One of the more recent crazes to hit the streets in the gaming world has been Pokémon Go. In the first week alone of its release, it soon became one of the most downloaded apps ever and later it hit another record, the fastest app to reach $500 million in revenue. Computer games are nothing new but Pokémon Go, a type of augmented reality game, is far more than what it first appears to be.
Augmented reality games blend digital content into the real world, blurring the line between the physical world and the game world. Your eyes are scanning from the screen of your phone and then back to your surroundings. Your feet are walking, your body is moving, but your focus is elsewhere. Your mission is to find and catch small creatures that enter your ‘real world’ via your screen.
The main objective of the game is to walk to an identified physical place in your area and collect objects (Pokémon) with your smart phone by catching, throwing, trading and battling.
As someone who works with the body and movement, I was curious to learn more about this game. Not out of any interest in playing, but because of the potential risks involved in combining a game that asks players to focus on something on a mobile device, while at the same time walking and moving about. This is a whole new level of distraction that is now being actively encouraged.
The first time I saw Pokémon in use was while observing a young boy in my local town aimlessly walking along, moving his phone around in mid air, completely disconnected from his surroundings. What got my attention was that this type of behaviour appeared to go unnoticed by others. Whether it’s a child playing a game as they walk along or an adult texting or reading an email on the move, it has become commonplace for these kinds of distractions to be an accepted everyday occurrence. So much so that we don’t even question it, or consider how unfocussed and scattered this leaves us, not to mention the after effects of being so distracted and disconnected from our body.
Pokémon Go’s objective is for players to be constantly on the move as they play. Immediately, a player is distracted and is operating on auto-pilot. This is not only dangerous and can, and has, caused serious accidents since the game’s release, but add to that factor the physical movement required, and this game soon becomes something else entirely.
Physical movement is a science in itself and one that is rarely considered in its everyday context, or in relation to games such as this. Serge Benhayon, a complementary health and healing practitioner, presents an understanding and awareness of the body from an energetic perspective. In 1999 Serge Benhayon founded Esoteric Yoga, a form of Yoga that introduces the fact of energy and how each and every movement is a magnification of the energy or quality that we are in. This awareness of energy can change our relationship with our body and build a greater understanding of the effect energy and movement actually has on our state of health and well being.
Each time we move, whether that is bending, twisting, turning, walking and so on, we magnify and distribute energy throughout our entire body. Every step we take sends back the energy we sent down to our feet. And so it goes, up and down and around and around (Benhayon, 2011). Every movement is therefore a movement of energy and this travels in and through our body and, as such, our body receives the impact of the quality of each and every move.
If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level. Equally, if we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body.
Then, consider for a moment, what is actually taking place if we walk around unfocussed and distracted by a game, or anything for that matter, unaware of the fact that we are even moving, let alone the quality of that movement. What state does this actually leave someone in? Checked out, distracted, scattered, unfocussed… all of which are far from our natural state of being, which is to be present, aware and focussed with an inner stillness and harmony.
With this basic understanding of the science of movement, any game that incorporates a level of distraction combined with physical movement is not as innocent as it may first appear.
And yet there is more…
The nature of this augmented reality game means that, as you play, you provide uninterrupted use of your location and camera. This means that there is also another objective to this game – each player is effectively a gateway to an unlimited source of data gathering.
Further research on this topic of data gathering uncovers a patent, held by the company behind Pokémon Go, directly linking the game’s objective to data collection. The patent “System and Method for Transporting Virtual Objects in a Parallel Reality Game” discusses at length how a game such as Pokémon Go could be used to collect real-world data from a player without them knowing it (Hank et al., 2015). The patent also references an academic paper that states, “In our opinion, the real challenge lies in motivating the user to provide the data constantly, even after the exciting appeal of technological innovation at the beginning wears off. We are convinced that entertainment and fun are an important design aspect of such data collecting services.” (Matyas, 2007)
It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into. When the aim of the game is distraction, combined with physical movement, along with a hidden intention to collect data, we all need to ask ourselves what are we actually investing in and what are we giving our children or are part of ourselves? Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?
By Vicky Geary
References:
- Benhayon, S. (2011). Esoteric Teachings and Revelations: A New Study for Mankind. Australia: UniMed Publishing.
- Hank, J.V., Augin, M.A., Kornmann, D., Milner, M., & Stern, L. (2015). S. Patent No. 8968099. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Retrieved from: System and method for transporting virtual objects in a parallel reality game
- Matyas, S. (2007). Playful Geospatial Data Acquisition by Location-based Gaming Communities. IJVR, 6, 1-10.
Further Reading:
Autopilot: The case of the wandering mind
Rediscovering Our Body’s Lovely Flow
Connection to self through conscious presence
Fast forward to 2020 and the lies about a pandemic to control us in a different way, with an insidious game that takes us on a roller coaster ride of emotional turmoil, which has many acting like a zombie when it come to what has been presented by the media as they follow the lying rhetoric and not their hearts.
I bought a new computer recently which has been a whole new experience because since I bought the last one many years ago the changes are so obvious the whole set up is one where the computer company wants data. To start you cannot make a key stroke without being given the opportunity to share your data. It’s quite horrible to not just be able to set up a computer without being asked so many questions. And of course, the data collected is then shared and used by the big corporations which then bombard you with marketing campaigns specifically designed from the data collected. I feel we are living in a world where we are being more and more watched and controlled at every level and to me this feels very claustrophobic.
Any distraction keeps us away from truth.
The thing is when our baseline is one of already being disconnected and scattered then we don’t notice the effect of ‘these kinds of distractions’. I used to read womens magazines whenever I was waiting for an appointment but haven’t done this for ages, anyhow whilst in the laundrette the other day I picked up a women’s magazine and got absorbed in the photos and the gossip and was surprised at how discombobulated I felt when I put the magazine down. My point being that when I was permanently discombobulated I was never able to feel the effects of reading woman’s magazines, in much the same way that most of us can’t feel the effects of going on our screens.
Alexis I agree with you when you say
‘ in much the same way that most of us can’t feel the effects of going on our screens.’
I have a friend who reduced the number of hours they spent on their phone completely distracted and they noticed that it wastes a huge amount of time and it also has an effect on how they thought and felt about themselves and the world in general. Interestingly all the Apps they took off their phone many of them are back there because they said they miss the stimulation and distraction the Apps were providing. So what is it about the way we live our lives that we need to be distracted from it?
I’d also say with watching TV for example you are still moving, not as much as walking but the body isn’t completely rigid. That is still moving energy around your body and I know for myself what I watch then follows me after the show finishes. Which leads to distraction and disturbed sleep which then leads to more ill states of being.
When watching TV and something in the program scares us we catch our breath, unless we regain our breath and ourselves back from that moment we are no longer us. I know this to be true as when I was a child I would go to the pictures most Saturdays with my friends and get so immersed in the ‘Cowboys and Indian’ films we were watching that when we came out of the Cinema it took a while for me to come back to myself and my surroundings. I had been completely distracted by the films and isn’t this why they are made in the first place? We say it’s ‘entertainment’ but in reality I feel it’s to keep us all in the distraction of looking outside of ourselves rather than looking inwards to find our true selves. If this is true then who or what is behind this huge deception?
Distractions can also come in much more subtle ways, and now we have so much more at the touch of a button, it is constantly there to tempt us.
The only true form of satisfaction comes from learning to stay present, and be aware of ones own movements.
Distraction or should I say ‘entertainment’ is seen, at this current time in history by the masses as harmless and normal. In the future we will know just how harming this type of distraction is.
Distraction is a killer, whether it is with emotions or entertainment – we get sucked in and its our life force that suffers.
When we model our life on any movement we become aligned to that energy and as you have shared Vicky walking is a science and being distracted means we have no connection to our essences, which is that, which’th we are all searching for.
I can distract myself with food and when I do this I can miss out on the finer detail in life. There are so many magical wonderful moments its crazy to think we use distraction as a way to avoid these divine offerings.
Having paid attention to how my body feels when I move gently and stay present, compared to when I move distracted and not having any awareness of the quality of how I move, I can definitely offer there is a marked difference in both the physical and emotional outcome. This is good for health all round.
This game is defiantly not innocent in fact all should come with a health warning saying can seriously effect sense of presence and mental health.
It will be known in time that distraction is a killer and big instigator of ill mental health and dementia.
I have distracted myself for a large part of my life but now that I have re-connected to the truth of Life the last thing that I want to do is to distract myself from it, in fact all I want to do is to go deeper into it. To immerse myself back into the belly of life, in exactly the same way as I did when I was a child. Life has once again become magical and it’s magic is limitless, it really is.
I am sure in the future we will know that the over use of such games majorly contribute to ill mental health and dementia.
“Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?” The end game is not what parents or children want to look at, for these games take us away from ourselves, so much so we can’t feel our body or have a sense of who we are. We do need to ask ourselves why anyone would invent such a device that this is the end game. We need to wake up to what is going on around us and what the impact is.
Thanks for highlighting the real intention and corruption that can be behind a simple ‘game’, ‘It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into.’
Why aren’t we taught the importance of how we move from an early age, people need to understand the impact their movements have on their body and health, ‘If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level.’
As i was traveling back on the tube from work I was noticing how we’re all on our smart phones messaging, reading and so on, eyes down not engaging with anyone… but in addition just how many people are on their phones playing games. There was a time where such games were just for kids though now it’s all ages and all professions that are hooked or fixated by animated screens that lose one essentially from society and from interacting with others. It’s becoming such a solo-world.
True Zofia, there was a time when computer games were just for kids. When I was growing up it would have seemed very strange for adults to be playing Donkey Kong… now there is a whole market aimed at an adult audience that involves violence and rape, which more shockingly kids have access to and are playing at ages 6,7 and 8. Not only is it a solo world, it is now also a violent world too and is warping our sense of reality.
And car-driving-games, that does nothing for the real feel of driving a car but our youth think they know how to drive under all conditions??
If it is not Pokemon Go it is going to be another app to entice children and adults. There is always going to be a supply when there’s a demand. We have to get honest and real and ask ourselves why is it that we need to reach out for technology to distract, fix and/or make us feel better?
“Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?” – your post gives worthwhile thought to games like Pokemon we play on the screen being reflective of the bigger game we’re in and who we are being played by – who is catching, throwing, trading and battling who?
Well said. It is worth considering who or what is moving us and how much free will we actually have when we have chosen to look the other way because the thrill of the distraction is too tantalising.
And to add – as adults do we actually stop these behaviours or – do we find different ways for them to manifest, through food, or tv, or relationships – could it be simply that as we grow up we choose a different flavour of the same ice cream – and we are still missing out on the magic of life?
Yesterday I had a young woman transfixed on her phone push a pram out in front of me as I turned the corner in my van, I saw the whole thing shaping up so it wasn’t a problem but if I had been checked out like I sometimes am I could have quite easily hit her and her baby. Do we need to look at making it against the law to push a pram whilst on the phone or do we just need a little common sense about the matter?
I get to meet a lot of children through work, and I’m always surprised how many kids say they’ve spent all day playing video games. What are we teaching or allowing our kids if we are teaching them to prefer an alternate reality to the one we live in – and what kind of reality are we providing for them that enables this to be possible?
Distraction can have a harmful outplay but focus without love may be just as harmful.
Any time we do anything when are disconnected from ourselves, as in distracted by something else, it is a recipe for a disaster of some sort. And you make it oh so clear that Pokemon is this sort of distraction, but not only that, it sounds like behind the scenes there is something else at play, something that makes me feel very suspicious. This is definitely one distraction the children of the world do not need.
I am so glad I was brought up in a age that mobile phones were quite rare, I’m glad my parents limited me on my television and video game consumption.
I know if I had been given free rain and watched and played with what I wanted to I would be all over the place, with no ability to concentrate and be satisfied in the moment.
Our digital devices encourage being detached from reality which is a very worrying trend for physical and mental health.
The Pokemon craze has died down so there is currently no sustainable augmented reality activity and virtual reality is not taking off as people thought – the same with 3D television. However, our phones are getting more and more compelling and therefore more and more involving without actually being of any further benefit.
I was having a conversation the other night with someone that cycles about ten miles to work each day through London and he said it is almost a daily occurrence that someone walks out in front of him that is transfixed by their phone. What is so important or transfixing that we are willing to put ourselves in so much danger by being so unaware of what is going on around us?
The levels of distraction and dishonesty underlying such games are very harming to humanity, those who engage in the so-called games and those who are affected by the energy.
Yes, I don’t remember a game like that where I felt better after playing it other than perhaps a sense of catharsis or relief because I felt awful beforehand.
What are we actually investing in? is a very good question and can be applied to any area of life, any moment of the day. What investments do we have and how are we rewarded by them and what energy are they feeding back to us?
When there is the need to distract ourselves we really do go to lengths and would say yes to things we usually would never say yes to.
“Any game that incorporates a level of distraction combined with physical movement is not as innocent as it may first appear.”
So true and time will tell as we see mental health problems soar.
What a huge distraction of what is going on in the world around mixing the real with the artificial, blurring the lines between the two, so insidious and dangerous.
There are many parents these days who engage with their children through these kinds of games, it has become a point of contact in a world where true contact or connection is at times, very rare or just difficult. And so I am guessing that to address the culture of checking out on computer screens, we would also need to address the propensity for adults to give their power away to electronic devices instead of standing in their loving authority and claiming the true and beautiful quality of intimacy that we can have with our children.
Gaming will be known in the future for the menace it truly is, to say it is not effecting us is as obvious as saying smoking does not harm you.
The appalling thing is, is that this is just the start… Virtual reality and AI is on its way
What if we changed our relationships with our phones to only be used for the connection with another, communication and purpose. How different then would what we put on and do with our phones be?
We spend billions and billions world wide on research into dementia – why not lets start looking at how distraction, checking out, not being present with ourselves all leads to an unhealthy mind and body that then leads to other energies influencing us.
Yes, if distraction leads to dementia we are going to have a major problem in the future. Plus obesity and diabetes and kidney issues and mortality through opiate overdoses – there are some worrying trends in progress.
Brilliant blog Vicky – rereading this I’m struck once again by how invasive screens are in our lives, and that we have no idea what the consequences are going to be for this generation given that they are spending their formative years moving in this way. Data collection is an agenda of sorts, although it feels more like a motive in a rather dark thriller where the outcome is certainly not focussed on an individual’s wellbeing.
I am glad this craze has died down. People were even less aware of their surroundings while working and looking at their phones.
There is a very real danger that those who play games that are living in an artificial reality world at the same time as the physical world are being enticed into a split personality where they lose connection to what is true and what is not.
Hilarious the game in many ways is harmless in that it is not showing us graphic images or physically hurting us in any way. It is deeply harmful if not evil in that it leaves us separated from who we truly are. It is not inspiring connection but inhibiting it. It leaves us invested and attached to what we see in the game yet it is not real in any way. The harm it is doing to us is something we cannot afford to ignore.
This is very pertinent after recent issues about our lack of awareness of how much data collection is happening to all of us. It is a great wake up call that there is more going on than yet more distraction being offered to those who are increasingly disconnected from life and the rest of humanity. We have a responsibility to make ourselves aware of hidden agendas and not sleep walk into a big brother future where we are pawns in a much bigger game.
Not just lack of awareness of our data but lack of awareness of our surroundings. That is quite harmful as well.
Helen I totally agree with you when you say
‘We have a responsibility to make ourselves aware of hidden agendas and not sleep walk into a big brother future where we are pawns in a much bigger game.’
It would be a great exercise to feel into why we want to be distracted so much.
Yes, Vicky it is very intelligent to look behind the true intent of everything. No matter how sophisticated it is seen to be all can be felt through energy.
We have yet to find out the effect this kind of game will have on a whole generation, what I do know now from simple observation is these kind of games are addictive and overall add to a disharmonious un settled life.
The patent also references an academic paper that states, “In our opinion, the real challenge lies in motivating the user to provide the data constantly, even after the exciting appeal of technological innovation at the beginning wears off. We are convinced that entertainment and fun are an important design aspect of such data collecting services.” (Matyas, 2007) This totally exposes the way that manipulators think. They are not considering the person that they are manipulating, but completely discarding that life is about people and instead going for a loveless goal, probably to make money and thus gained security. The game is torturous and loveless. Thank you for sharing Vicky!
I love the precise description of the impact of every movement:
‘Every movement is therefore a movement of energy and this travels in and through our body and, as such, our body receives the impact of the quality of each and every move.’
I can’t be reminded enough and can feel the impact on the connective tissue in my body when I move without awareness, rushed or with hardness. The space and flow I feel in my body totally depend on it.
I would have thought we have all the distraction we need in the world, but apparently we need more otherwise this game wouldn’t be such a gigantic success. How far can we run away from ourselves and the magic we can all connect to by being present in our body and move in the quality that we deserve?
We use all sorts of distraction to avoid how we feel but this is just a delay tactic as eventually our body will let us know what we have been avoiding all along. It is of far greater benefit then for us to look at and feel what we are avoiding when we use things to distract us and to address them step by step.
I am so glad I did not grow up with this! I could easily have been one of those kids who are addictive and let it take over.
Knowing what I know now I would love to ban all these types of games that do nothing but over stimulate the mind for all the wrong reasons!
With everything going on in the world, why do we need further distraction.. well to avoid everything that is already going on! The more i understand how we are avoiding our own love and ability to see through so much in the world, the more it makes sense that we don’t know how to deal with that the only answer is further distraction.
‘The issue of distraction and escape has become massive – and it seems like we are constantly seeking more and more ways to escape life, but what actually are the effects of seeking constant distraction and not truly embracing life? I also didn’t realise that games like Pokemon Go gives companies unlimited access to your location and camera, using a kids game in that way is incredibly sneaky and manipulative, then that becomes not just a distraction issue but a privacy issue.
“What actually are the effects of seeking constant distraction and not truly embracing life?” This is a very important question that as a society we do not seem to have paid much attention to. I can imagine definite impact on health, relationships, and general level of responsibility in life as starters.
