JAYNE GACKENBACH & CRAIG GUTHRIE MACEWAN UNIVERSITY Thanks to the students who have worked on this series of studies: Dan Swanston, Hanna Stark, John Bown, and Cynthia Ma Contemplative Practice versus Video Game Play Associations: Attention, Dreams, Mindfulness and Self- Presence

When you think of video games....

Is this the image that comes to mind?

Or is it sweaty button mashing teenagers?

there maybe a connection between the them

Similarities in Waking Between Contemplative Practice and Gaming Psychological Cognitive Reduced depression Reduced tension Elevated mood Enhanced attention Better spatial orientation Improved memory PhysiologicalTranspersonal Physical relaxation Reduced stress Absorption Mindfulness Flow

Similarities in Dream States

Higher lucidity Better control Increased bizarreness Third person observer

Studies from our lab investigating their connection Gackenbach, J.I. (2008). Video game play and consciousness development: A transpersonal perspective. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 40(1), Gackenbach, J.I. & Bown, J. (2011). Mindfulness and video game play: A preliminary inquiry. Mindfulness, 2(2), Gackenbach, J.I., Swanston, D. & Stark, H. (2015). Effects of video game play versus meditation/prayer in waking and dreaming experiences. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 47(2), STUDY 1 Gackenbach, J.I. & Guthrie, C. (2016). Contemplative Practice versus Gaming: A Further Inquiry. Paper to be presented at the International Association for the Study of Dreams.. STUDY 2 Gackenbach, J.I. & Ma, C. (2016, June). Contemplative practice vs gaming in mature adults: Attention, Transpersonal and Dream Comparisons. Poster to be presented at the International Association for the Study of Dreams. STUDY 3

Study 1 Gackenbach, J.I., Swanston, D. & Stark, H. (2015). Effects of video game play versus meditation/prayer in waking and dreaming experiences. Journal of Transpersonal Psychology, 47(2),

Contemplative Practice: Prayer or Meditation Very few students meditate (2%) Both regarded as spiritual and/or religious practices Similar physiological and psychological benefits Some forms of prayer involve negation of ego Adoration, thanksgiving, reception

Method 246 Western Canadian University students 3 Groups: A. Gaming = 74 B. Meditation/prayer = 75 C. Controls = 97

Method Laboratory Session Change blindness flicker tasks Two self report scales on Effects of activity At home dream collection After a high activity day After a low activity day

Laboratory Results Performance on Change Blindness:  Game> M/P = Control

Self Report Data: Dream Type Lucid – M/P > Gamer > controls Control – Gamer >M/P=controls

Judges Ratings: Group x Time Dream Lucid  Group x Condition  All of a sudden i was surrounded by zombies.... Then my dream turned into a lucid dream. So i ended up with a gun somehow because i thought of it and killed a bunch of zombies. Controls Gamers M/P High Activity Day Low Activity Day

Game in Dream Coding  Game is dream: (gamer > M/P=controls)  In my dream I was playing Nintendo 64 with a bunch of friends at another person's house...Suddenly I was transported into the game and became a participant but I didn't look like myself.

Meditation/Prayer Content Meditation and Prayer Types Sum of prayer in dream: group (M/P>gamers = controls); interaction Controls Gamers M/P M/P: teaching me (mosque) about what I should do or not and I remember her saying a line that’s in my religion when your praying..... High Activity Day Low Activity Day

Study 2 Differences from Study 1: 1.Three attention tasks 2.Five individual difference scales 3.Gender examined 4.No dream collected 5.No high versus low activity day comparison

Method  Contemplative Group: contemplation gaming  Gaming Group: contemplation gaming  Control Group: contemplation gaming MaleFemaleTotal Contemplative Group Gaming Group Control Group Total Study sessions were completed in computer laboratories and seated up to 30 people

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Individual Difference Scales  Validation of membership in a group was attained through additional questions regarding gaming and contemplative practice including number of games played or type of prayer activity engaged in Self-Presence Questionnaire Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills Mindful Attention Awareness Scale Dream Intensity Inventory Spiritual Dreams Scale

Results for attention tasks: Change Blindness superior for gamers Multiple object tracking superior for gamers Stroop effect no group differences Group by Sex Interaction on Total Trails Aborted in the Change Blindness Task: M/P=Contemplation Group VGP=Gaming Group CON=Control Group

Results for individual difference scales: Self-presence In theory: Both social media and gaming should have an effect for self-presence but no group difference was found for social media use Self-presence questionnaire was higher for gamers for all three subscales

Results individual difference scales: Mindfulness There no differences for the Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills MAAS: Mindful attention awareness scale  more mindful for gamers on the emotion and listening items  contemplative and control groups were more mindful for the preoccupied item

Results for Individual difference scales: Dreaming Dream intensity inventory:  both the gaming and control groups were superior in lucid dreaming Spiritual Dreams scale:  The noesis item was superior for the contemplative group

Study 3 with Cynthia Ma Currently collecting data These are preliminary analysis Same method as study 2 except:  All online data collection, unsupervised  Seeking people outside the university to participate  Dreams collected  Added a high high group (high gamers who are also high contemplatives) Group# Low contemplative & Low gaming (old control group) 10 High contemplative & High gaming 33 Low contemplation & high gaming (VG) 22 High contemplation & low gaming (M/P) 50

Validating Groups Meditation/Prayer HH & M/P higher  Sum of prayer types  Focused attention meditation  Open monitoring meditation Gaming HH & VG higher  Length session  Number games played  Started playing younger  Use of gaming social media

Social Media Use No differences groups for sum of social media use or age began social media use

Attention Tasks Multiple Object Tracking Change Blindness and Stroop no group differences GroupSum objects across trials Low contemplative & Low gaming High contemplative & High gaming (HH) Low contemplation & high gaming (VG) High contemplation & low gaming 8.800

Individual Difference Variables Self Presence  Two high gamer groups higher than two low gamer groups Kentucky Mindfulness  No group difference Mindful to activity Sum

Dream Intensity Scale Lucidity Control Spiritual Dreams Scale no group differences

Conclusions Attention Tasks  Change blindness  2 out of 3 gamers highest  Multiple object tracking  1 out of 2 gamers highest  Stroop test  2 out of 2 no group difference

Individual Difference Measures Activity experience (1)  Effects of activity: M/P > Gamers (1)  During activity: various (1) Mindfulness (2 & 3)  General mindfulness: no group differences (2 & 3)  Specific to activity  2 of 3 items: Gamers > M/P (2)  Sum score – HH & VG highest (thus Gamers) (3) Self Presence (2 & 3)  Gamers higher other two groups (2)  Two high gamer groups higher than two low gamer groups (3)  No group differences in social media (2 & 3)

Dreams Self-Report based on a dream  Lucid  M/P > Gamer (1)  no difference (3)  Control  Gamer >M/P (1)  HH > Gamer & M/P (3)  Game is dream - Gamer > M/P (1) Dream Intensity Scale  both the gamers were superior in lucid dreaming (2 & 3) Spiritual Dreams Scale  The noesis item was superior for the contemplative group for 2  No difference for 3

Limitations Gender differences Game genre Cell sizes All students – thus need longer term contemplatives

Gaming and Consciousness