Finally! Here’s a computer game for peaceful adults – no missiles, blood or flying body parts. It’s probably something of a misnomer to call this a game but it’s hard to figure out how else to categorize it … except perhaps as a remarkably beautiful, intriguing online exploration of spirit, self, breath and beauty .
The Wild Divine comes with a biofeedback interface that creates an eerie sense of being in the presence of someone (or something) that can see behind the mask. The challenges are opportunities to focus energy and breath in a way that causes various effects … balls rising and falling, arrows flying toward a target, rocks rising to a gentle balance. One of the toughest challenges for me so far has been lowering a glowing ball of energy from above my head into the core of my being. The payoff when you get there though is better than a pinball machine … the Durga dancers!
Being just a teensy bit skeptical, at first I tried to trick the biofeedback. One of the challenges of is to light a fire by breathing smoothly and calmly through a bellows. After a few minutes, the logs began to catch fire. I quickened my breathing and it went out immediately. After trying that a couple of times, I relaxed and began to learn more about controlling breath and energy.
Over the years, I’ve tried meditation several times but have never had the patience to maintain it. Plus, I had that nagging “Am I doing it right?” yammering in my head. With this game, I can spend 45-60 minutes and know that I have reached a calmer state … plus the color and beauty of the Wild Divine world make it a joyful and constantly changing experience. The graphics are pure fantasy … the colors vibrant; the mountains, landscapes and palaces utopian; the music languid and relaxing.
I highly recommend this – it’s fun, beautiful and a wonderful way to peel away the stress of the day. A note of warning: your kids may sneer at this game in the beginning, but when they find out that the events are controlled through their breathing, my guess is you’ll have trouble getting it back from them. The price of $159.95 may seem a little steep … but think of it as your own personal masseuse for your spirit.
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