I walk and text a lot and not looking for perfection but I would observe how my body feels. And if I could text but also be aware of my movements at the same time. I do all these experiments and report back the results from the body. But I enjoy the most just to stand still and finish my text before walking again.
Yes, new ways and intensities of distraction are increasing with the strong demand from so many.
My feeling is that this game is just the beginning on what is going to be offered in the way of such distraction.
The levels of distraction that are marked as supporting brain development and awareness are going through the roof. What is interesting to ponder on is how consumed we have become and the levels of relationship and connection with one another is decreasing. Is this true development?
We cannot keep denying that the trouble our youth is encountering mentally, emotionally and even physically is not connected to an increasingly disconnected way of life we are enforcing on our children from a very young age.
It is the game of demand and supply, we are so eager in our demand for distraction from life and our own inner feelings that we are willing to pay a very high price. It is like buying something you don’t really need and that is super expensive, we do not want to know how much it costs really and we certainly do not want to talk about it.
The level of distraction that people are looking for nowadays is huge and surely has to indicate that there is something very wrong with the way we are living if we constantly want to escape our lives.
The research now coming through that is saying that constant use of devices are damaging the frontal cortex of our children brains cannot be ignored. Everyone knows there is absolutely nothing positive coming out of all this virtual reality, social skill destroying nonsense.
Wow that’s interesting, we know that video games and the amount of time we spend on screens and devices effects our well-being, but could it actually be damaging us physically too?
At the tech conference in USA this week they have taken a next step in augmented reality… a shoot em up gun with your phone as the console screen that can track through the living room or anywhere outside. I don’t know if people consider consequences when coming up with new gadgets, but it does not take a prophet to see that this leading down a dangerous path where people can’t distinguish between what is real vs what is virtual. In fact I think its worse than that as developers are actively trying to make virtual as real as possible.
Absolutely, it is always worth feeling into what is the purpose or intention of anything, ‘It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into.’
A great look at disconnection of the body and hence the harm it not only brings to ourselves but also the quality in which we move and express then has a flow on effect to all. A very important topic thank you Vicky.
Fascinating that it equally had a very quick death too and within months had passed as a fad but then the energy just goes to something else that becomes the new form of distraction, ever seeking but never fulfilling.
We can pretty much guarantee that there will be another distraction on its way after this one and will again appear to be crazier than the last, and we will sit fit there in bewilderment as to what people can come up with next. Then we will get used to that level of crazy until the next and the next.
I have never played the game you speak of Vicky, but I have certainly observed myself whilst using technology. I am on the computer a lot. Both at work and at home. I have realised that through social media for example I can become very easily distracted. But what I am needing at those times is a break, to step away from a screen at those times altogether and not to check out on another screen. Having a drink, or a walk or even closing my eyes for 5-10mins.
In Vietnam, the traffic on the roads looks chaotic, but there is flow with everyone being aware of others and all the intended movements. Recently in Vietnam, I observed a person on a rental bicycle in the evening rush hour texting on their phone, were they trying for a Darwin award for thinning out the gene pool?
We have all seen the children in a pram with a phone or some electronic device that keeps them quiet and distracted. A friend of mine the other day gave a lift to her neighbour and son to the doctor’s office. Her son was complaining that his eyes hurt. The doctor said the problem was from eye strain… he is four years old!
Doing anything on auto-pilot is a recipe for disaster as we are moving with our body in parts; our head disconnected from the rest of the body. Our body is naturally harmonious with all parts primed to work together for its good, but once in separation, it has to work extra hard to protect us. This body of ours is super amazing and when we come to understand that it works at its optimum when operating in harmony with the mind, life begins to flow with ease.
The scary thing is most of us live the whole of our adult lives on autopilot, our movements are repetitive, our conversations are predictable and our feelings are guaranteed. Connecting with our bodies brings a freshness and an aliveness to life, even if that freshness is to start to feel how truly dreadful we feel, which is what happened to me when I started to actually drop into my body and stop living by rote.
“When the aim of the game is distraction…” we often do things and are willing to say yes to things we actually would not say yes to if we were not in this need for distraction. Therefor it is so important to not be needy and be willing to feel all there is to feel in our lives and bodies however uncomfortable at times this can be. Loving and appreciating ourselves is in my experience the only way to stay present with myself.
In our home town I am seeing these gaming shops pop up everywhere, it is really disturbing walking by seeing young people completely checked out engrossed in watching a screen. Life is about true connection, enjoying anothers company and being in wonder of the magic of life, being addicted sat in front of a computer screen is such a waste.
Boy oh boy must we be powerful being connected with our bodies. The whole world would look different, as the body and its movement lets you have access to the grandest intelligent you can imagine.
I love how you present the absurdity this game brought to humanity and that it did not even attract much attention when people walked through the streets like robots. What a great reflection for us as humanity that such a game could be successful. The illusion that gets fed is feeling connected with others who play it also- in a way you get sold the belief that you are with others, although the truth is, when you are not present with yourself first, any kind of “connection”
can´t be soulful.
Very true Stefanie. It’s like watching people walking around looking at their phones, rather than looking at where they are going and also missing out on eye contact with others.
What is it about this world that so many are drawn to devices, food, drink, sports etc as a means to be distracted from what is going on around them. Maybe the reality of what is going on in the world and in some people’s lives, is just way too hard to deal with and they simply want to disappear into another reality, one of illusion. But what is going on around them does not go away it will still be there went they wake up from their illusory existence, and in some cases in a way more serious form than in the first place.
For sure Ingrid , the other thing is ” The Name of the Game is Distraction ” – but why? Is it perhaps at a deeper level there is a need to have humans distracted so they will never get to stillness to realise and feel their essence . If people are kept in motion and distraction they will never see the wood from the trees.
A video game that you play as walk and move throughout your day focusing on a screen – seriously, what next?
We are taught from a very young age how to disconnect from our bodies, how to override the strong messages that it relays to us, and how to numb our bodies so that we feel less. What you have shared here – ‘awareness of energy can change our relationship with our body and build a greater understanding of the effect energy and movement actually has on our state of health and well being.’ – highlights just how dis-empowering it is to be disconnected from our body and with that the awareness of what quality is moving us is lost, whereby we allow ourselves and our movements to be governed by a quality that does not support us to be ourselves. Is this the game we really want to be playing or be played in?
What is the goal of having masses of people being outside of their presence? When we are not present in our body, we simply don’t feel anything. If we don’t feel, we lose the ability to discern what happens inside and around us. We focus our eyes and our mind in what calls our attention, and then we move, like remote-control bodies. Manipulation is so easy then…
This craze seems to have died down a bit now, but I can’t even imagine what is next, because there is always a next craze to distract and numb us away from the responsibility of living in alignment to our souls! Crazy we are!
Vanessa there is always a next craze and there always will be until we come to the point that we’ve had enough but until that day comes we will continue to distract ourselves with all manner of paraphernalia. And that ‘paraphernalia can also be ‘searching inside ourselves’ when that ‘searching inside ourselves’ comes from the same consciousness as video games. It’s imperative that we discern the energy that has set something up because that will dictate whether or not something is a distraction or not.
One must wonder at what point humanity will stop seeking distraction and realise that the real answer lies in dealing with it in the first place. Imagine if that $500m was invested in true health and wellbeing and not more numbness and distraction. It is no wonder why our illness and disease rates are so high.
It is getting worse Joshua, now we want an immersive game, we want to wear goggles and forget reality. They are using it to work with anxiety and I cannot for the life of me see how taking someone out of real life helps them cope with real life…
The original intention of games was that they were to be educational, or to bring people together, the games currently played by children and adults alike are cutting people off from reality, from education, and from other people.
What evil could know the weakness of the human spirit so well as to make a game so addictive, imprisoning, and isolating that it could deceive the world into believing it is just an innocent game.
It’s something powerful to consider that everything we say and express has a registered effect. But it’s a whole new level to comprehend that every movement we make contributes towards the health of the whole world. It’s easy to think of this as an everlasting multiple choice test – ‘will I give the right answer?’ our mind seems to think. But we actually don’t have to worry – just live in a way that allows grace, is gentle, spacious and playful too. In short just have fun staying aware and being you. It’s not an arduous task but an opportunity to enjoy being alive. The greatest game is to think that what we need to do is escape. Thank you Vicky for highlighting this.
Distraction robs us of having a true connection with ourselves and others.
We are missing out on so much in our habits of distraction. We do feel the insanity of watching groups of people out and about together not communicating directly but focussed on their screens… and yet, for every day that goes by without us calling this out, it becomes more and more normal and we stop apparently noticing. It is in relationships that we evolve and it is in these distractions that we stagnate.
Exactly Matilda. When we are allowing ourselves to be distracted we are the ones being played. We are moved, all the while thinking we are the ones making the moves.
And we don’t call it out, we enable that normal and that is probably the biggest part of the problem.
It’s true we don’t want to see how far away from ourselves we have come via the distractions we entertain ourselves with. This avoidance to address what is actually going on in the world and escape into a virtual reality is becoming very extreme, in Japan, I have heard, men are marrying virtual women. If this is true how does that impact on life in Japan and then the rest of the planet? Where on Earth are we heading? Woops perhaps that should read where in cyberspace are we heading?
Its amazing that it can be called a game. Its purpose is distraction from the world ” this is not a game ” .
There is a true science being talked about here, it is the science of energetic magnification. It is something that I feel perhaps every person is aware of, but because there are certain systems and types of education in place this is not a confirmed experience, even though many of us would say that it is true. The more we move in a certain way the more that way becomes who we understand ourselves to be. So, by this fact then surely we are in full authority all of the time for who we are and for what we present to the world.
Yes, clearly and that is why we find ways to be distracted.
The name of the game is distraction and the aim of the game is not seeing where we are in relation to what we in-truth naturally are and come from.
Exactly Ariana. The opposite of distraction is pure power and the magnificent responsibility that this brings.
It could be fair to say that generally we have become very ‘good’ at distracting ourselves in all ways and in all forms, but it seems that through computer games such as this, we have taken our distraction to a whole new level. To get to the ‘what we are avoiding’ point and to feel the consequences of what this actually does to us on a physical and emotional level is key to making the change.
The emptiness behind distraction is what we do not feel, though once we go there and feel it for what it is we can move on with more real substance and quality in our lives.
This is just the tip of the ever expanding iceberg – we are on a one way ticket express to greater and more elaborate ways to check out and alter reality, or even completely remove ourselves from it. But what is curious to me is what lies underneath the surface, the underlying and currently not so clear impact on mental health, commitment to life, health and wellbeing, ability to connect and communicate.
We have a communal green area at the back of flats and the other day my husband and I saw a crowd of people standing around all looking at their phones, it was then that we realised that this must be for some sort of virtual game as no one was really talking to each other they were just all observed on their phones, it is slightly disturbing to see so many people distracted by something totally not real.
This was very interesting to observe – the absence of being present in their bodies as they stood together meant they appeared almost zombie like. What must be driving us to want to be distracted and check out so much as to make games such as this so ‘successful’.
What strikes me when I go to the gym, is how many people are on their phones, either on them in between sets or whilst they’re doing their stretching. Going to the gym is potentially a great opportunity to be in our bodies and yet we’re ensuring that this doesn’t happen by continually keep going on our phones.
This blog has so many aspect to explore, even when we project it to our everyday life, without gaming or any visible distraction. How do we perceive the surroundings we live in, is it a virtual reality for us seen through a biased view we impose on it? For instance like perceiving the place we are as a dangerous and unsafe place to be while for another the same place can be a place of joy and friendliness, just like putting your sunglasses on through which everything looks so much more beautiful. How does this work, does the environment we live in present a reality that is fixed or not? I do not know the answer for now but for sure there is more to it than only what meets the eye.
This is just one example of one game that is largely popular. I find it incredible that there is so much distraction and so many ways of going about it. But with phones you can now have the distraction in your pocket.
Today I saw an advert for a phone, and it was aiming it at the fact that the new technology that is so amazing to the older generation will be the next generations new normal – and an example was a child in a swimming pool, with the phone under the water showing a holographic fish. This thing is that this new normal is not normal – it is not reality and we do not yet comprehend the impact that this could have on mental and physical health of the children that will grow up with such intense exposure to technology.
We tend to not think there are any consequences when we distract ourselves, whatever form that may take. I certainly didn’t think so, but now I have a developing awareness that there is a direct link to my body, my vitality and wellbeing.
This then leads to the question – What are we distracting ourselves from?
Recently I’ve been noticing how frequently I use a screen to distract myself from what I’m feeling, particularly if I feel stressed or under pressure with work and how exhausting it is.
The new trend of augmented reality in games and other computer based application is promoted as another frontier in entertainment and also solution to social issues faced by society. As humanity is looking for escape and distraction, Pokemon Go is a perfect answer at the expense of humanity’s health and well-being. I deeply appreciate the expose’ of the underlying energy behind the games such as Pokemon Go under the banner of entertainment, which are designed to exploit our society.
Just like any drug we become desensitised the more we indulge in it, the frightening thing now is this indulgence starts really young, it is normal in society to sit children in front of the television or give them a smart phone for a distraction, yet all these habits impact us and finally take its tool on us individually and as a society.
If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level. Equally, if we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body. A powerful reminder for me today, thank-you.
Yesterday I had a realisation of just how much I use my phone as a distraction, at every point of the day when there is chance I reach for my phone. Sometimes I do this with a purpose but there are times when I do as a pure distraction.
I sure do hope the whole virtual reality phase we are going through to check out from life is short lived, because if it is true and it is that dementia is caused by checking out and not being present, well half the worlds population will have dementia before too long and that is a lot of people to look after.
When life gets intense the propensity to want to numb, or distract from it is enormous and we find every which way possible to do so? What if being with the intensity, feeling underneath it and staying with what we are feeling is the only way to truly be with life?
It is a peculiar situation that we have ourselves in, as we search for distractions away from the intensities of life, and yet these methods for distraction seem to only add to the pace and franticness of life itself, thus creating more of a need to seek distraction.
Yes, distracting ourselves when we are busy adds to the tension and raciness so we then seek to numb and distract ourselves more.
The thing is because we already have the TV and Hollywood block busters in place which are a widely accepted form of numbing ourselves, the video gaming and now the mobile video gaming is not such a stretch, and people do not see it as anything unusual. It seems that only when we wake up out of the numbing will we realise how much of our lives we are wasting on distraction. The question is what will it take to shake us out of this walking daydream?
I am pondering what it means when we choose distraction to ‘relax’ but this distraction becomes so exhausting that we layer it with another from of distraction to further deepen our separation from what is true. Making the choice to separate feels like a deepening web of illusion.
What is occurring within us if we need to have so much distraction? Surely it shows that all is not well within? When we are deeply settled within our own bodies there is no need for distraction as it is lovely being in and with ourselves.
I agree we think we are just choosing one thing but we get everything that comes with it whether we choose to see it or not.
Even 5 years ago this sort of thing would be the stuff of science fiction for many people. Nowadays it is the reality and it certainly is a very real problem in today’s society. We have often foreseen these devices in the past as being cool and providing us with seemingly rich digital lives. But have they changed anything in truth now that we have smart watches, smart phones, smart cars, even smart TVs! And still we seek more and more distraction and escape!
I see many industries strive and make huge profits from creating new forms of distraction for the public simply because there is a huge demand for this. Why is this demand increasing and what is the effects on humanity? Because collectively we are resisting evolution and love, and the consequences of our choices is deeply hurting humanity, our planet and the universe.
“game is distraction, combined with physical movement, along with a hidden intention to collect data” that is a toxic cocktail. Any one in their own right has a big yellow caution sticker, but all three together? Is that evolution? Do we spend any time considering the consequences of these next steps in innovation and technology, or do we just spin the wheel, throw the dice, and just hope that it is not another thing that makes it more difficult for the next generation to connect to themselves first.
Exactly Ariana. The more we feel everything that is actually taking place energetically the more inspired we are to claim our body in full.
Gosh Vicky … what if the world realized the energetic source of everything that is used for distraction in this era?? This would certainly be an eye opener for humanity!
It is our responsibility to look behind all the services that we buy into, not with cynicism, but with curiosity about what it is that we have set up and how invested we are in either engaging with life and each other or being distracted.
How we took to this game with such enthusiasm and obsession, was a great reflector of how checked out and numb we as a society are choosing to be, accepting a game like this as just another fad without stopping to really look at what was truly being collected from it by the makers and how crazed people were while they were playing it.
What an insidious game; thank you Vicky for exposing the harmful effects of these electronic games. How important is it, for each and every one of us, that we discern what is really going on with these games.
I see more and more people glued to their cellphone all the time. Walking their dog or sitting with there child, totally unaware of what is going around them. No connection to the real world.
It is critical that we use all our amazing technology responsibly. I am questioning the value of a smart phone. Is it really improving our quality of life?
Our choices determine the life we have. Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine present a way of life that is all about true responsibility. Just living like that has turned my life around. I am feeling ready to do what ever it takes to deal with the issues in the world.
We may see distraction as harmless, yet we only need to look at the rise in dementia to know that distracting ourselves is and always will be detrimental to ourselves.
Vicky I love your exposure of Pokemon Go, I have observed how scattered and unfocused this games makes children when they play, from what I have observed children rush around looking for theses creatures, with jarring, unnatural movements. There are also Pokemon cards that children collect and swop and the cards with the highest rating are the ones with creatures on that do the most harm to another, they seem to be all about fighting, the whole idea of this feels very unloving and children as young as four are collecting them having seen the older children with them.
It really fascinates me to see what the next craze for children is and at the moment the world is a buzz by the fidget spinners. We sell them at work and find many children walk into the store with one in their hands. they are truly transfixed on them and not really paying attention to their surroundings or anyone around them. Schools have also banned them in some areas showing the affect they have on a much broader scale.
