Muse/Calm isn’t the first Buddhist-inspired meditation app on the market. Popular smartphone apps like Headspace, Rewire, and buddhify all credit Buddhism as an inspiration, if only fleeting. I see these apps as a heightened version of Buddhist modernism, or the deinstitutionalization, demythologization, and psychologicalization of Buddhism. Simply put, it is the removal of institution, hierarchy, mythology, and other pesky religious rituals, paired with the transformation of one small aspect of Buddhism—meditation—into a contemplative practice. Digitizing meditation adds another layer: the gamification of spirituality. Interactive mindfulness technology is absolving our need for communication with and affirmation from traditional offline authorities. For non-Judeo-Christian religions, this is greeted with open arms, as practicing communities are usually too distant or scattered for regular, direct communication, if you even wanted it. The app becomes our own personalized authority: Siri for our psyche. ... motherboard.vice/read/buddhism-gamified
Posted on: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 05:38:44 +0000
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