Meditation and video games… They seem like an odd pairing, don’t they? One constantly and unrelentingly stimulating the brain to the point of addiction in some cases. The other intended if not purported to do something of the opposite; smoothing out the rough edges of our thinking and silencing unhelpful self-talk. Not unlike the Buddhist point of view that birth and death are different aspects of the same moment of creation, perhaps these two subjects have more to learn from each other than we can see on the surface.

For starters, video games have co-opted meditation in some cute ways. Geralt, the lead character in the Netflix show, books, and the phenomenal fantasy role-playing games, The Witcher, meditates to regain energy and resources. In the recent Star Wars adventure game, Jedi: Fallen Order, the lead character, Cal, also meditates to heal. In the insanely popular and somewhat controversial Grand Theft Auto V, one of the lead characters Trevor (who is basically a psychopath) has one of the funniest and most subversively incisive lines of dialogue in any media from the last decade. Spoken through frustration and mania, “I don’t know if I need to meditate, or masturbate, or both!”

Perhaps more interestingly, meditation and mindfulness frequently gamify themselves as a way of hooking people, again corresponding to our neurology that will engage with a challenge. I’m currently participating in a 21-day meditation challenge with some friends and new acquaintances. It’s a pleasure, I’m really enjoying it. And I must also acknowledge that perhaps nothing could be more antithetical to the original intention of meditation - to step out of the wheel of good and bad, to do it for its own sake, to approach the act as an interval or moment of gentle quiet, to invite nothing to become something - than a 21-day challenge. It’s comedic. And again I’m very much enjoying it. (Thank you, Danny!) The meditation app, Headspace, rather famously gamified meditation to huge success a few years back, followed by many other apps that have adapted their model and been influenced by their impact.

Both as a hypnotist deeply interested in our shared trances and as a consumer observing the marketplace, I see these two subjects converging and deflecting each other constantly like rotating magnets. I love video games, have since I was a boy. I was seven-years-old when the Nintendo Entertainment System became available in the U.S. I didn’t stand a chance. I also love meditation. I’ve practiced meditation for going on 15 years and was first introduced to the subject by my Dad, also as a boy. They converge in me so perhaps for that reason alone I’m compelled to look at them together. As everything will, however, they become more complicated when looked at closely.

The very unmindful ways in which games are made

The video game industry within the U.S. generated a record $43.4 billion in revenue in 2018, up 18 percent from 2017, according to data released by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and The NPD Group. Partially behind this growth is a process often referred to as “Crunch.” Crunch is often referenced as a combination of overwork, under-compensation, additional late-night hours, mismanagement of time and energy, lack of respect for staff, and in some cases abuse of power. While interviewing an engineer employed by one of the major developers of games internationally, one of the most important points I felt he made was that Crunch wasn’t well-defined and is too often tossed around as a catch-all phrase for generally poor working conditions and mismanagement of resources. This is essential as without a proper definition of the problem, it is difficult (sometimes impossible) to formulate a proper solution.

That said, occurrences and stories of Crunch are very well documented. Games Journalist and Editor-in-Chief at Kotaku, Jason Schreier, has written extensively on the topic including this op-ed from the NY Times last year. The human cost of making these experiences seems to be great. And the largest companies that make them often have thousands of employees in multiple countries. There’s no question that the problem is complex and nuanced.

And certainly, it does not have to be this way. Having worked internally with companies for years designing complementary wellness programs that support shifts in culture without mandating protocols or ramming mindfulness platitudes into people’s faces, I know it can be different. I also am hesitant to armchair commentate or cast the villain without all the information.

A Prescription for Crunch

As i gain more opportunities and work with more companies across different industries, it is one of my goals to work with the great developers and publishers of video games to actively shift the culture into more open, positive territory. It is evident by the press that there are gaps to be filled and opportunities for a company of means that is agile enough to set a new standard - and invite the whole gargantuan industry to step up. Working with partners and colleagues, we have the experiences and initial programs ready to go and plug in. I’ve also designed a few principles companies can operate by during periods of crunch. They offer simple guidelines for teams to work with that help avoid burnout. We’re conducting private and confidential interviews with workers and leaders within the games industry collecting data and feedback now.

I think the kid in me has been waiting for some convergence with the adult-me that is mirrored in the culture of (not only) games. I don’t completely understand it in the same neurologically overwhelmed way in which my 10-year-old brain couldn’t understand my role in Mario’s quest for Princess Peach. I see these gaps and opportunities in a business I’m not currently part of. I want to first define the problem because I feel like I might be able to help.

The brilliant video by Easy Allies posted at the top here is mostly parody with a healthy amount of gaming references thrown in for lovers of the medium. I predict in 10 to 20 years there will be an active thriving series of sub-communities blending virtual reality, video games, twitch, youtube, mindfulness, and therapy in ways we’re currently witnessing the seeds of.