When this game first came out, people were obsessed with it, but now I don’t see anyone walking around in a daze with their phone held up and looking at the screen as they move. Perhaps this game was even way too ridiculous and brought people to their senses so they decided their health was more important. But I’m sure the producers of the product made a lot of money nevertheless.
I watch young children playing this game and enjoying it, talking about it with friends and having it as a point of contact with parents. To them it is not unusual or strange, it just is what it is, a fun thing to do and to share and the concept of being with or not with their body in conscious presence does not arise as an issue, they are simply having fun. The insidiousness of these games is here being revealed, because it is exactly this childhood playfulness that is being exploited for commercial gain, at the dear expense of some very beautiful young children learning very early on exactly how to check-out and how to become vacant from their bodies. In a sense they are learning how to live based on what a computer game is telling them, and not from what lives in their inner-hearts.
When the revenue of one single app is $500 million dollars it is no wonder that so much focus is put in to develop the next best computer game and form of distraction, the problem is we are not being honest about the harm this is causing and the more we ask for distraction the more these companies will deliver, as they are more than happy with the recognition, personal gain and glamour that comes with a so called ‘success’.
I have spent a lot of my life distracting myself, first as a child in my imagination and dreams, games and then as an adult with drinking, tv, the internet etc….it took me awhile to be aware that this is what I was doing and there are still ways in which I am yet to discover that I distract myself …..but why do I…what do I not want to feel. I can feel there is a tension and it feels like I know more than I allow myself to know, I know that life as it is, is not it, I can feel energy and some times I still deny this for the sake of selfishness….this is why I feel distraction is still such a big issue within humanity.
When I bought my first ever computer, I also bought a game called Duke Nukem which I rapidly got addicted to and played it throughout the night until the morning came, fortunately that was enough for me to say enough is enough and never went back there. We do have to look seriously at the energy behind all these games as I just read another blog where grown men were wearing nappies in order to not leave their computer screens whilst gaming had you just have to say come on guys have a word with yourselves, is life that bad that we have to totally disregard what the body needs I order to stay connected to something that isn’t real and can benefit us in no way whatsoever.
We are already living in an unreal world, where we act as though there is nothing more to life than the physical world, scurrying about like ants. If we paid attention to the fact that we are connected to and come from so much more than a purely physical existence, we would never need an augmented game again. Our multi-dimensional nature of body, spirit and soul and all we can feel connected to in the universe is magnificent beyond imagination.
Life is so rich compared to the bleak distraction of a computer game. A game may draw you in but you will always face the reality and feel the emptiness the moment you come away from the game and no doubt it will leave you feeling more empty and drained than you were before.
The discernment of the product we buy is really crucial, and to truly discern we need to ensure our awareness, and stay aware. The so-called ‘enemy’ is within and not outside of us.
With our technology revolution, it is now easier and faster than ever to find a plethora of distractions to self medicate with to avoid feeling what is truly going on for us. We are becoming the masters of avoidance, however, no amount of irresponsible behaviour ever changes the truth of how we are choosing to live. The body remembers every choice we have ever made, the consequences of which always catch up with us in the end.
The fact that we have a game such as Pokemon Go that’s become an instant world wide phenomena reveals the shocking extent to which we allow ourselves to be distracted and deem it to be ‘normal’…. ‘we don’t even question it, or consider how unfocussed and scattered this leaves us, not to mention the after effects of being so distracted and disconnected from our body.’ I am quite sure the consequences of our choices will come to light and be keenly felt over the months and years.
It is that jump in and ask questions later that as a pattern of ours has repeatedly caused a lot of damage… not learning from our mistakes? And we call ourselves intelligent?!
We have a situation where the go-to temporary fixes and medications are more easily available, chocolate, television, game distractions, internet browsing – are far easier to get a hold of and far more industrialised than true healing and relationships which are not.
If there is so much in the world to make us distracted how powerful would it be then if we were all present (in our bodies and present with what we are doing). I have definitely noticed the difference in my whole being when I am present .. it is a very solid feeling. So for us all to live this, consistently, it would be pretty huge … it would be pretty awesome ✨
It is amazing what lengths we go to to distract ourselves from what life in the world today truly looks like.
When I ask myself what is the purpose in all I do then I realise just how many ways I choose to be distracted or avoid the real purpose of my being here.
Vicky your article is a brilliant example of how even when we start to go into the world, when we are venturing outside our homes and away from our computers, that we not only are so hooked into them but now we want to make the “offline” world part of the “online” world. With augmented reality having great business potential its no surprise that it first takes off in a way that distracts us from the joy and wonder of life that is all around us.
It is unfortunately a reflection of our huge difficulty in enjoying the simplicity of our own beingness.
This type of distraction and the way we have gravitated to it, really highlights what lengths we will go to to not feel where we are at.
‘…each player is effectively a gateway to an unlimited source of data gathering.’ The insidiousness of the game is very startling. The encouragement of distraction is one thing and bad enough, but it is quite another to have an agenda that’s hidden.
Having attended an Esoteric Yoga day yesterday I am more aware of the importance to keep present with ourselves, when ever we check out we are giving our energy to an unseen power that ultimately robs us of our life force. Why check out when there is so much love to feel?
Thank you Vicky for exposing the truth behind the Pokemon Go game, I had not heard of it before but what you revealed is indeed shocking, with people not only being distracted by combining the real with the unreal, but hurting themselves or even dying into the bargain, just a mere puppet for the energy running the world.
And for the millionth time we make a choice which we know is harming us or is not our true choice, its not because we are stupid but because we are unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the awareness which we have when we are fully engaged with life.
Checking out is the quickest way to get caught up in the mind resulting in complications and hardship of what we experience as a result of it.
Distraction is a much bigger killer then we really realise, and it is not just through the obvious like accidents, distraction leads us to give up on reality. No wonder dementia rates are so high.
I had heard about this Pokemon Go phenomenon and was quite horrified to hear the people had actually been dying because they were so involved in their game. How completely crazy is that. That they are so checked out and not seeing /feeling their surroundings, that they die, just crazy.
The thing is it seems that humanity will go to any and every length to stay distracted… The list really is endless from the subtle, to the bizarre, but the endpoint is always the same… Disconnection and distraction
Absolutely, it looks like new stuff – and the human being needs new invention to get hooked in again, because it gets used to excitement very easily- but in the end, it is just another distraction. Regarding what is on the market this is the number one seeking of humanity’s distraction and numbing .
Life is sweet when we are connected to our heart, body and soul, there is no need to be distracted by games, tv, music etc, and so this example of gaming shares a lot about what is happening in society, concerning our avoidance to be in the present moment with our ourselves truly. Disconnection is rampant, and is sought rather than connection. And disconnection is normalised and offered as a reward for getting through the chores of life…things are upside down.
I can feel the pull to be distracted every day, there is a part of me that just wants to not be present or aware and it can be subtle in the way that this part takes over and so I can find myself being completely vacant from my body without realising that I had made that choice. So I can see how the gaming and virtual reality industry is responding to a desire which for many, like me, may simply be a choice that is made without the conscious awareness of it or of its impact on the body. However, when I bring love back in to the equation, and hold myself deeply within its constant presence, then being in and present with my body is the most beautiful place and I would not choose to leave it for any promises of any game.
The science of movement and energy is undeniable and well worth exploring and studying further. The potential of moving in divine flow and rhythm as opposed to in disruption to the pulse of the universe is ever-present and a potential that provides for harmony and unity of our species.
The gaming industry, has surpassed both the music and the film industry combined in how much money it generates which just goes to show how big it is and how checked out the human race have become.
We are so checked out as a society on various things that we use to distract us from our lives that we have judged as, boring or lacking in some area and so then need some relief from our life choices to keep us going. In doing this, we aren’t able to actually stop and feel what these choices are doing to our bodies and relationships with others.
It’s too often forgotten that we have a responsibility as a CONSUMER to evaluate the purpose in our purchases, the quality of the business and what we’re buying into, and that suppliers only do so much as to meet our demands.
I have seen the videos and read the articles of the strange behaviour that this game is causing in people – hanging outside of peoples houses for hours because that location has been marked as important in the game and causing issues with access to property and trespassing. Other stories are of injury and accidents occouring from people not paying attention where they are going.
It is interesting to consider the volunteered data collection that is behind these Apps which is fueled by an industry that looks innocent but actually is not as its only interest is in making money and not to help people to grow and evolve and this industry one day will show its real face when we are confronted with the outplay of it with that what we have fed it with.
Pokemon Go is simply a form of trivial pursuit, which is taking gamers for a giant leap into the world of disconnecting from our bodies. This new level of distraction, is burying our issues and poking them deeper and deeper so in no way are we being responsible for our connection. Poking our issues deeper is disconnecting us from our true essence and shutting down the ability we all have to read life and what is happening around us, we actually read and feel much more than we think we do.
As we grow and learn from those around us especially those who have connected deeply, through Esoteric Yoga, bring a reflection that has been life changing for others and me. Through connecting to who we are beings a deeper understanding of how being responsible works and how responsibility is the main keys for our evolution. There is a deeper reality of what checking out in our lives does, especially with things that hold no responsibility; these are showing up in all the disruptive behaviours in the younger generations. Image one day an app to help us all stay connect to our essence now that is an app to work on!!!!!
Indeed Greg, many apps are geared to distract us from real life but thanks to Natalie Benhayon we have the Our cycles app, that connects us to the natural cycles we are governed by and with that makes us more present in our bodies..
It seems more and more our children are being targeted to use these interactive games as a way to keep them quiet or amused whilst out shopping, but what is the true cost of letting these devises babysit our kids.
Vicky, great question, ‘Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?’ There is definitely more to this game than meets the eye, I have also noticed with Mindcraft, another computer game that even though this appears to be about building things and construction that actually children can get really affected by it, losing themselves and being very out after playing it, it feels important as parents that we do not just accept that these games are ok because they are popular, but that we really observe how our children are when they are involved with these games; if they change during or after playing them.
Most of us are unaware of what we are buying into when we buy products and services from companies…what they present to us on the surface may be quite different behind the scenes of how they treat their employees, what they invest in or who they are aligned with.
What does the fact of the hit of augmented reality games that blur the lines between the physical world and the game world are telling us?
It tells us that our capacity to create worlds that do not exist and are not true is very high. The creation of distraction-land, though, is not a new phenomenon.
The name of the game most certainly is distraction – distraction with more and more extreme measures – anything to avoid us really feeling the reality of where we are at.
Data collection is the real force behind the scenes here and human beings are but a mere pawn in this sinister game that encourages distraction and momentary entertainment..
There is always more than meets the eye and no better example than this – we get a whole lot more than we pay for by our yes… an investment that requires an ongoing payment of our life force at the expense of truth.
This is such a powerful piece of writing in the way that it gently exposes the way things are without any blame or judgement, just a plain telling of the facts which leaves room for anyone reading this to come to their own decision about the gaming world of distraction.
I read this great blog before I went to work this morning and clocked the amount of distractions that were offered to commuters including myself on the train. One train carriage with over 60 people and only two people no attached to their devices. A baby in a pram and myself.
For a while I was seeing people playing this game everywhere. But now it seems to have died off and people have given up. But the truth is that the distraction hasn’t ended, but people have just switched their focus to another one. Just as you beautifully say Vicky about the importance of feeling what the intention behind a product is – so too can we feel what our own intention is in every move and thing that we do. Then it is harder to let the distraction of things being unclear fog our day and carry on.
A whole new level of distraction indeed. Anything and everything to stop us from retracing the steps to feeling life and being engaged with our being. When we put down that distractions and devices, we don’t like what we see.
Just as we now look back in history and see some of our past distractions/activities as barbaric so to will we in the future see how just deeply harming these kind of games really are.
This says something about the lives we are choosing to live if what we are seeking to distract ourselves from this life is needing to become more and more sophisticated.
This blog beautifully describes how each movement in life carries the quality that we hold and has the ability to deepen the connection of who we are in essence or separate us further from our true selves and connection with others.
Pokemon Go is so yesterday. If you don’t have a fidget spinner today, then you are not up with the times, or should I say, the latest distraction…
A brillant article Vicky exposing how many in society can get taken by a game that is potentially very harming and dangerous – it’s quite sad that so many invest in this type of distraction and even sadder are those that don’t even notice there is anything wrong with this behaviour.
Of course now the latest craze is fidget spinners. It would appear in our zest for distraction that we have forgotten the beauty in the simplicity of living life. This of course is not a new condition or disease. Every generation complains that the last has forgotten the joy of climbing a tree, just as the generation before complained that the last has forgotten the joy of simply standing beneath one, as did the generation before complain that the last has forgotten the simple joy of being. And so we seem content to continue to spiral out of control – kinda like a fidget spinner really.
This piece of writing really calls out to me, and to everyone to take stock of just how distracted and vacant from our bodies we are willing to be. And if this is the case, then what is it that is filling the space of our physical frames, and why do we let this happen?
Apparently in Indonesia the police had to be banned from playing this game, as it was distracting them so much… Especially the traffic policeman… The mind boggles!
Recently I’ve become aware of how I can bring emotional things up in my relationship. Just when things are ‘sweet’ or going to a new level, it’s like these things turn up out of the blue. Suddenly it seems you’ve got huge problems – but do you really? Or could it be they are just a huge distraction from us being Love? Yes we all have feelings but so often the issues we percieve are just the result of energy getting in and twisting our world. Then if we are not careful it can mean we end up with ‘relationship gone’ – that’s not a game I wish to play. Thank you Vicky for making this clear for me. If it’s not simple and clear it’s not me and not true.
When we shift our focus from distraction to connection the world will change.
Understanding the science of movement as presented by Serge Benhayon has completely revolutionised my approach to the responsibility of how I move. It is incredible the difference it has made and the harmony it creates in all of my life.
It would be great to develop numbness or distraction survey which would show the differences between people who live more or less distracted lives allowing more thorough scientific studies as it would allow the study of the consequences of being more or less distracted in our life.
It is such a shame that is every moment that we check out whether we are using technology like Pokemon or any other game virtual or not, we get further away from discovering our true potential as human beings. It seems the world is set up more and more to offer us the newest and best distractions that will guarantee we won’t have to feel what’s truly going on.
wow the amount of money being made out of distraction is beyond comprehension, unfortunately this means it will be likely that no one wants to look at the cost of this to the individual and society. So much is lost in our desires, more than we will acknowledge.
Yes, the amount may be so large because people get exactly what they want. Anaesthetics seem to be very popular.
Anything that takes us away from feeling what is going on in the moment is a distraction. This kind of game is simply an extreme of the many distractions that are around us and take us away from ourselves every day. We do not realise how evil it is because most of us are already so very far away from the connection with our true inner selves, therefore we do not notice when something takes us even further away. It is frightening that this is becoming ‘normal’.
Esoteric Yoga brings an awareness and presence to the body that means we can no longer push it or ask it to do things that are harsh or in detriment to the whole body. When we become aware of the energetic quality we move in it becomes much harder to be distracted by things that take us away from our super intelligent body.
We have to seriously ask ourselves “how are we living in all aspects of life, how fulfilling do we find that and if it is not that great how can we turn things round,” These are significant questions. Because if we were finding life fulfilling why on earth would we be seeking so much distraction in our lives?
There is a madness and sadness here when we look at how masterful we are at avoiding life. In this instance living behind a screen missing so many of the nuances, miracles and details around us always.
I love what you have said Gill about sitting and doing nothing, just being. I remember years ago I used to work on my computer writing books and at a certain time I would feel like a walk around the deck which overlooked a beautiful stretch of azure water. Then I would sit in the sun on the bench for a while and do nothing, just enjoy feeling the sun and the little breeze on my skin and appreciate the view. This little poem that my grand-dad used to say would sometimes come back to me: ‘What is life if full of care/ With no time left to sit and stare’. I still do this, now with an even deeper awareness of the magnitude of the space within.
One of the things that struck me when I read this is just how disconnected we often are even without games like Pokemon. It is quite rare to see people actually moving in connection to their bodies and as a consequence we can see just how much bodies are communicating that with our current rates of illness, disease, obesity and exhaustion.
another question is WHY are we seek distraction – what is it that we are not wanting to be aware of?
This blog gets you to ponder on the other ways that we use to check out and distract ourselves from ourselves and taking more responsibility for our presence or not.
Sadly the distractions and walking around completely oblivious to our surroundings is becoming more and more commonplace and ‘normalised’ in our society. And then we wonder why there is an increase in Dementia – Duh!
No matter how it is dressed up, the name of the game with pokemon go is indeed distraction. Although the game at play can be seen through quite easily there are so many other insidious ways we are encouraged to disconnect from our bodies. For instance, gyms are set up with loud music and large video screens to distract us away from exercising in connection and competition encourages us to be influenced by the outer in order to get a result rather than being impulsed from our connection with our body.
Distraction serves two intentions – not feeling what makes us feel uncomfortable by way of imposition like emotions, judgment, expectations, bullying, disregard etc etc and to keep us from the knowing where we are actually going, the choices that we are asked to make, the steps to be taken into being who we are, the richness we are going to contribute to the all, the responsibility we have to ourselves and everyone. And although the first is what troubles us most on an everyday base it is the second one being much more insidious and harder to crack, but in the end both are doing the same.
There are soo many things set up purely to distract ourselves amd take us away from the moment. Now when you walk down a street it is more common to see people on their phones talking, texting or doing something else rather than just enjoying walking with themselves or who ever they are with. Its quite scary to think quite how much we now rely on our phones amd how much connection we sacrifice with others as a result.
The online world can be used and abused just like anything else and this is one of those games where the designers saw an opportunity to sell beyond the game itself. I have no doubt we will see this more and more.
