Video games and mindfulness

[CoreyNiles92]

I was just wondering if playing video games, for a short period, or long period of time robs you of mindfulness. I have noticed what seems to be dwindling mindfulness during extended sessions of indulging in this form of entertainment. I know this is kind of a mundane question, and may seem irrelevant, but I require some insight on this, so I might avoid any issues involving it.

[Ben]

Hi Corey

You are certainly employing mindfulness (sati) to a certain extent during gaming, but like a tight-rope walker or a hunter - it won't develop sammasamadhi (right concentration). I notice when my kids play computer games for an extended period - they appear to be more scattered and irritable afterwards. You may wish to limit the amount of time gaming and investing more time investigating meditation.
kind regards,

Ben

[LonesomeYogurt]

I used to play a lot of video games, and although I still play many, I have cut down. I remember a while back I was on a retreat for a week or so, and the first thing I did when I got home was pull up to my computer and start playing Counter Strike, which is a first-person shooter. I played for five minutes and I just felt agitated and tense; the concentration and mindfulness I had built up during the previous week did not mesh well with such an action packed, violent experience. I can't say all video games are bad but certainly they require a certain amount of heedlessness. My guess is that as you meditate more, your desire for the more coarse joys will come less and less.

I would recommend you:

1. Don't play video games right before or right after you meditate. Try and meditate first thing in the morning perhaps, or at least try and sit after doing something that is relatively peaceful and relaxing in its own right, like taking a shower or reading a book.

2. Try and limit your time and see how easy it is for you. I found that most of the games I played, I did it just to fill time. I got down to about an hour a day before I really started "missing" anything.

3. Consider trying to increase the frequency of your meditation or even replace a certain portion of your video gaming time with meditation instead. When you're trying to do something less, it's helpful to replace it with another activity instead of just leaving that hole there.

Good luck!

[DAWN]

Actualy this stability of concentration is absorbtion of mind by this dhamma. Like listening music, dancing, or sport. Mind is absorbed and feel stability, thas makes illusion of pure concentration.

When the ground is flooded, we cant see what is hidden under.

[Yana]

Actualy this stability of concentration is absorbtion of mind by this dhamma. Like listening music, dancing, or sport. Mind is absorbed and feel stability, thas makes illusion of pure concentration.

When the ground is flooded, we cant see what is hidden under.

wait,are you saying that when your absorbed your not concentrating.I play xbox and it takes a lot of concentrating and alertness.I think it's not that we're not concentrating.The difference between meditation and playing video games is the object we are concentrating on..

For example:

Concentrating on the breath would be much calmer since we neither attach or push away from it.
We are focused on a fixed point.

Concentrating on video games makes us excited.We change from being attached to pushing away in a matter of seconds.Happy when you score points and hating it when your losing points.
We are constantly changing our focus..running,jumping etc..

Which is why none of us seem calm after a game..more like agitated and impulsive or just worn out.

[DAWN]

Actualy this stability of concentration is absorbtion of mind by this dhamma. Like listening music, dancing, or sport. Mind is absorbed and feel stability, thas makes illusion of pure concentration.

When the ground is flooded, we cant see what is hidden under.

wait,are you saying that when your absorbed your not concentrating.I play xbox and it takes a lot of concentrating and alertness.I think it's not that we're not concentrating.The difference between meditation and playing video games is the object we are concentrating on..

For example:

Concentrating on the breath would be much calmer since we neither attach or push away from it.
We are focused on a fixed point.

Concentrating on video games makes us excited.We change from being attached to pushing away in a matter of seconds.Happy when you score points and hating it when your losing points.
We are constantly changing our focus..running,jumping etc..

Which is why none of us seem calm after a game..more like agitated and impulsive or just worn out.

Yes you are concentrated, but purity of this kind of concentration is not your true concentration purity.
Why?
Because the mind is flooded, and impurity of mind is hidden by weter.
What is that mean?
It mean that under ocean, when your mind is absorbed by the game/music/cinema/dance/sport etc..., when thre is a lot of water, we can hide all that you want, all problems, all negative side, all impurity, so we see only the water, smooth, calm and shiny. But when water go off, when your mind is no more absorbed, is no more flooded, so all become visible, all that was hidden by water, all impurity is here... And go clear all this can take a lot of time, practice, and effort.

So whet peoples do? They go play a game, watch TV, take drugs... they go flood their mind to hide all again. And an practitiones say to himselv : Oh it's ok, i'a concentrated, i keep my minfulness, it's cool, i keep playing !
But there is a trap.
This trap is that when our mind is flooded, whet there is an ocean, we can continue to drop all in water... aniway it's not visible, so it's not exist. But it's become a problem when the water go off... And what we do? We take a much more water to hide all this. And more and more and more.

It's an illusion of practice. We have to be carefull.

[DAWN]

To illustrate what i mean.

[Yana]

Hi Dawn,

Thank you for clearing things up.I understand now.