The $180 billion video game industry is so huge that’s it’s now more profitable than movies and music combined. People spend countless hours playing Fortnight, World of War, you name it. And so, with all of that time spent on gaming consoles, it makes sense that companies would start to look at how they could transform human potential in the context of a video game. In some cases, it may even become a psychedelic experience.
A recent article posed an interesting proposition in its headline, wondering what happens when psychedelics meet video games. Now mind you, we’re not talking about taking a psychedelic and playing a video game. Rather, the idea is that the video game itself is the psychedelic, producing states of consciousness that are comparable to psilocybin because of the immersive and engaging nature of the activity. And so, it can trigger intense sensory input, deep levels of interactivity and power for altered states in users. The result is that it generates feelings of euphoria, a heightened sensory perception, greater awareness and connectivity, and a sense of oneness with the universe.
It might sound far out, but it’s clear that that the psychological engagement and player experience creates a virtual reality that can be manipulated somatically through immersive experiences. What I found fascinating was that the inventor of this game experienced multiple plant medicine ceremonies and built his creation around that template, fretting about technology not being seen as sacred by anyone in society, just a tool. This concept serves as almost an antidote to all of the addictive properties of video games and flips the script for a positive and meaningful impact that’s boundless.
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