I remember when games or new things we pop up when I was younger and you would collect them, play them or wish you had them. They would come and go and be replaced by the next thing. It seems they are popping up more and more quickly these days, like nearly weekly there is something new that replaces the old. Fads run quickly and some hold onto them and others quickly move on. I see that illness and disease rates are on the rise as well, more then before. I wonder if there is a link between us being more distracted from life and the sickness rates? As I said it used to seem not as intense when I was younger with things nowadays happening so so quickly and instantly. With mobile phones there is advertising with us everywhere, where it use to be only a certain points you could be reached. Has this convenience made us have to consume more, consume quicker and in that fads need to be made quicker? Like in this article Pokemon go, it seems so old and yet there were plenty of people playing it and yet now I don’t hear it spoken of as much, there is something new. Is this how we have created life to be and the quality of it? Have we become consumable of life with less focus on the quality we are? It appears this is detrimental to our health and the links are becoming more and more obvious.
After reading this revealing blog I can think of a hundred ways that I use distraction to not feel my body and what it is communicating to me. From reading while eating to using my cell phone while driving or even daydreaming while at a meeting at work. All of these tactics take us away from dealing with our emotional hurts and evolving back to that place when we were very young and completely open to feeling everything that was going on around us without reacting to it and escaping.
I was talking recently to a fellow mother outside the school gates and she was telling me how taken her children were with Pokemon Go, she explained that it had always been a struggle to get her youngest son outside, but now he would leap up to go for a walk if he was allowed to take the game. What really disturbed me about this conversation was the justification she made for the game getting her son outside – as if she had given in to it although she knew it was not true.
To normalise distraction shows how distracted we really are.
This is extraordinary what you have uncovered here Vicky… Of course it is obvious isn’t it… That there would be behind something so insidious and all pervading a data stream of extreme value. The way Google pops up ads or features on something that we have been looking at, and then we will see a reference to it in something totally disconnected and so there is a connection there… there is always a lot happening behind the scenes thank you Vicky for drawing our attention to another facet of life
Thank you for bringing this game to our attention. It seems we can sit back allow someone to underhandedly take from us what they will ie: our personal information . We are putting our children in danger as well unless we educate them about what is involved in such games.
What we see with games like Pokémon Go is that a virtual world is now also entering in our outdoor lives. Games used to be played in our homes on our computers but with the introduction of games on the smart phones we can now play games wherever we go and which keep us trapped in another illusion that virtually reality actually is. It is the the illusion that life is about what we experience and ‘learn’ with the mind but actually life is about living from our body and our inner heart and that aspect is dismissed completely when we get lost in the distractions which those virtual world games do offer us.
There is an abundance of all manner of tools and aids with which to distract ourselves…it appears that humanity seeks non-stop stimulation and movement, in order to evade the ever-present discontent of living in disconnection to our inner-most truth.
I will be honest I found this freaky, that non reality is becoming a reality, but then I ponder it and really is not so different from someone being in their head with their imagination, the TV, a story running, it is just a development of that choice, with interactive pictures and so the results are more extreme. Nothing just appears, it builds up and develops and is created by the will of us as a humanity and with that is it possible that we all could really benefit from pondering our choices, because we create the reality that we find ourselves in…
I imagine that like many games that are played in virtual reality that our bodies must go into a state of nervous tension to play out the game. Whilst this form of stimulation might feel exciting, what is really occurring? Our we just distracting from feeling the tension of being in life?
For a school project my son and I had to google our house on google maps. Our street view shows a empty block with none of our neighbours houses. I laughed as I thought we can’t have had a Pokemon go in our street!
In disconnection with our bodies, we become puppets for others self-gaining agendas that offer no evolution at all. It is only when in connection that we can discern and develop our relationship with truth and access an infinite wisdom at our fingertips where we can live a new normal for all to feel.
If just a fraction of the time, energy and resources we have been investing in creating greater and bigger sources of distraction were instead placed into working together on healing and resolving the many worldwide issues that is crippling humanity, we would have a completely different world.
I completely agree with you Golnaz, the the effort and money that is put into this industry is a thing on its own and is actually only there because people do not like what hey see and experience in real life and instead choose for the virtual reality they think feels comfortable until also the reality of that illusion will show to us its real face in peoples health ad the way the behave themselves in our society.
So true Golnaz, although true for both adults and children, as parents many have swallowed this idea that our children need constant distraction, turing a blind eye on the very present disharmony that follows.
What is not often recognised is that the time spent playing this game is one thing, but do we consider that a child’s behavior in the classroom could be related to what they are playing, watching or engaged in online. Or an adult’s errors at work may be affected by what is also being chosen in the online environment?
There is endless communication by our every expression – the quality and intent behind our every movement because paramount in the choices and behaviours that will thereafter follow and determine the next movement and the next.
The need and seeking of distraction feels like it comes from lack of purpose. When we have connected to true purpose and make this our living way in that we bring our activity to this then the harmful choices of these types of distraction will not have the power over people that they appear to have now. Everything is a choice and what we choose to bring to our lives and live actively will bring an outcome – choosing to be aware of the difference is so important.
This is a great example of how we should read the small print, and not be carried away with the excitement of getting a new product, and then finding out later that there is a hidden agenda which we feel violated by.
Thank you for making me aware of this Vicky, I had no idea what this game was or that it even existed. However I can very much relate to the walking and being distracted and what that does to my body and I am learning to be more present with myself and less looking for stimulation of any sort and I can feel the benefits this brings into my life.
As we check out, wandering around with our heads in the phone, companies spend time gathering data about our ever move, feeding us the next post or app to keep our heads buried in the sand, as to what is really going on in the world around us.
When you choose to fully participate in the world, you get to feel and know so much more about yourself, life and everything in general. It’s the only way to truly have a relationship with yourself and everyone at the same time, and who would have thought, how we move and the quality that we move in, doesn’t give you any need to be distracted from that awesome, spherical feel of life.
I feel this alarming blog is telling us something very important – that real life for many has become so intense or not enjoyable that they are constantly seeking to escape from it or distract themselves from the disconnect and dis-ease they feel every day. Why has life become like this for so many? And surely we are all better off facing the facts and beginning the conversation as to why life is so intense and what we might be able to do to change this?
For years I have never been a fan of these games or being placed in a world that is violent or dark – I could not see the point in this when there is so much on offer in the real world that we could be playing with.
I recall one day when I was on a train to the airport and one young woman was so enthralled in her game, she didn’t look up once during her travels except getting on the train. And when she was getting off the train, her head was still down and her body in auto mode, she was leaving the train whilst bumping into people and not once did she speak to her friend – What a reflection of how she and no doubt many others are living.
“If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level.” This science would be of great service to medicine, what if many of our illnesses we currently have are partly or completely a result of walking around without connection, with hardness and with that hurting our organs and body so much so it gets ill?
This is such a beautifully put together article Vicky. It really energetically holds the truth you speak of, that: ‘
Physical movement is a science in itself and one that is rarely considered in its everyday context, or in relation to games such as this’. The fact that ”PokemonGo’s objective is for players to be constantly on the move as they play’, and that this movement is occurring through disconnection of the mind with the body, is a huge exposure of to only this distractive, distractive game, but of the whole ill way we live as a society.
More bizarre distractions that are addictive in nature. A never-ending stream of entertainment that keeps us in our heads and disconnected from our bodies – what will they come up with next!
With each and every movement determining the next move and the next -it is little wonder that we are in a domino effect of intensity in disconnection from ourselves and truth.
Eventually the dominos come to a stop and we are left with the mess we have created to clean up.
It is almost as if ‘Pokemon Go’ is an outward manifestation of how we are, as a majority, living anyway – we are not in our bodies, letting our mind stay with the body as it moves and acts. This is not only dangerous, it is anti-evolutionary for the whole race. There is a force out there that is influencing the mind to stay separate from the body, to drive a wedge between these two aspects of the human being – this keeps us all circulating round the sun in the same old disconnected way, life in, life out, as Shakespeare demonstrates in his famous ‘All the world’s a stage’ speech – the senseless round, the unquestioned pattern and order of behaviours, roles, and lifestyle ‘bubbles’ – this is the perfect description of the puppet’s life, the innumerable incarnations, described as ‘their exits and their entrances,’ endlessly repeating the same pageant. We leave one pageant and inevitably we return to the same foolery, the same tragedy, the same comedy. This beautiful article of yours Vicky is calling a halt to this senseless round.
It seems the world is set up to distract us in today’s society. And as soon as one craze has hit the ground, the next one is already in the pipeline. I wonder how long it will be before it all implodes on itself and we will be left with no internet, and will have no option but to rely on spoken communication and building true relationships once again.
WE seem to have accepted the distraction of technology as commonplace. It is pretty normal for people to be on their phones a lot of the day. Or go to restaurants and just observe how many people are checking their phones. It has been the way to communicate rather than using it only when needed. The gaming world is just taking this disconnection to another level and offering it to young kids. Pretty scary to think that people now grow up with this rather than knowing the depth of what relationships ships can offer.
It is an indictment of how we are living that some experts can claim that spending inordinate amount of time hooked into a program that distracts you away from your life and encourages you to walk around without paying much attention to people and your surroundings is ‘healthy’!
The name of the game is distraction whether we are playing a video game or not. Life is set up as one big distraction. Everything in this world is designed to pull us out and away from ourselves. It is actually quite radical to live a life remaining connected to the body, staying present with ourselves and not allowing the distractions of the mind or the multitude of distractions on offer. A beautiful and simple life is waiting for us if we can do this, or we can just conform, allow the distractions and get lost.
The unreality of reality is becoming the game and distraction and disconnection is the aim of the games also. Where are we going and what is happening to ourselves and our children if this type of disconnection is seen as normal and fun and entertainment becomes the goal of life in our society. Awareness and connection to our bodies is the only real way to live with each other in the oneness of love.
When we talk about reality have we any idea of what real is? When we discuss truth is what we see part of the reality we live in, it has to be, so when we are totally absorbed by what we see and are devoid of any feelings? Looking, with out any true responsibility for what will happen to us or others has always landed me in hot water. Then when I feel life from my essence so that I am feeling what is truly going on, I have found that I see and feel a lot more than what is skin deep, because I am prepared to also feel what is happening energetically and not check out from true reality.
It’s apparent that we really don’t know how to be with ourselves without some sort of distraction or something that can give us a topic of discussion with friends etc as we don’t think we are enough to just be ourselves and talk about what is going on for us. We would rather talk about something that seems more exciting to draw us away from feeling the loveless behaviour we are not choosing to feel.
I have heard and seen how people use a game like this and how this virtually takes them out of the real world into another world. I can say it’s disturbing to see which is true and then I could also say watching people drive a car and operate a mobile phone is the same. In other words we all do this on some level or in some way and to focus on just people with these types of games doesn’t bring about a true change. If this is held as the truth which it is to me, “Esoteric Yoga, a form of Yoga that introduces the fact of energy and how each and every movement is a magnification of the energy or quality that we are in.” So with this as a dedication for just one part of life like say our mobile phone what are we magnifying? I agree with the gaming example, but what about how you drive, eat, prepare meals, interact with others at home and out of home and the list goes on. What I get a sense of strongly is that we all have a responsibility in what is going on in the world, it may come down to a question of what are we actively going to do about it, what can we change that supports this to change.
All the running away in the world won’t help – as whatever we are running from will catch up with us sooner or later anyway. It’s just a question how far do we run as to how hard the ‘catch up’ will be.
I have just watched a show on education in schools how technology is changing the whole process as we knew it. It allows everyone to learn at their speed, which is good. But, this puts everyone in a box with themselves creating separation. The big winners are the three large named companies that are providing the hardware and software.
Indeed Steve perhaps one day these big winners will be accountable for the wayward outplay of their hard/soft ware – the fact that Facebook is now being held responsible for much of the malaise that pervades their platform is surely just the beginning of firmer technological regulations.
The aim of just about everything these days is distraction and to keep us as numbed out from really feeling what is going on with ourselves and the world around us.
And how mad is this when what is on offer in life and our relationships is beyond amazing and inspiring. Being numbed out is a loss for all of us.
The reason we seek so much artificial colour in life is because real life is not colourful enough, which is most unfortunate.
Distraction is one of the biggest problems we face. Already children who are easily distracted are diagnosed with various conditions and often medicated to bring them under control. Now we have a game feeding the problem we are trying to medicate away. This is extraordinary to consider.
More so that no one questions it.
Not so many years ago, if a person walked down the street in such a disturbing manner, waving their phone in air and not paying attention to reality they would be treated with fear or concern. It has become normal now for people not to be where they are. The long term consequences will be interesting to see.
This is an indictment of a society where we champion ‘the right of an individual to do as they please’ over and above ‘the responsibility for the individual to ensure their choices truly serve everyone’ and no action ever harms a single person. It is an outcome of not inspiring an understanding of what the above statement actually means and not fostering an ongoing relationship with living such a responsible life.
Technology can be used for great good, such as providing prosthetics for missing limbs, but it can also do great harm, as in the game described here.
There are so many apps being released that it is certainly a responsibility as a parent to keep up with what’s going on and as for data gathering how many are aware of this when purchasing the app? It clearly exposes apps are not as innocent as they may look and we need to truly discern. It does make me question other hidden motives that may be at play that we are not at first aware of.
There is a lot of distraction available and it is quite normal these days for many of us to not be very present in our bodies, but I can often find that this leads to life feeling quite chaotic, which is unsettling as I prefer the quiet presence of the soul.
It’s clear here that the way we move gives us the quality of energy that is passing through our body, this affects how we feel physically, mentally and emotionally; how crucial is it then that we stay aware of how we are moving.
The magnification of energy from our movements is clear to feel from this great exposing article and the real harm of these games is far more than ever advertised and the harmful effects are enormous on our bodies and all around us. Distraction from our reality seems to be the name of the game which is very sad with all the love and connection we are missing out on and feeling who we really are.
This is a great article for me to read, since I have often hidden behind a veil of naivety about what is really going on in the world and behind the scenes. The simple question, ‘What is the purpose of this product/service/industry?’ starts to reveal some of the corruption and dysfunction we have chosen as an accepted framework for society.
The choice conscious presence and inhabiting the body fully always feels like ‘square one’ to me – an absolute must. It is something that needs to be continually chosen so that I can build strength and discernment in life. These games you speak of Vicky are of pure evil, educating our children to do otherwise, to sacrifice the precious connection with the body, for so-called fun, and then additionally using this for data-gathering. How loveless can you get? There will be a huge karmic debt over these games.
It is clear to see that Pokemon Go is a great distraction from life. Thinking about this has made me consider just how many less obvious distractions I use within my day and I can see there are many. From checking my phone far more often than necessary to overthinking situations when I could simply feel what is happening in my body, there are lots that need ‘outing!’
We are already lost in the ‘game of life’ how much further do we need to bury ourselves. My worry is how early will we start seeing dementia kicking in with the children that are checking out almost 24/7 on computer games.
I spent most of my younger life wanting to be distracted, I would get my form of distraction from chocolate, tv and music. I see now as all of this as a waste, life is so precious it is far more important and worth while to be present with life.
Walking in connection with our bodies is true medicine, it allows us to develop a deeper connection to the wisdom within us all and to know our true origins, games such as this are created to counter this fact and keep us in the loop searching and longing for something that is already innate to our beingness.
Let’s take a snapshot of humanity and society using the Pokemon Go craze as an example and put this snapshot in the history books. Then let’s go back through the history book. When we compare it say to the Great Pyramid – can we still argue the case that we are now more evolved?
Life before I meet Serge Benhayon was definitely like I was playing a game that kept me distracted and I walking around aimlessly with my head in the clouds. Now I feel a deep connection to my inner-most which is the esoteric and this has kept me grounded and vital. Esoteric yoga has deepened my sensitivity I have with my body, which has also blessed my relationships that I feel with others.
We don’t seem to question now what we are trading (i.e. our personal data) just as long as we get entertained, distracted or stimulated. The old game of demand and supply, the longer we engage the further we delay living who we truly are.
After reading your article I realize how many things I still do out of reaction or distraction. To get aware of this is healing. Thank you Vicky.
This flow or magnification of energy in the body through movement makes sense to me and so it also makes a lot of sense to be very present and aware of the energy or quality of our movements in our moments of our day. If we are not consciously present in the moment how do we know the quality of energy we are actually moving with?
“If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level. Equally, if we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body.”
This is simple, magic and profound.
I am sure it will be worth seeing what the future holds emotionally and physically for people who regularly use this type of distraction. I am sure dementia rates will hit the roof and we will see it occuring in younger and younger people.
Distraction – I have always found it interesting that people talk about TV or radio dramas and the people in them, as if they were real life. Real life situations played out as entertainment maybe, yet is it easier to focus on situations that actually don’t affect us personally, rather than deal with our own hurts?
Healing happens when we look within at what has been our irresponsibilities in the past and making a correction so we can heal what has created the hurts. What you have shared is gold Sue it is so easy to look out-side our self rather than deal with our own hurts.
We seem to be getting further and further away from the truth of life and who we are with technology that creates a virtual reality.
I wonder how many people know the data collecting capacity or intention of this seemingly harmless popular app? Its crazy how its been embraced so fully and yet this is most certainly not common knowledge.
I really feel the harshness in my body these days if I walk down the street checking a phone, it really feels out of place, and how inferior a feeling it is to just walking in awareness of my whole body moving, that is a far better feeling than anything I can find on the phone.
I find it fascinating what you are presenting here about movement and distraction in this gaming environment and how movement is so crucial to our evolution. The possible impact of this is really far reaching and the more disconnected we are as adults the less we will act appropriately and call out this type of abuse.
Yes. If we are prepared to really see the madness of our current situation then we are called to see what things might look like in 10, 20 or 30 years time on this trajectory. The willingness to be honest about what is going on is pretty key here.
Through the support of Universal Medicine and esoteric modalities such as Esoteric Yoga, I have come to value how powerful being consciously present is. When we live with a greater awareness of our physical body, the way we move and build a tender and gentle quality with it, this can be simply transformative. The body opens up and we build, vitality and health. Games such as these offer the complete counter, stuck in our heads, false adrenal stimulation and a numbing down the body tightens up and closes down…The enormity of realising that every choice we make has a direct physical impact on the body is huge.
