someone finds interesting, like video games. I actually find it easy to play a game for 36 hours, but hard to sit Zazen for 10 minutes (just a bit longer now). In fact, I think video games contribute to anxiety inside me, I am sure of this. And if I stop playing games, I can sit Zazen deeper, longer, stiller. This is, of course, my own experience: too much mind.

Steve

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:02:58 +0000

Fascinating stuff. Although there seems to be some suggestion here that absorption per se is "spiritual". End point: gaming as spiritual practice. Might one apply this paradigm to other activities where absorption is key to the experience: eating potato crisps whilst stoned as a spiritual practice? Watching porn on the internet as a spiritual experience? This has really made me think about and question exactly *what is* spiritual practice!?! Thank you.

kranger

Fri, 4 Feb 2011 15:45:11 +0000

Wonderful talk....was really eye opening to see what people do with games.. I recently stumbled on this game made for allowing ppl to reflect on their memories http://itunes.com/apps/itsjustathought/ thought it was pretty cool... wonder if it falls into this kinda gaming....

Chetwyn

Tue, 1 Feb 2011 13:32:59 +0000

I think the link to her TED video that Vince posted could act as a 'part 2' to this episode; accompany that with this podcast and you get a fuller picture of what she is trying to accomplish. She has some fascinating ideas, and I'd love to see where they lead.

Deborah

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:51:56 +0000

You might want to look at E.J. Gold’s work with videogames as spirtual practice. http://www.spiritualgaming.com/ He even has a book called Spiritual Gaming.

Matthew Frederick

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:51:40 +0000

There are many types of games, with video games being only the most recent. As popular as the video- ype are, most games played around the world today do not involve a screen, and most are not violent. McGonigal’s aren’t video games in the sense you’re thinking of (or really, at all), and aren’t violent. Hers are about the shared human experience, and about making people more aware of their interactions. The reality of games is largely nonviolence, matching with ideals nicely.

xander

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:51:21 +0000

This episode really spoke to me. I had not put the experience I have while engrossed in a game in the same hat as the experience I have while sitting. Except for certain elements, they are the same type of experience! I love that phrase: Wholehearted participation

John

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:51:02 +0000

Her work can be summarized as “playing is a fun engaging activity, very similar to mindfulness”. From what I understand, from her Buddhist perspective, she has the intuition, but not yet fully grasp what has already been described by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, 45 years ago, as “flow” : the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%2...

Alan

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:50:39 +0000

The research shows that games – and these include (albeit virtual) violence and competition – reduce suffering and increase joy. This podcast is obviously causing a degree of cognitive dissonance for those who ascribe to New Age dogma. Jane is a pioneer, her games are world-changing in scope (check out Urgent Evoke), and I look forward to her future projects!

John

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:49:53 +0000

While I see how appealing is the idea of focusing on the positive aspects of games, the reality is most video games are violent and based on competition… because that is what makes those games so captivating, intense and popular. In one corner, ideals. The other, reality.

Jen Pearlman

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:49:10 +0000

I appreciated this cast and Jane’s approach to creating positive games. Some ideas I agreed with more than others. Overall, I do see people using gaming as a way to learn how to approach life. And if they can apply what they learn in gaming to their overall life plan, I see that as positive. I’m not a gamer, mostly because so many seem to have destructive elements to them (like violent action) I commend Jane for pushing for a positive experience.

kgcarr74

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 01:07:19 +0000

This was a fascinating interview and it provides yet another reason to listen to Buddhist Geeks regularly. I am not a gamer now and I haven't read the book yet, so my comments are ill-informed, yet I have my doubts about the value of most games out there. The "Gameful" types are clearly wonderful and innovative, but what really does someone learn from games that glorify murder, theft, and duplicity that seem to be much more typical of the gaming industry? Thanks for raising some fascinating questions!

AlexGerster

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:52:20 +0000

Brilliant discussion. Would love to "sail the seas of samsara" via a video game. Great potential for education and spreading of Buddhist values to a digital generation.