Many games offer a spike in blood pressure. But few allow access to a higher plane of existence. Noted spiritualist Deepak Chopra—author of books such as “Synchrodestiny: Harnessing the Infinite Power of Coincidence to Create Miracles”—plans to change that.
His new game Leela will be published by THQ for both XBox 360 (using the Kinect sensor) and Wii. You will be guided through a variety of meditative exercises, accompanied by abstract visuals and soothing music. Chopra feels games are well-suited to his goals:
“I personally believe that you can accelerate neural development and biological evolution through video games,” Chopra told the Associated Press. “Unfortunately, that’s not what we’re doing right now. What we’re doing is creating addictions to violence, adrenaline and mindlessness, rather than mindfulness. That was my personal motivation to get involved in this medium.”
Director of Product Development for THQ, Peter Armstrong, said they went through 500 different prototypes trying to embody Chopra’s teachings into a game. After the strenuous dev cycle, Armstrong won’t have to wait long to calm his chakra: Leela releases on November 8th.
-Jon Irwin