‘It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into’. I agree Vicky and can be applied to other things as well. I visited a well known english royal town recently, just to view. It felt wrong: an ancient town redesigned and re-configured, stuffed full of retail outlets and consumer attractions of all types. I did not succumb and left within the hour.
I’ve never understood the attraction of playing any kind of computer game, I put it down to my age and ‘not getting’ the current trends. I love to sit down and play other games with people, where the enjoyment is as much about sharing the time together as it is about the game. However, I realise that perhaps what I’ve been feeling with computer games has been about the energy all along, how it separates you from everything that is going on around you, it sucks you in and owns you while you are there, in front of the screen, and you lay yourself open to the energy from the game to pass through you. It is, therefore, unsurprising that behaviour can change quite significantly during and after playing computer games.
This blog highlights to me the importance of feeling into the true intent behind everything that we are doing, by true intent, I mean with regards to the energetic imprint. Everything in life is about energy first, we may ‘think’ we can’t read the energy, but in fact, it is natural for us to do so, we have allowed ourselves to become out of practice.
Super cool to consider this and our responsibility as we move through our days. What are we immediately choosing for ourselves and what are we letting run on in our societies?
Walking with awareness and with inner stillness makes such a difference to how we feel throughout our day
Very, very true Carmel. As is often the case, we can find so many ways to distract ourselves from the simplicity of being with our body.
It is indeed a sad reflection of society that this is now one of the most downloaded apps. It begs the question…whatever next?
I think there is a real danger in normalising this kind of disconnection from our body, especially if we consider how the way we are in one moment leads into how we are in the next and so games like this breed a way of being that is scattered and disconnected.
Yes indeed, it is such a hook, I have worked with clients with it and therefore played it myself and the level of distraction and hookng was extra-ordinary. What I did notice was that it got people who would not leave their homes to actually leave, it got people socialising, it was a conversation starter. Yet all of it came at a price, there was not just a give, it was a give and take, take, take.
What is interesting is that these kind of games are not new, this has simply been made mobile where as before you would be sat in front of a tv or computer screen, but no less immersed in a world that is not reality. and then beyond this is the ability to bring it into life by dressing us as characters, creating new plots and games based off the original and playing them out – the fiction becomes a whole way of life.
Gosh I had no idea about the data gathering aspect of Pokemon Go. Insidious is the word that comes to mind about the intention of this game! I have to admit to being super judgemental to the absurdity of this game when it came out, but having had the experience of playing a game and being completely taken over by it to the point I never played computer games again, I know what it feels like and understand that when we are empty and wanting to be numbed it is easy to see it just as a game that is good ‘fun’.
Very true Elizabeth – we give permission to all that comes our way, one way or the other, and the myriad forms of distraction on offer are no different.
Why indeed! Is it maybe that we are not willing to see and live the gorgeous loveable being we are, and fully stepping into living that in the world?
The more I hear about this game the worse it gets. Recently there were posts on social media where people actually thought they were going to find real Pokemons on the street and they were wondering where to store them in their apartments – sadly this just shows how disconnected from themselves some people are …
I recall TV episodes showing people hooked up to devices that rendered them into a robotic state during which they were not aware of their circumstances, their surroundings and themselves, and how the super hero saved the day by finding out what was going and turning it round. Yet – several years on it seems humanity has proudly chosen to walk into such scenarios without batting an eye.
The only difference is that we can not blame the devices, we also need personal responsibility and accountability for our own choices, and we are the super-hero that needs to save ourselves.
Great exposing blog, Vicky, we are all reminded to discern what is going on behind the scene. The distraction of this game is very obvious, and quite horrendous, but then there’s the catch of the data collection that most people don’t know about.
We were staying in a hotel the other day. Every night for five nights, a family of three would come down to dinner, plug their daughter into an iPad and have dinner together. You’d think that having plugged their daughter in, the two parents would then be chatting to each other…but no, they spent their whole meal on their phones. For five nights this happened…barely a single word spoken between them. What amazed me, apart from the obvious, was the dedication that the father brought to this. He had the iPad, the headphones, the little stand for the screen. He would clear an area, set it all up, get it all ready and then eagerly plug his daughter in. It is not an exaggeration to say that his movements were like a drug dealer, cooking up a fix for his client.
Oh my goodness, Otto, what an incredible observation – a disturbing sign of the times indeed.
A truly sad state of affairs and just showing the total disconnection from self as well as others …
What is interesting is how these ‘hooks’ are changing – becoming more and more advanced in their hooking techniques and more and more extreme in the distraction that they provide – what is purposeful for for me to observe is that instead of reacting to or judging these games and those that get involved with them, I can look at my own life and the choices that I am making. Whilst I don’t play these games, there are plenty of other perhaps more subtle distractions that I have in my life. And since we are all one and since my movements ripple across all others, my responsibility is to choose presence and stillness in all that I do. The point being, if my brothers are playing these kind of games, what’s my part in that?
I know how different I feel when I checkout, how empty, how disorientated and how yucky that feels in my body, Like I have been vacant from me. Interestingly this can be from just thinking about something and not being present in what I am doing. If I would add on augmented reality games then I would not know what to do next! I would get back to work feeling like I did not know my next part to play. What I needed to do etc.. I would feel lost. Given many adults play this game whilst at work, what quality of work does the company then provide?
Vicky, The way this game works; bringing gaming into reality does not feel good to me, ‘Augmented reality games blend digital content into the real world, blurring the line between the physical world and the game world.’ I have observed with children playing out on the street that it used to be on bikes, scooters and playing hide and seek, and now when Pokemon Go comes into it, the feeling on the street changes from one of laughter and playfulness to one of shouting and erratically running about, this hasn’t felt natural to me and reading your article I can now understand why, this game feels very sinister.
You ask at the end to consider “what are we actually investing in and what are we giving our children or are part of ourselves? Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?” I’d like to expand on this and ask “what are we handing our children and ourselves over to and how distracted and indifferent have we become to not smell this rat?”
Yes great expansion Gabriele, what indeed, and it’s not hard to get the answer to that question when we truly observe what happens after ‘handing them over’…
This to me seems to be a recipe for disaster, even though this patent has probably tried to use this below quote as a backup for their standing point ‘The patent also references an academic paper that states, “In our opinion, the real challenge lies in motivating the user to provide the data constantly, even after the exciting appeal of technological innovation at the beginning wears off. We are convinced that entertainment and fun are an important design aspect of such data collecting services’
This feels like it is the seed to perpetuate the form of distraction to continue and to what end and for what end and who benefits. Feels like money, greed and a lot more ill intentioned ways of being are behind this. Has anyone asked in the making of this app and alike, about the long term effects of a society subscribing to this sort of continued distraction – I don’t think so but it should be considered thank you Vicky for writing this exposure. It’s time for all of us in society to ask more questions and be more discerning about what we are really saying yes to.
If every movement is a movement of energy that travels in and through us, it’s important to understand where that source of energy is coming from. Is it coming from heaven or somewhere else? When we are distracted, what energy are we allowing to pour through us?
‘Every movement is therefore a movement of energy and this travels in and through our body and, as such, our body receives the impact of the quality of each and every move’ – with this understanding, it puts a completely different perspective on the way in which we are choosing to move and the importance of being very aware of the quality of our movements, as the consequence of not doing so is and will be deeply felt in our body, whether we choose to be aware of this or not.
That is the stop moment for me too Alison. Even if we choose not to be aware, the energy we move in is having an effect on our bodies and we will, at some stage become aware of it. There is no education on this level.
Yes very true, and not just in our bodies, but all around us too as energy knows no border …
It is so interesting to reflect on society today and how little emphasis there is on quality – the quality of our movements, our expression and our relationships. When it comes down to it, what is more important than the love we are able to bring to ourselves and one another, so how could this possibly be omitted so completely from our upbringing?
“Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?” This is such a great question and one that every responsible parent needs to be asking of the many games that children today are playing. I see all around me children with their heads down, all their focus on the tiny screen in front of them totally distracted and having no sense of what is unfolding around them; life is passing them by as their artificial world is getting smaller and smaller, and the joy of the world they live in is hardly being registered. Is this progress? Not to me it isn’t!
I agree Ingrid. Someone I know every night battles with her child who strongly resists requests to move away from screen activities after an agreed time set by the parents is reached. An indication this child has already developed an addiction to games. Another family, two young children, no mobile phones, no iPads. Each time I’m in their company, the children are with themselves, making up games and playing with the simplest of objects or reading books. There can be long term damage when parents depend too heavily on technology and games as child sitters.
Before we are not willing and feel empowered to face what we want to distract from we will seek nothing but distraction away from life. It literally needs to turn around and look at what is haunting us and one major issue may be that we have allowed and created ourselves what we then are trying to escape from. That´s a big ouch.
” …created ourselves what we then are trying to escape from…” – makes no sense right? Why do we create stuff we want to escape from? Something to deeply ponder upon where in our daily lives we do just that…
I think it would be fascinating to know the percentage of time we waste distracting ourselves every single day – I have a feeling that if we experimented with it, we would be surprised with what we discovered, and just how much of our lives we waste every single day.
Yes very good idea – and put into practice we may even change the way we conduct our days 🙂 All this distraction just shows the level of disconnection to our selves, more for some than others, yet disconnection nevertheless.
Great point Meg. And then to ask ourselves, what happens in all those moments when there is no purpose? Whose plan are we then investing in?
We have a responsibility as a humanity to not turn a blind eye to what is going on with technology. It keeps getting more and more enticing for people of all ages, and it is a setup to take kids out of their bodies from a very young age. But we as a humanity are the ones who have said yes to this. So to me this presents an opportunity to ask why do we not want to be present and appreciate the real world? Why are we happy to loose ourselves in a game or a screen rather than building a relationship with ourselves and others?
Great, much needed article Vicky, I have observed children playing Pokemon Go and it feels very unnatural, body movements look rushed, hard and not flowing, ‘Your feet are walking, your body is moving, but your focus is elsewhere’, I have also heard of people having serious or fatal accidents playing this, which makes sense because players are not present in the body and instead very distracted.
It’s scary how we are so distracted these days by the small gadget that we carry around. It’s not just the games, it’s the phones themselves with the connection to the whole world at our fingertips. It’s like we have lost the ability to simply be alone. There always needs to be someone there, something to look at, something to play… On the bus in London I look around and everyone is on their phone. Going back to the days when mobile phones did not exist people used to connect and talk to each other on buses. It really is very sad and is doing nothing for our health or a society as a whole.
I openly admit that I am a bit of a dinosaur when it comes to technology, however, maybe this enables me to be more objective? It feels to me that we are becoming increasingly dependent on our smart phones which now hold a mind boggling amount of personal information, let alone the gaming options. They provide the perfect distraction for us to avoid dealing with awkward situations, but do we then allow this to then become a pattern for us?
‘It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into’ – wise words indeed, Vicky, which apply to everything in life. Things are definitely not always as they seem and technology provides a perfect medium to mask the true intention as many of us are not particularly tech savvy.
What kind of loveless, cynical, and destructive force could target our children in this way? This force has to be wielded by people who have completely lost touch with their love, tenderness, joy and goodwill… which they now perpetrate on all the children who are now the target of their emptiness. It is up to us all to say No to this force and to reflect back a life and body that is loving and true.
We have an opportunity every day to evolve, by being more aware of our environment and the reflections is offers us. Ditto from all our relationships. People who spend the day totally distracted ignoring both their environment and other people are not evolving, which means they/we are being deliberately sabotaged by a consciousness that wants to keep us where we are.
‘Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?’ – The real game is the one we are playing when we decide to go with the distraction in the first place.
And to what we do say yes to in life in all areas. We are always saying yes to something in every moment and these. Houses either support us being with our soul and our evolution or they keep us trapped in the creation we have created rejecting all that is truly on offer to us.
Absolutely. And whilst this blog focuses in on computer/smartphone games…it would behove us all to look deeply at our own lives and see where we are choosing distraction. We may all be drinking different poisons, but the effect is the same – separation from our true selves and a delay in our evolution.
And such a hard one to quit for some indeed…
That’s true Eva. The game starts well before a device is even picked up. If this form of distraction is used, we become the character in the game and our every move is no longer our own.
The level to which we cannot bear to be present feeling our bodies is taking its toll on our physical and psychological health
I love what you share about what energy moves though our body as we move. Every step, every move of my hand as I type on my keyboard is a platform from which energy takes off and moves throughout and beyond my body. What a beautiful thing but equally sobering.
Distraction has become the outcome of many industries> I am stuck at how early parents start to feel it is their job to entertain and distract their children rather that allowing them to connect and feel and enjoy what is around them. i know i felt that if I didn’t occupy them something horrible would happen and ran myself int exhaustion doing so. The newer generations are putting electronic devices in front of their kids but it is still feeding the same belief that they need entertaining. We need to take responsibility for taking care of their needs and providing a loving and appropriate environment which allows them to thrive. Connecting with them as people, not doing back flips to distract and entertain them.
Love what you’re sharing here, Nicole. It’s really important to allow our children to connect with how they are feeling, whether they are joyful, sad, annoyed ….. if we are constantly trying to distract them, so they don’t have to feel – what sort of pattern are we teaching them?
The things we do to not face in life and our issues are plentiful but this one almost takes the cake. I had a guy working for me for a while who used to buy and sell virtual super heroes some fetching huge sums. Every spare moment he had he would be on his phone doing it, it used to do my head in. What I couldn’t figure out was why would someone want to buy something that wasn’t real or tangible, but now I can see it was just another way to check out.
‘if we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body.’ This is so lovely to be aware of and encouraging for all of us to walk with that awareness.
Awareness is such a key point in all we do – if we working on having awareness in everything it will make such a huge difference in all we do and how we go about our daily lives, we may even find some things we can just drop 😉
So very true Vicky, I have observed similar things, not so much the games, but I work in a city and see people walking down the street on their phone, emailing, text messaging and it is incredible how checked out they are and distracted. I can say that I too do the same thing and know how out of my body I can be. So when we look at this new craze that is the games for children, it cannot be healthy or good for anyone’s wellbeing.
Thanks for shedding light on this, Vicky. A game such as Pokémon Go is exactly the opposite of what is needed in society today, to help young people reconnect to themselves, their bodies and the world around them.
The so called harmless distractions we use in life in one way or another are getting more and more extreme and numbing and bringing attention to the hidden features and methods we are being continously offered is great to see fully what is going on. They are challenging and a solid connection to our bodies and ourselves is important to be able to see this and call it out for everyone of us to bring presence to our lives and a commitment to this is important.
These new games are becoming the new hook we swallow willingly to keep us from being ourselves.
“The name of the game is distraction” This shows that we as humanity are looking for distraction in every corner in order to not having to feel our responsibility concerning the mess we have created on earth.
Leave your mobile phone at home for the day – and see what happens. I’m not sure many of us fully realise the distraction that we are openly inviting into our lives. Is it in fact just another form of self medication to numb us?
“Leave your mobile phone at home for the day – …” – Yes that is quite a ‘thought’ … And it is not that long ago when there were no mobile phones and we happily left the house and home to be out and about, grateful that we were not reachable for a while …
Wow, Vicky, thanks for exposing this and writing about it so clearly. We play dumb by even getting the game and blocking out what we are investing in and then that state of dumbness and numbness only intensifies.
Hear hear – exactly so!
This game and many others like it that I am sure will stimulate this kind of technology will only grow – and with it will grow that previously unknown to man illnesses, diseases and mental and emotional disorders that being so disconnected from reality and life will have on us. We like to see them just as another game, andother fad and a cool use for our advancing technology with out seeing them as the producer for behaviours we will all to soon be trying to fix
The science of Movement is coming to the fore – physical movement is a science in itself and one that is rarely considered in its everyday context, but has the most profound effect on the quality of our everyday.
The true game is to not be of this world but be fully in the world. Computer games and alike are about trying to escape the world while completely being engulfed by it.
So true, Alex – I feel there will come a time when we realise the error of our ways in our enthusiasm to embrace all technology and our obsessive use of it, and the true toll this has taken on our relationships with our selves and each other?
Most of us are completely unaware of how energy plays our in our body as we move, for example, I used to go for a brisk walk when I was angry, not realising that I was magnifying the energy in my body. No wonder I was still upset when I returned, it had been festering all that time!
The game industry presents us that life beyond the physical is virtual and is a creation of human beings. Its purpose: to entertain us. In truth, there is life beyond the physical realm. Yet, it is not our creation but the other way around. Yet, it provides the means and the inspiration to keep us individualised and to entertain us and distract us away from ourselves and from evolution. An interesting coincidence….or perhaps not such a thing.
It is very concerning that there is this underlying objective by the gaming companies for data collection. I do not really understand for what purpose this all serves and why they would need to collect to much data, but if a game is just a rouse for another motive, then this is already a mastery of deceit and needs to be addressed.
We seek distraction and the technological world offers this in bucket loads. I was just reflecting when I was young there was nothing like the trillions of products on the market today all with the intention of giving us our out moments and me time. TV, radio and music were the closest distractions we had and playing outside was what we enjoyed most. Now at the push of a button we can disappear into a world that does not question our own reality, and takes us into one that has no reality whatsoever ever, and we choose to be numbed by this, rather than stopping and feeling the full extent of our lives and what they really mean.
I think it would be fair to say that life is becoming more and more intense for all…it makes sense then that the distractions we choose are also deepening and intensifying.
Good point Rachel – as things become more intense and pushy, so do the distracting and opposing forces intensify too – and we notice it in the form of new distractions being offered to us daily…
On everyone’s phones there are loads of free apps that need your permission to automatically know your location. Most of these are for mapping. You can ask your phone to find the nearest X store and it will! Is this the mousetrap to find what you like and target advertising just for you? What about tracking every place you go all day and your patterns. All of this surveillance of your daily movements and choices, for just choosing to allow your tracking to be turned on! You could ponder why are these apps Free? How are they making money?
Another form of distraction is to become very introspect, almost cut off from your surroundings, residing more and more in a limited world.
This is a very good point, and it is quite astounding how many people are actually doing this, removing themselves from humanity and the daily dealings with daily lives, preferring to just shut themselves away with as little contact as possible – distraction indeed!
As parents we need to take far more responsibility as to what games our kids are playing on their phones and computers. Many parents are using screens like a baby sitter and/or to avoid the need to connect with their kids.
When i feel disconnected i feel just awful, my head spins, thoughts race, i lose clarity and perspective, am stressed-out, depletion and ‘blueness’ sets in – and i know i’m not alone in this experience.. so to build something, anything be that a game like Pokemon, that is designed to encourage disconnection through distraction makes no sense at all, for the effect this quality has on the wellbeing and vitality of someone, and all of us who then become on the receiving end of the one who’s distracted/disconnected.
What if the ‘augmented reality’ we discuss here is not the full picture? What if the everyday ‘real life’ we talk about is already altered, already doctored and a twisted version? What if what we see, is laced by a series of destructive ideals, pictures and beliefs, that stop us from feeling the truth? Then we would have to say our reality has been ‘augmented’ in the most poisonous way. It’s time we detoxed from this and claimed back our true place and quality as divine Sons of God – equally powerful multidimensional beings of light. This puts any computer games tricks completely in the shade. Thank you Vicky for raising this up.
This is huge Vicky – what is being exposed here is the level of irresponsibility Humanity indulges in, in choosing any form of distraction of any kind. If we are not taking responsibility for our movements that include every choice we make then who is? Basically the world is being run by something outside of us and we are the mere puppets that fill the parts being played. The outcome being that we are responsible for everything lived – every action, every thought, every device, every war, all exploitation and every form of abuse that is currently taking place in the world. The power of choosing energetic responsibility and living life by remaining connected to our presence in all movements which include physicality, thoughts and words, we can bring to the world the Love, stillness, joy and harmony we all deeply seek.
All video games are an enormous distraction from being present and this in itself is not a healthy thing to indulge in for the body and the mind. And further to this if you add the movement to it, as they have with Pokemon Go, it increases the intensity of the distraction within the body and magnifies it so to speak. What is interesting is that there are doctors and GPs that are actually recommending this game to people who have anxiety or depression saying that it is a great way to get the person out of the house…but at no point do they question the quality of the movement!
What a great article to read at the end of a busy and distracted work day. Pokémon Go never got hold of me, but there are plenty of other ways to lose myself. Thanks for the further insight Vicky.
The other day I watched someone on their phone walk the wrong way down a travellator, totally unaware of what they were doing – says it all really.
Goodness, it shows how strong the distraction is, to not feel the extra effort, the movement of the travellator, or have an awareness of any other person.
That made me laugh! Then I remembered that I have done that myself once…
For Pokémon Go to exist there has to be a demand for it, otherwise it would not sell. You have rightly pointed out that people are looking for more and more distraction rather than feel and be honest about what is going on for them. The problem with this is that no amount of distraction is ever going to take away our inner tension and if the tension is not dealt with then the distractions will get more and more extreme.
“…an adult texting or reading an email on the move, it has become commonplace for these kinds of distractions to be an accepted everyday occurrence. So much so that we don’t even question it, or consider how unfocussed and scattered this leaves us, not to mention the after effects of being so distracted and disconnected from our body” – only the other day i was working two mobile devices, whilst on my way to my next meeting, feeling my senses leave me, i stopped myself whilst walking to reflect on how i was […feeling so pulled and awfully drained in my body] in doing all these things simultaneously. Doing multi-things at the same time although it’s perceived to ‘be efficient’, in fact makes you the opposite because it leaves you tired in the body, in one’s focus and connection with others, to make it just not worth it/the effort.
It is indeed worrying how this is going to develop, what illnesses will show up as these youngsters age. How can we compete> It is not about competition but about changing the way we are with our young. Do we help them to feel appreciated? how much self love does a person need to develop before they can see that these computer games are not IT?
Being in auto pilot is something we sometimes laud and praise as a marvel of our human capacity. But when we consider the nature of dementia and how it is a disconnection from mind to body it might be salient to consider whether engaging in technology that makes us less aware is actually not a good thing and may be deeply harming us in the long run.
Reality is, I don’t even need a video game to get distracted, I get distracted daily by so many things, food, just being busy, and it has an impact on me that is a lot more damaging than what meets the eye.
So true Rosie – we are living with a constant juggle of distraction that has more hold over us than we care to admit.
Yes as admitting it would ask of us to reflect on what exactly we are engaging with and why we do this in the first place…
What does this say about the quality and meaningfulness of our lives, how are we living, that we need games to give us a sense of ‘something’ – are our lives so mundane that we need to create a parallel world that is completely an illusion because its not real, yet we get the physical stimulation in our bodies?.
As a society we could perceive this as alarming – that our young are withdrawing from life and the impact this will have on our society. But it is not only the young, it is adults too that become very engrossed in computer games.
Or there is the mobile phone, a necessity, absolutely but how do we use our mobile phones – do we allow mobile phones to interfere in our relationships. How many of us have experienced for example at dinner, with family, friends, and the mobile is going off, and someone is on their mobile, or texting etc etc. this completely stops and interferes with our connection between each other at the dinner table.
“What got my attention was that this type of behaviour appeared to go unnoticed by others” the fact that we don’t choose to be aware of this, or that we are but it just happens and we accept it shows us that there is a huge potential to observe and stand up for what we feel is true. It certainly makes me question what i see and let go unnoticed.
It seems that we become more and more inventive with the distractions we choose. As the world becomes more intense perhaps the old-fashioned ones are less effective at blocking out what it is that we don’t want to feel… and we need to look to technology for that greater stimulation?
Exactly Rachel, the distractions are getting more and more sophisticated and hooking, and we, humanity, are the puppets dancing along to it.
This is a super clear and concise article about what lies behind the games and ‘crazes’ we unthinkingly get into. And once disconnected from our bodies we really are lemmings – led blindly and further away from awareness and responsibility. Every voice that calls this out, every conversation about this, is an initiative away from the pervasive ‘take over’ of distraction.
What is presented here is so true . The tools of distraction are increasing and if we do not already have enough distractions through mostly not living our natural rythm tools of distractions are increasing in order not to feel our choices which we have taken against us in the first place. So we go futher and further away from ourselves and our truth and are so busy with distractions that we even do not realize until the moment of a severe illness or accident.
We get a really positive message about technology in how it had advanced our lives and made us more connected, made life easier and knowledge more accessible. But is this access to knowledge and the proliferation of screens actually been a positive for us as a human race. When we consider how it makes us behave, often beholden to the screens at the expense of our bodies, our ability to connect with others, then may be we should really rethink what exactly it is we get from technology.
Very true Michelle. Every store we enter, every company we engage with comes with more than just the product or service we receive or take home. This is the part as a society we are turning a blind eye to. We literally invest in whatever they are invested in, comfort, distraction, bullying and so on.
I heard of this game a while ago but did not know much about it. A friend mentioned a young person she works with was playing this walking around a shopping centre catching things and it just sounded really weird and very unhealthy and you have just confirmed what I felt, only it sounds more harming than I originally thought. I did not know this until Serge Benhayon presented it but our every movement and the way we walk can be and is a therapy and help us re-connect and come back to ourselves ”every step we take sends back the energy we sent down to our feet.’. So Pokemon Go does completely the opposite, not only is it designed for distraction but is has been designed for disconnection which exposes the energy behind the game that created this.
Spot on Vicky – there is more to the game than meets the eye – and this game is designed to be far more damaging than we realise…
It is extraordinary the lenghts that some will go to, to be distracted as this game is clearly demonstrating. But it seems that even a game that can be played on a mobile phone is not enough of a distraction for some. Just a few days ago, I was sitting at some traffic lights waiting for them to go green, and a young man cycled past me. Nothing so unusal about that you may say, but what was to me very unusual, and potentially a risk not only to him but to another driver/cyclist/pedestrian was that he was sitting upright on his bike, with a takeaway cup of coffee in one hand, and a phone in the other and he was totally focused on his phone rather than on the road. Hands and handlebars were completely unconnected. It was a clear sign to me that no matter what mode of transport we are steering, we have a responsibility to remain focussed at all times and to be aware of any distraction that may come our way.
The collection of data is insidious in many computer applications as we can see from the so relevant adverts that appear at the side of our screens. We may think we are blanking them out but the polluting energy is nevertheless there.
“It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into. When the aim of the game is distraction, combined with physical movement, along with a hidden intention to collect data, we all need to ask ourselves what are we actually investing in and what are we giving our children or are part of ourselves? Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?” Wow, Vicky, thank you so much for revealing the truths behind this insidious poison that we are allowing to pollute our children and our society and by association, all of us . Pure evil it feels to me.
When I walk through the city, it is like the land of the zombies at times. People walking whilst using their mobile phones not paying attention to where they are walking or their surrounds. It’s actually quite difficult to walk and use a phone so you’re not watching where you’re going, so it shows you have to be quite disconnected or checked out to do so.
We have never been more distracted and have never had more compelling distractions everywhere around us. We have never had this much obesity and we may have more mental illness than in the past and the life expectancy of parts of society is dropping despite all the medical advances and we don’t know the cause.
The success games like this highlight society’s unhealthy need for distraction and people’s lack of responsibility – not only for their movement but also their overall state of being.
This is such an important discussion to be had – we already start to see alarming consequenses of the checking out condition of the game playing, so where are we headed and what about future generations?
Games like this are designed to hook the gamer in so they think of nothing other than the game. Whilst playing, they’re not interested in interacting with other people or paying any attention to what they are doing at times.
Unfortunately it works on a supply and demand basis, and we are the ones demanding, so they just supply, but little do we know that we are getting way more than we bargained for when we choose to check out and be distracted by these kind of games and are literally being energetically and physically held within this truly evil sneaky game.
This blog reminds me of a lady who was walking down the street reading a book, and just walked out into traffic and barely missed getting hit by someone. Then I got to work and my colleague was very upset and shook up, and on enquiring what was wrong, she told me someone walked out in front of her reading a book. This at the times struck me as being very irresponsible and uncaring to those around, as in expecting others to be aware of someone’s movements, without caring enough for themselves to watch how they were crossing a busy intersection. Here we have the same situation but with an electronic device – except back then it seemed ludicrous to do such a thing, but now it seems normal.
The fact that we KNOW the name of the game is distraction with these kind of apps, games, TV and technology is very telling of what we’re seeking out as a collective humanity…
Yes, absolute distraction away from ourselves and how we truly feel. Brilliant observation Susie.
Yes and we seem to manage to stop at the word distraction and avoid exploring deeper the patterns that lie behind this and the truth of what we are trying to distract from.
When distracted and I ‘snap back’ into reality there’s a feeling of being lost, unsettled, disoriented and eventually I realise what I was supposed to be doing. So often the temptation to avoid feeling the sadness of going off track is there offering me a choice to dive into another distraction. But this is one big circle that goes nowhere only further away from ourselves, reality and what truly needs to be done for true progress doesn’t come with rewards or solely personal gain, making it very unattractive to the part that wants to wonder. But the settlement and freedom in the body makes it worth it.
More and more people are lost in a world that is false because they have lost connection with the truth that is on offer.
The development of computer games from an environment within the computer, then online and interactive and now to augmented reality shows how insidious their use has become that not only do they offer an escape but they now are offering to distract us from life by creating this ‘game’ within it – what next? before we realise the harm in these games.
What we need to do is expose all the internal games we play to distract us from truth.
Yes, when we add the effect of our internal games and the external distractions we may get more affected than we realise.
Love it Kehinde. And these internal games don’t need any device to play and are equally as harmful. When we look at the definition of a game ‘an activity one engages in for amusement’, we have to ask ourselves, when are we being ‘played’ and who is ultimately being amused?
Great to see this expose on distraction, games and what is really going on at play with Pokemon.
When we walk fully claimed as the beautiful beings we truly are, there is a feeling of confidence. When we walk in stillness, there is a feeling of oneness with the Universe.
Thank-you Vicky for speaking up and letting it be known the hidden agendas behind this ‘game’. We all would be aware that these companies are selling their products to make a lot of money, but there is obviously no integrity or willingness to let it be known its other intentions. It is in fact showing no care or responsibility to its customers for the outcomes of playing this or indeed the many other games of what can occur. It does appear the name of the game of life these dayd is distraction, the question is why do we need these distractions in whatever form we use them to check out? Is life really that horrible that we need to disengage from it? It is no wonder people find it so hard to truly connect and express their true feeling with one another when we can be so switched off from life. Why not ask ourselves, are all the myriad ways of distracting really worth it and is it possible we are choosing these distractions to avoid dealing with our deep hurts?
Would most common users of Games such as ‘Pokemon Go’ or similar be aware of the data collection they are a part of? I don’t think so, it shows how there is always some hidden or secret agenda being played out even in so called fun and entertaining things, there is a reality that supremacy is playing out its own game, and this happens in the medical system, in the business world, in schools etc..
Disconnection seems to be the name of the game and no matter what the game it will disconnect and as a gamer from way back I can speak from experience, as I can now feel the energy I had to go into, when at different games or sporting events. This can only be felt once I was connected to the level of love that I now live at and love, which can only be described as true love because the word love has been reinterpreted so for the true interpretation of love go to;
http://www.unimedliving.com/voice/whats-on-in-the-world/when-you-say-i-love-you-does-it-come-with-love.html
This great article has me asking ‘is there such a thing as a truly innocent game’? When it comes pre-designed, constructed, packaged and presented to create market demand and sales. What are the producers caring about, our well-being or their success?
“Augmented reality games blend digital content into the real world…” – as if the images, ideals and beliefs we hold are not already projected onto life, people, situations and so overwhelming that we create our individual versions of life, i.e. we are blending our inner experience into the real world. Can we then know what the real world actually is?
Great point Alex. With our own internal augmented and distorted reality and then the added digital version we can add to the mix it’s no wonder mental illness is sky-rocketing. We have the mental ability to add layers upon layers of false realities over our core truth, and then we have the right to staunchly protect and defend it all in the name of freedom of speech.
It is concerning that we are so willing to give up our discernment and awareness for the easy sell of distraction / entertainment such as these computer/virtual reality games are offering us – that we do not give a thought to the intention behind them and therefore the ease with which we are manipulated, spied on and controlled. Why are we so willing to give up on being the one in the driver’s seat of our own lives.
The ulterior motive of the games company is pure deception. It is however a trade off, with the gamee demanding his distraction and the games company willingly supplying this – knowing full well they’re taking far more than the gamee bargained for.
I just thought about the reality games, like Sims and how some get so caught up in their game, that they forget to be in the real time, with real people. And then the way that people hang out online and game all night yet don’t know how to be with people and have no social skills. Its a messy technological world we are living these days!
I have never gotten into video games, I think the only thing I played for a little while was the block building game on old gameboys, but I do see how many friends, both adults and children get hooked into their video games and how addictive it is. The distraction of the game is like a drug in itself, taking the user away to another place so that they are not present and can’t feel whatever is going on in their life.
And could this continued distraction build the fear of what it is that we are avoiding, until such point that we have a mountain of trepidation of our own making?
My introduction to Pokemon Go was an 8 year old eager to show me how awesome the game was who stood up to capture a pokemon and whilst completely transfixed by the screen and the direction it was telling him to go walked straight into a pole. It was clear that this game was not only not supportive but potentially dangerous. Working with kids in care also consumed by losing themselves in this world I have found myself following them around holding onto their shirt to pull them out of the way of poles, people and even cars. I have yet to see the benefit of people losing their conscious awareness and body presence to such a degree, making me a little concerned for what on earth they will think of next.
Distraction is the name of the game, in all walks of life. From computer games, (and the app you describe Vicky) TV and film, to late night drinking and overeating. Additionally, there are also our emotions, with which we have fine tuned to create all kinds of distractions and diversions. I had a pupil once who got so stressed about his work that he would create an argument at least three times every day, 5 minutes before the start of the day, the end of break and lunch, to create a distraction and an excuse not to do his work. He would come into class full of the argument and the fault of another that he wouldn’t be able to sit down and get on with it. To all sense and purposes, we all do this on some level. Speaking for myself I can feel a distraction and indulgence in being emotional so that I don’t have to just get on with it, being more and all that I am.
Are these companies just waving their hand and saying look at this while the other hand is in our pocket looking for more ways to squeeze our wallet? Is this just the modern version of subliminal advertising in the sixties where they would put a few frames of something in a film, like drinks, popcorn and sweets, to make you go to the concession stand and spend?
“The first time I saw Pokémon in use was while observing a young boy in my local town aimlessly walking along, moving his phone around in mid air, completely disconnected from his surroundings. What got my attention was that this type of behaviour appeared to go unnoticed by others.” That is a bit scary, the fact that no one noticed. We seem to have grown so used to this type of behaviour that we regard it as normal, whereas our true normal is to be present and aware of our surroundings on many levels all the time, which becomes a constant interaction with our environment and one another. When we do so, there is no need to invent anything to take us away from such an amazing experience.
It is incredible how we can settle for and get used to what is so far below our natural expression. I just considered how much do I truly connect with my surroundings and the people when I commute to and from work every day? When someone asks me about my day, the fact that I never seem to mention my journey and the privilege of traveling with the numerous people itself is a telling sign which I will be looking at.
The truth is however, that no amount of distraction or gaming can or will ever fully take away from the bright lovingness that is within each and every person. This love can be ignored or forgotten, it can be turned away from and lived without, but it will never go away, and as our bodies become more and more sick with ever increasing complexities, the distracted and numbed way of life that is available now will have its end because as people we will eventually stand up and say no to it – so fed up with all the illness and disease that it brings as a result of living its way and not our own divine love.
Absolutely Jane, and after the craze for Pokemon Go settles people return to the same place and start look for the next hit, its an addiction like any other.
Great expose of how we allow ourselves to be hood winked by companies for their own ulterior and sinister motives. At first glance we could see the game as a bit of fun, it gets the children out into the fresh air, and out of the isolation of their bedroom, but the truth is the distraction is more harming to the child and allows them to check out even more. We cannot ever accept things at face value and learning to look deeper and observing as you did Vicky exposes there is much more going on than just a simple game.
With the support of health and wellbeing specialists who are informed about the increasing impacts of this gaming addiction in young people today, I feel the government could be rallied to put in place safeguarding guidelines that call these manufacturers to greater accountability.
‘Physical movement is a science in itself and one that is rarely considered in its everyday context’ – Very true, and every part of life is a science designed to be studied, learnt from and mastered.
Vicky, you are right about the data gathering abilities of Pokemon Go. This is in addition to the data gathering abilities of google, facebook and many others. That can be very helpful but it gives the possibility for manipulation – the scope of which we are quite unaware of at the moment.
For many young people a distracted state is actually so normal that it’s comfortable and a connected state is so alien that it feels uncomfortable. What on Earth have we done to ourselves?
Good question Alexis. It is inspiring to know that when a young person meets another who is connected and in their body, in an instant they get to feel another way and also be inspired by the experience.
Distract the people away from themselves and they will forget who they are.
Richard this line ‘ the simple joy of connecting with each other’ touched me deeply. When I read it, I could feel that it really is all any of us truly want and that it is enough.
Why is it that with any moment of spare time, or an instance of being still, my instant thought is “i’ll check Facebook” or “i’ll browse online”, yes these social media tools have provided for us a fast way to see what the social world is up to, but are keeping us distracted if we don’t discern how we use them.
So true, I have been noticing similar, it is so easy to reach for a screen in order to distract ourselves from being with ourselves.
Very true, and half the time we don’t even realise that we are wasting our moment of stillness, of re-connection to ourselves and how wonderful that can feel, by getting distracted and effected, perhaps even drained by scrolling on Facebook… and if there is a friend we want to connect to, why not give them a call and connect instead of reading about them online.
Isn’t it time that we asked why so many people are wanting and demanding this level of distraction. What is it about their/our lives that we are so discontented with?. There is so much unrest within our bodies that no wonder the rates of illness and disease are at the alarming rates that they are.
“If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level.” It is very interesting that such an important information is not something we learn from day one. What you have shared in your amazing blog Vicky made it very much understandable why the illness and disease rate are increasing even if we have the best medical care ever.
“When the aim of the game is distraction, combined with physical movement, along with a hidden intention to collect data, we all need to ask ourselves what are we actually investing in and what are we giving our children or are part of ourselves?” – a ‘harmless piece of fun’, turns out to be part of a bigger sinister game, i wonder how many people who play games like Pokemon are aware of this, and if they are, how many would be bothered… in their already current distracted and disconnected gap-like state?? Whenever there is a gap, we fill to satiate and saturate any semblance of awareness… When there is connection there is awareness to bring common sense, realness of the reality, and truth.
It looks like our options for being distracted has opened up to another level. Previously these games were mainly played at home, in front of a screen but now with new technology and what we are able to do with our mobile phones it has allowed us to take these distractions onto the streets. This will create more disconnection between people and leaving no room for us to truly connect if we are choosing to be distracted and focused on our devices, forgetting and missing out on what is around us. With the rates of download of this game simply shows how disconnected we are living already as a society. What is really going on here and where is this going to lead us?
We have certainly accepted distraction or disconnection to be normal to the point we don’t even question the effects it has on our bodies, being and lives. Without the awareness of what quality or energy is moving us through our day, what then are we allowing to move us and in that moment own us? In reality it is us that is being played when we give ourselves, our power over to games, and the great illusion that we are winning, could not be further than the truth.
I love what you share here Carola, as it shows that we are but merely a pawn in the game when we are distracted, and to think otherwise is just part of the whole illusion.
‘Checked out, distracted, scattered, unfocussed… all of which are far from our natural state of being, which is to be present, aware and focussed with an inner stillness and harmony.’ The world is becoming more and more unsettled, as if in direct contrast to the stillness that is now being offered through the beautiful therapies such as Esoteric Yoga.
I find it really disturbing that someone, or a group of people, actually sat down and created this type of game and did not consider for an instant the harm it would do to every young person who played it.
We may consider ourselves the players of the game (we call life) but in fact are pawns being moved in a game, played by forces we are not aware of while we are completely occupied with ourselves and the snippet of reality that gets our attention.
Well said Alex. Computer games aside, we have our own version of augmented reality. When we don’t claim our body, other forces will. This is a part of life that most choose to ignore. It’s no different to having a whole new level to explore in a computer game that we decided not to notice.
I like the analogy as life actually is the exploration of or better evolution from one level to the next, no lesson can be skipped and needs to be mastered. That way we master life, ie being who we are in full in a world (game) that is designed to distract us from who we are. To master the game of life means to be free of the game although we are living in it. To master a computer game only sucks you in more into the illusion of the game (life).
I whole heartedly agree, and even if we decide not to notice, it happens all the same.
How sinister it is to collect data from people that are so checked out that they probably have no idea or do not care.
Yes, it’s amazing how moving in the everyday context of life is rarely given attention. It’s only when we injure ourselves or focus on sport that we usually pay attention. But how we move makes a huge difference not just to our physical bodies but also to our thoughts – if my movements are harsh my thoughts are too, if my movements are tender my thoughts are loving and understanding. Games that distract from this science of movement can only be harmful because they ensure we do not pay attention to our movements which make such a huge difference to how we are in our daily lives.
I suddenly wondered while reading your Blog Vicky how are these people going to behave in a few years time, We know that dementia is the result of people checking out of life, well it seems to me that this is checking out on a grand scale, and I have to wonder how that will effect the health services around the world in the future?
I wonder what would happen to all these people if the Internet packed up and there were no more access to such gimmicks – would we actually know how to relate and communicate properly with one another?
Deliberately selling a game that is intended to hook people in order to gather data? Insidious indictment of the current driving mentality in business that puts profits and gain ahead of caring for people.
Also at the other end, a significant example that when there is a drive or a need, we don’t discern what we are going for. But none-the-less you always get the full package, often far more than bargained for.
We have become so tantalised by distraction that we have become numb and blind to the true intentions of others, and are no longer even discerning consequences.
There is clearly something very wrong with our society and how we are living if we have to blend the real physical world within a virtual digital world.
Awesome blog Vicky… and a great expose of the true intent of these games. It shows how important it is to be discerning in regards to all that is on offer in our world. There are so many ways of manipulating and controlling – very little can be accepted at face value these days.
The whole world would be revolutionised if we were instructed in the science of movement and energy. If we were connected we could work it out for ourselves. But it would be great if such a science were brought to the awareness of the general public so that they could choose to stop harming themselves and their children.
This is truly sinister Vicky, and deliberately so. As you say there is nothing innocent about this game. It is anti-life and against our children. It is a pity that our education precludes the true education of teaching children to discern the feeling or energetic truth of things so that they can realise how dangerous such a seemingly trivial and harmless game this is. The world is getting crazier and crazier, never questioning what is presented to them.
Data gathering and the collecting of personal information is an interesting ethical consideration, it kind of fits that something that is leaving us more removed from our own awareness is also at the same time increasing the awareness of companies seeking to learn and benefit from our information. So as we know less about who we are through losing ourselves in a game, other people learn more about our personal preferences.
Vicky thank-you, its vital to be addressing current technological trends, what you have presented says so much about our collective irresponsibility. A wise lady recently told me that ” a life lived blind is one that will be repeated for lifetimes” and now we are paying the consequences for this wayward choice.
That is really interesting! I had no idea and am quite shocked about the whole data collection. That is scary stuff really scary.
When you look honestly at your everyday life, at the foods that you eat that you know are not right, at the conversations you have that are harsh and unfair, at the mess you leave everywhere, you can start to see that this distraction is rife. So the truth of this issue you so beautifully raise Vicky does not live in an app or a phone at all but in the call that we make and put out, for distraction to come into our life. This is the real game that we play.
The way that games and distractions are going is certainly to make them much more interactive and in a blurred line between virtual and reality, and what strikes me the most about this is the fact that these games stop users from looking up and actually connecting with real people, having friendships and relationships with others and a community, which is crippling.
Totally agree Susie, at a time when mental health problems are escalating in young people, games such as these serve to deepen the lack of engagement in life, resulting in feelings of isolation and anxiety.
What stands out to me is how just a few years ago children would play outside, in the streets, then it turns to games and now the outside is seen as boring by many so the games inside gets taken to the streets outside. Reality apparently is not enough – we need to enhance it – but the reality is we then miss out on reality and the magic that is all around us. Yet its accepted as normal, that is the most worrying of all things.
‘If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level. Equally, if we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body.’ To have the understanding of the difference of qualities in our body and the affect it has on our entire being and beyond, is crucial and something that should be educated everywhere in our societies.
Vicky, thank you for exposing the intentions behind Pokemon Go, it feels very sneaky that companies collect data in this way, not making it public knowledge that this is happening, this is far from an innocent game.
I agree these sorts of games are far from just innocent pastimes, as they are totally design to keep us away from the connection we truly need with ourselves and others. Sometimes I wonder whether we were better off without all the technology we have today and I know we were better off before virtual gaming took hold of a lot of people.
There are so many ways to be distracted, some which are obvious, some are not seen on the outside, but what distraction does is numb the body to not feel what is truly going on. If we would feel this as humanity we were not able to live how we are living most of our lives now.
I agree Kerstin, and it feels like a perpetual cycle because it is from choosing not to live our lives in connection that drives us to want to distract ourselves from feeling the pain and tension we feel inside and perhaps numbing to not feel the consequences of our choices. It can be a vicious cycle until we realise we have the power to change how we choose to live, through taking responsibility for our choices and behaviours.
All gamers should take a careful note and be aware of this. This is extremely harmful behaviour not only physically but mentally. You are creating an artificial reality that blends into true reality by physical means however, your perception may already be altered by what you choose to see unbeknownly because of your hurts – hence the choice to checkout and distract using games. All of this together creates a state of being that is inaccessible to the outside world. Suddenly you have issues created that are not yours imposed on you by the game – a mental state that is not true – very scary to the possibilities of new mental dis-eases.
How do you deal with theses self-created new issues, and get true support, if this a new lifestyle behaviour that has not been researched or studied yet?
“This awareness of energy can change our relationship with our body and build a greater understanding of the effect energy and movement actually has on our state of health and well being” – absolutely Vicky, the simple one i’ve noticed is running to catch a bus, where in anxiousness and rush to make it, i feel my legs and breath both lost as i scrabble to get there.. and when i’m on board or arrive at the bus stop having missed the bus, my thoughts whir unhinged around my head, i feel completely awful, and odd thoughts start to circulate (especially if i missed the bus). When i see the bus these days and i’m a bit away from the stop, i just let myself be, the bus too, and save my breath, health and sanity too (!)
What is extraordinary now is that such an inane phenomenon can become so consequential that it hits the world news… a sobering reflection on the awful distraction of humanity.
Very super important matter you bring our attention to Vicky, a matter of how far we give ourselves away in order to entertain ourselves and distract from our bodyly connection and beyond. We can play with our awareness and choose things to distract ourselves from reality – thinking we are combining non-reality in our so called “reality life”. It is a lie after lie we can choose to build up or to break down.
Distraction has definitely become the norm in society, so it is no surprise that people ignore a boy wandering around with his phone catching Pokemon. I often go to places where I expect people would be engaging with each other, only to find that they are unaware of the connection as they are focused on their phones. This is something that should be making front page news, that our relationships with ourselves, our bodies and other people are suffering. Yet we willingly accept this behaviour. Perhaps this is our modern day sedative that keeps the masses quiet and unchanging
Just harmless fun? Clearly with a deeper perspective all is not as it seems! Being willing to make significant changes to life style and our daily choices is a great step forward. What will it take for us as a wider society to get real about what we are choosing and the impact of this?
I know how awful I feel in my body when I walk around distracted by my own thoughts, I dread to think what walking around playing this digital game is doing for our children. When I walk with full conscious presence, my body is upright and my organs are in harmony.
Yes, being distracted is like being in a fog, one we generate ourselves and over time it becomes harder and harder not to be distracted.
We have an insatiable desire for distraction because we do not want look at the horrendous state that we are in as a humanity. Our condition is sky rocketing out of control and until we are willing to truly question our current state of affairs we will provide a market for distraction on all levels.
Thanks for this, Vicky. I don’t know the ins and outs of data sourcing, but what you describe feels exploitative and underhand to say the least.
The modern day appetite for computer games shows us that as a society we are moving further and further away from the simple joy of connecting with each other.
I agree Heather, and the gaming starts so early that the new generations never get the chance to truly experience the joy of connecting with each other. A lot of people will never develop the natural ‘skill’ of connection and interaction with other people.
Aside from computer games, it is astounding how using handheld devices is the norm so much of the time. On public transport almost everyone is on one (including me), walking down the street, crossing roads, in shops, etc. I catch myself reaching for my phone at times, and have started asking ‘why?’. Why do I need to check my phone so much?
It is becoming more apparent the level of checking out these games operate at and are increasingly targeted at children. We already have a workforce that is addicted to social media like Facebook, and find it difficult to concentrate on the job at hand, and now we are encouraging youngsters to watch their phones whilst walking down the street – any interaction with actual real people is loosing it’s appeal fast.
Carry on like this and we will have generations of people who find it difficult to interact with others, difficulties at work and within relationships. Surely there has been enough studies already on the effects of computer gaming to see how harmful this type of gaming is and what it can lead on to.
Considering Pokemon Go was only launched in July 2016 it has a staggering revenue for its first 6 months – US$1 billion, with 5 million using the app DAILY. Distraction is indeed big business. This 1 form of distraction alone, demonstrates the degree to which humanity is being coaxed to avoid connection and delay feeling what is truly going on in life. Until there is a willingness to look, products and sales like this will continue to feed the increasing demand for distraction.
Very true Rosanna the demand is being supplied. When we begin to address the ‘need’ within us to be entertained by anything and everything outside of us our currency of exchange will also change.
Thank you for highlighting the responsibility we have for the impact of all our movements however small not just on us but on everyone around us. These games do a huge disservice to society because of the high level of distraction for the player but also the effect on all those witnessing their crazy behaviour.
Reading this article brings up many areas to discuss and ponder. For me the significance of why we would want to check out and be in an alternative reality is something to look at, what is it that we attempt to not feel, not be with in our everyday life….the game is there because there is an audience for it, the gamers have brought it into being as much as the suppliers….so what is it that we want to be distracted from? This is becoming a bigger issue throughout the world, I understand that gaming is huge and becoming more and more prevalent, time to ask ourselves some questions as a society about what we attempt to avoid and why?
The thing about distractions is that life just keeps going regardless; no matter how much we invest in our ‘off time’, how we design our days off or buy things that are entertaining and great ‘ways to let off steam’, the world keeps spinning and then when we re-engage with reality, work, our families etc. we struggle to understand why or how things have fallen out of place?…
I’ve been in the company of people not of the computer generation who avoid connection with their inner-most self at all costs. Connection, stillness, quiet is considered the enemy and to be avoided at all costs, days are packed with activity. As one said ‘ I need the noise’. This attitude is built on a foundation where we are measured not on how we are or feel, but on what we do and achieve. A friend of mine takes inner-city primary school children on holiday in the country on condition they leave phones, tablets, and electronic games behind. She tells me connecting with each other and nature for a week, mobile phones and other devices are not missed.
If every movement we make carries a certain quality of energy which can affect our health and wellbeing, then it makes sense to pay attention to the quality of our movements in every moment and it is very dangerous to be distracted elsewhere not aware of how we are moving.
Vicky, thank you so much for writing this article, when I have watched children play Pokemon Go it has felt really strange and I have not wanted my son to play this and your article explains why, I have seen people in the most beautiful places but removed from the beauty looking at their phones, I heard that someone walked off a cliff playing this game because they were focussing on their screen and not on where they were walking. This game adds nothing positive to people’s lives and serves only as a dangerous distraction from reality.
A game that blends reality with a game is dangerous, not just because people are distracted and cause accidents but also the fact that the line between what is acceptable in real life and game life gets blurred. Many games are very aggressive and include violence, certain behaviours and war, I wonder if these games do not make people think more easily about being aggressive, abusive, dismissive etc.?
Very very true Lieke, blurring reality with the surreal can undoubtedly lay the foundations for what is abnormal to be considered normal.
Is the gaming industry our fastest growing legal drug?
Walking is a healing modality in itself and can ‘bring us back’ to ourselves if we feel shaken or out of it. The fact that this game seems to dominate over movement is very damaging to the otherwise healing that walking in your truth can bring.
I wonder what point we will get to before we realise enough is enough with gaming and technology. It really is quite scary that so many companies can have access to our cameras on our phones and can be accumulating information. I bought a scanner app for my phone and instantly it is another source to access my camera and phone. I think it was Steve Jobs that used to put tape over the camera lens of his phone so as not to be spied on. Besides all this we are starting to understand that dementia is caused by not staying present and connected with ourselves and being absorbed in something like Pokemon or any other game for that matter is a right recipe for inviting this type of disease. We do really have to understand how bad these games are for our overall wellbeing.
Well said Kevin. Yet again the desire for distraction and entertainment by the consumers and the drive for money and profit by companies outweighs truly caring for people’s health and wellbeing.
Doesn’t this game mirror how we are currently living in this life? I can honestly say that I allow myself to be distracted, and am not always present with myself and have actually found this to be quite difficult to be with myself in every move and breath I take. And if we then take the view that everything is energy then what energy am I choosing when I check out? Well I don’t know because I’m not there to feel what energy it is. This game feels that it is the next step down the path to even more distraction because while we are distracted that other not so pleasant energy can come in and take over and as someone has said in their comment we then become puppets of an unseen energy, could this then be why people do such random actions like harming people because they were not themselves?
What are these games providing for us when we take the time to play them? An escape into fantasy, we don’t want to see the things that are really bothering our children or us as adults, we don’t want to see that things are tense – we have system which fosters us living from our mind with disconnection to our body, when the body is clearly aching for an opportunity to speak .
Vicky, your explanation of the basic science of movements is amazing, it shows us that every choice we make impact our body on so many levels, right down to a cellular level. This makes me wonder how our movements can contribute to great health and vitality, or illness and disease. The quality and health of our cells is hugely important but because we can’t see them with our eyes, we tend to forget to consider the effects we have on our cells and particles in relation to the energy we choose to move in. The health of our body is not just based on our quality of foods, environment etc. but also the quality of energy we choose to operate in affects every particle in our body, people around us and beyond.
When there is something new and unknown like technological innovation, there is an opportunity for some people to take advantage like stealthy data acquisition in this case. Over time this will be regulated and the question is how much damage is being caused in the meantime and to whom, especially damage that is currently not measured.
“We are convinced that entertainment and fun are an important design aspect of such data collecting services.” (Matyas, 2007)” – intention is everything, and the quality of that intention reveals the extent of integrity, or lack of, behind every single thing in our human life, society.
One of the key teachings of Serge Benhayon if everything is energy, then everything is because of energy, then it is so important to discern (look at) energy and see what is truly going on and being presented to us. To look beyond the first presentation so to speak. This is a great example, not to get caught up in the excitement and see what you are really buying into. What is the energy behind Pokemon – for example? and a good way to do that is checking in with your body…
The name of the game is do anything to numb ourselves down.
There is such a frenzy when we have a new app, a new game or a new film to entertain and distract people. The latest and the most extreme are celebrated as an humanity advancing. We need to step back, really look at such scenarios and reflect on the contents of this blog. Just what are we prioritising in life? And when we champion such products what exactly are we celebrating?
It shows how deeply disconnected we are from our body and its movements, I know when I first saw two boys together with this game on their phone walking the dog but only focussed on their phone and walking as zombies. I discussed this with someone and she said ‘well at least they are outside of the house now’. We don’t want to see how we are played with. Thank you Vicky for bringing the truth of what these games are truly about. And how crucial it is for our health to move with presence.
“It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into.” – Super important indeed, the intention behind everything and looking at the agenda that drives it will support us to be able to truly discern if something is supporting – in – truth – or offering distraction in the name of comfort ….
So true, not just in games but in all we choose to engage with – super super important to be discerning in all.
Perhaps it is time to start asking what it is we are seeking distraction from?
Walking with grace feels very different in the body from walking with anger
This is a brilliant sharing Vicki, thank you. To be aware that when something is marketed for public consuming there is a reason a lot has gone into the investment. So very worth pausing for a moment to ask what is the purpose of what is on offer and who does it truly serve? We might make very different decisions if we simply moved towards this way of checking something out before playing follow the leader.
I have walked down many a street and walked past someone who is distracted by what is on their phone. They are almost oblivious to the fact other people may well be travelling towards them in the opposite direction. On busy city streets this can be quite a hazard as one has to dodge those walking towards you who are very much distracted. Add to that these new games, which to me adds a further level of distraction. It may seem like a harmless bit of fun, but is it really? Have we asked why are we needing this level of distraction in our lives? At one level there may be much about life we wish to escape from or find relief in but are e only doing this because we know that when we are deeply connected to who we are, there is no need ever for distraction.
It stands to reason that if our body is moving whilst our focus is elsewhere that we will be in disharmony within and with our surroundings.
Vicky what a great and very real example that there is always more going on than some like us to know. The intention behind any product or service is well worth uncovering before we buy it, or buy into it.
Thank you Vicky for highlighting the dangers of distraction – I am feeling that this is something that will escalate until we are willing to take more responsibility in how we live our lives and are willing to understand the impact of our every movement.
What this gives me an opportunity to see is how we as a society welcome such games. There was a point in time where video games were a huge trend and a reason for lots of violence from kids. Now it seems we’ve gone a step further and know how to integrate gaming into an augmented reality. It’s pretty crazy what we’re asking for and how on trend this sort of thing is. It does make me consider why are we so consumed by escaping the real world and how we truly feel?
No matter what the game or sport we have all got lost in the emotional turmoil that surrounds the ‘virtual reality’, which has always played havoc with our emotions. One of the ways we can disconnect from who we are comes from sports or games because we get emotionally involved.
Seeing we come from love what better way to distract us from that love than to get us involved emotionally. ‘For true love has no emotions’. (page 307 The Way It Is, Serge Benhayon)
Yes, we need to discern new products, but why are we so keen to submit willingly and just jump in with both feet? What are we running from, other than our self!
Great questions Vicky and an fabulous blog. We do need to look and feel beyond what is presented to us…it may be the latest bright and shiny thing, but we need to feel its quality.
Yes Sandra, why only use our eyes to see when we have our whole body?
Thanks for pointing out the reality of what is going on behind the scenes Vicky – perhaps it is time we wake up and take responsibility? What games are we really playing – not just the obvious Pokémon but in general?
I have watched from a distant as police were called to a popular public space when this app game was launched. People were walking across major traffic intersection and included their children as part of a family outing. What is interesting to note that this is one of the millions of distractions we can become aware of not only from those around us but from our own day to day living. One may not be attached to social media but simply not present when they are doing the daily chores.
I read an article that said thousands of accidents have happened just in America because of Pokamon Go. This just highlights the irresponsibility of those who invented the game and those who choose to play it.
Thanks for this, Vicky. I had heard of Pokemon but not this new development. What better way to encourage young people to completely disconnect from their body and have no conscious presence whatsoever.
Pokemon Go demonstrates clearly how increasingly sophisticated and subtle distractions are bcoming to counter the tension and stress of life but once exposed the manipulation is so overt.
I never could see the appeal of this game personally so had just discounted it as the next silly fad to go around however this truly show the real harm in such assumptions and the darker side of what motivates and drives companies to develop such products in the first place.
How underhanded is it to use a game to collect other data without the user being aware.
I have personally seen a grown man walk out and stand in the middle of the road to collect his Pokemon reward totally oblivious that I was waiting for him to move back to the curb, and eventually he did but as soon as I moved passed him he stepped out in front of another car. Surely with this level of distraction people are going to get injured, and if they do it only fuels the publicity of the game.
The fact that apps like Pokemon Go become so popular so quickly just goes to show that a) game designers are extremely keyed up on how to make distraction seem exciting and adventurous but b) that this happens because we are DEMANDING this kind of entertainment and making this very clear.
I had such an interesting experience recently Vicki, we were talking with someone who is looking to come and work with us, they advised that they had been on a virtual walk through the town and loved what they saw. They then wanted a virtual tour of the office. It was really interesting as the role is for someone in computers but it shows how much we view and interact with life through the screen.
Truly an awesome observation and sharing Vicky, and your concluding sentence puts it in a nutshell: “It is always worth looking behind a product or service to see what the real intention is and what we as consumers are buying into. When the aim of the game is distraction, combined with physical movement, along with a hidden intention to collect data, we all need to ask ourselves what are we actually investing in and what are we giving our children or are part of ourselves? Is it just a game, or is there more to this than meets the eye?”
This is so true and deeply felt when in this type of movement; “If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level. ” The more we raise our awareness the more we are able to feel this and then can start becoming much more conscious how we move in all our daily busy-ness.
Yes this is such a huge observation – ” What got my attention was that this type of behaviour appeared to go unnoticed by others.” -It appears as if no one really sees or observes this, let alone start a conversation about it. And yet, in my childhood there were books and rhymes about staying present and aware when moving about …
I agree Vicky it is incredible how we have come to accept being distracted while doing something else in life as normal. Another example is how normalised it has become for many people to watch TV while they are eating. It is almost like we need to escape from the reality of our moments, rather than simply being in the moment and with our bodies.
So true Andrew, I have found it can be terribly confronting to eat dinner alone with no distractions. It is very revealing of a deeper unease we have with living in our bodies and how technology can be used to distract from those feelings to the point where we don’t realise they exist.
Another common sight is watching people at restaurants and cafes on their mobiles. At times I have seen everyone at the one table on their phone. The lack of connection people are experiencing is becoming more and more extreme, all seemingly hidden behind the screens.
Dementia is on the increase and affects many lives and costs the National Health millions and has brought about the escalation in the need for care homes. We need to start to see how we are bringing up our young allowing them to check out from life into the world of reality games that blur the lines between what is real and what is not. We have yet to associate things like computer games with dementia, but when science and medicine begin to connect the dots and see the link that checking out and choosing not to participate in life is the starting point for dementia then we will begin to see the serious health hazards that computer games bring.
What is so sad is that we use all these things to distract ourselves away from the most amazing experience of all, truly being ourselves and truly being with ourselves. There is nothing we can invent on this earth that can equal this awesome experience.
Exactly Bryony. The fact that we even have the word ‘bored’ shows us how far we have disconnected from firstly our own body and the grandness that we come from. Our multi-dimensionality is anything but boring.
Outstanding piece of writing Vicky. Absolutely hitting the nail on the head. I can’t believe how many times I have walked along texting and not ever really considered the impact and the affects this was having on me as I would enter in to the next situation, completely irresponsible and disconnected, proving yet again how everything is everything and there is no ‘off switch’ to life, just the choice to be aware or not.
‘If we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body.’ When we move in this way we reflect to all we come into contact with that this level of presence and care for their own body is possible and inspires the other to choose a way of living to support this new way of being. We have a responsibility to humanity as to the quality we move with as we are always a point of reflection.
When life is full on and the intensity gets to me the first thing I do is seek distraction…any which way to avoid feeling what I am feeling. It would be fair to say that the intensity of life has increased especially for this next generation, so it is understandable that youngsters and adults alike are drawn to games such as these for entertainment. What you highlight Vicky, are the consequences for doing so. The stakes, which we haven’t let ourselves connect to, are high. You have offered a counter and a moment for us to ponder on what we are choosing.
I love the title of this blog: ‘Distraction is the name of the game’. For me it’s goes beyond technological games we play.
Your Esoteric Yoga class ‘Living in Stillness’ brought home to me the importance of being ‘consciously present’ at all times and with each movement. It supported me to closely observe a level of dis-connection I had allowed to creep in: mind often not with body but jumps from subject to subject, tuning in to phone, laptop or radio rather than myself; forgetting a person’s name a few minutes after they’ve given it to me. Which begs the question ‘Where was I?’ Thank you Vicky, your ‘Living in Stillness’, Esoteric Yoga programmes are shining light of support inspiring us to look more deeply into how we’re living and reflecting that quality and presence are foundational to everything activity.
I was quite shocked how easily I was drawn into a basic computer game whilst travelling on the tube. The game was on a passengers phone next to me and for a while I was completely lost observing the speed and technical skill this user had. Even after a short moment I felt disconnected when I realised I had been hooked in and I pulled away. Computer games have an extraordinary strong pull from life and yet they are totally legal and the harm is rarely talked about.
Some of the irrational choices users have made with Pokemon Go exposes the true harm of these types of games.
I wonder how damaging the increased level of distraction for a large number of users is.
Blurring the line between the physical world and the game world is a scary reality right now, I heard a couple of DJ’s on the radio talking about this full helmet that you plug into your computer that takes you into a virtual world that really doesn’t have any bounds which these guys planned to spend hours in this world. For a start where do they get the time, do they sleep? The gaming world now has a bigger income than the film and the music industry put together, it just goes to show how many people are lost in this world of gaming.
Fair enough, someone created Pokemon, and it can be called their art, their ‘creation’ and the world has shown how they love this and are willing to spend so much time playing it, but what about reality? There is so much going on here that if it had our all… things like Pokemon distractions wouldn’t have a place. Humanity is in much need of settlement and true inspiration.
Just a superb post Vicky, I wondered what all the fascination and craze of this [Pokemon] was myself here in Singapore, and it’s not just the kids either, the adults are equally hooked too. I heard of a friend talk about a guy who wanted to take her on a date …in the early hours of the morning, to some secluded place… to “catch a ‘rare’ Pokemon”. Singapore is a (known to be) a safe country due to its police state, cameras everywhere, though contrast that to other ‘less safe’ places, rougher areas or neighbourhoods, and as a Pokeman player you could end up in pickle or much worse, all for a game that disconnects you to yourself, your surroundings, and relationships too putting them all in danger. If you ask me, the makers of this ‘harmless bit of fun, game, Pokemon’ are irresponsible when it leaves a player so scattered as you say Vicky, and open to harm in the way you’ve exposed in regards to movement and energy.
Through Esoteric Yoga ones gets to feel the power of movement, and how our movements affect the quality of everything in our lives.
Thank you for sharing this Vicky. A great lesson to discern everything we are taking part in… as there is more going on than meets the eye. There will always be some new distraction to try and capture our attention… and the games of distraction seem to get more ridiculous. When we remain with ourselves we can see and read more clearly.
There is such a blind willingness to follow suit with any distraction that’s on offer. This is a great example that we are merely puppets of energy, moving in a way that does not help, improve or evolve us. When I first heard of this game I was blown away. Everything in my body knew that this was not right. The most common comments I heard from parents of the kids playing the game was ‘at least it gets them exercising’. This in itself sent alarm bells off in my body. The level of awareness that you are pointing out Vicky is far from the awareness that many are willing to go to.
I recall at school age when things got too painful (or how I preferred to call it too boring) I would resort to day dreaming, sometimes I was the director, the actor and the audience of my own productions in my head). As I grew older I witnessed all around me this desire to numb and distract morph into many other avenues.
From the cliche and emotion laden novels, movies, TV series, the media and blog-sites that are specifically designed to hook the public, to the many apps and games that create an addictive behaviour, not to mention the myriad of drugs and alcohol themselves, we can see similar pattern. The so called ‘free market’ has the freedom to maximise on the weaknesses in humanity and entice and hook the public in any way that they can. A completely loveless, abusive and self-serving attitude proudly championed as freedom.
Granted, this is the irresponsible loveless society we have created…. but real question to ask is: “Why are we so drawn to numbing and distracting ourselves from the life we are living?”
If we are so distracted and abandon our power of discernment we are basically saying yes to being exploited. We create a world that is abusive which then confirms our need to distract ourselves from the reality that we actually created. I have lived fearful of being present in my body – very reluctant to see how I am responsible for committing to being here 100%. This commitment allows one to see through the game of distraction, it brings through a quality of presence that founds trust upon which others to get to feel it is ok to fully be in the world and commit themselves.
Brilliant blog Vicky, definitely a topic that needs exploring and addressing as we have yet to form the link between rising chronic use of mobile devices and a sharply increasing number of dementia cases.
The micro to the macro is such a great point Vicky, to consider every movement has a ripple effect through out the body and that this is what is magnified in the body down to every cell is super important. When we start to appreciate the wisdom that you are sharing and take full responsibility or the quality in which we move will we see a more vital, loving and light body and connection within.
Fascinating read Vicky, thank you. I remember one of my sons very briefly playing Pokemon go and heralded it at the time as much better than playing a computer game because it encouraged physical activity. It seems the fact that it was more physical than other games worked as a hook for those feeling guilty about sitting in front of a screen. They could justify the time spent because they were on the move. Yet the energy was just the same, only being magnified through the movements
Brilliant blog Vicky, what you’ve shared is very much needed because I am seeing more and more people choosing to distract themselves from reality, from their body, from people and their surroundings. This game sounds like the perfect distraction that is very harming on so many levels. Why are so many people attracted to these sorts of distractions, what is really going on for us to want to check out so often? Are we voiding taking responsibility for how we feel, what is really going on in our lives and what is around us? Any form of distraction is a short term escape from the tension we feel from not living love and truth but we will eventually have to take responsibility for our lives and our choices sooner or later. Perhaps choosing to delay will simply cause us to feel more tension and be attracted to more distractions and that cycles of distraction continues until we choose to stop or our body does this for us. I have heard about people having accidents from not paying attention on the roads from playing Pokamon Go and getting run over. When we are distracted, this is often when accident can occur.
What you share here is very important to take note of and see the effects our disconnection from our body has on our body and everyday life. Everything has an effect and shows us that conscious presence is the way to go, giving us the opportunity to learn to be aware of every little signal our body sends out.
This blog highlights how it is our responsibility to really feel into and read the energy of what we buy into and be open and honest about our choices, and to also research or seek out more information about what we may be undertaking to flush out what may be hidden or not completely divulged.
Great expose Vicki, here on earth we are already caught in the virtual reality game of life and it seems that this is no longer enough for us as we have resorted to playing games within the game to take us further away from knowing who we truly are and I can assure you we are not the character/individual we think we are; we are much much more!
There’s a really sinister undertone to not only Pokemon Go but to all other distractions we use when we are moving or otherwise. Distractions full stop, take us away from our body by their very nature, and when we are not connected to it, the gap we leave doesn’t just stay empty waiting for us to choose to come back, it is instantly filled by an energy that feeds our distraction so we delay returning for even longer – moments or lifetimes and everything in between.
Vicky you shed a strong Light of truth on the gaming world. What a state we have got ourselves into where we are allowing our kids to check out like this. I have heard about the craze – but the fact that we are combining fantasy with technology really takes things to the next level.
I haven’t heard of this game before. It sounds very scary. What will there be next?
Just yesterday I saw a group of about 8 young people together in a bunch on the street using their phones like this and I immediately thought of ‘Pokemon Go’ though I thought also that the fad had worn off by now. On reading your timely blog this morning I was struck by what the academic reference within the patent said “In our opinion, the real challenge lies in motivating the user to provide the data constantly, even after the exciting appeal of technological innovation at the beginning wears off.” I now wonder if they have found another hook to draw people in again. There is such a creepiness to this. When we abandon ourselves to distractions what is there of our life that is our own?
Even in that challenge by the reference it states the intention behind the product. This is not something that is designed for people but to use people as data collection methods. Of what true good is a product that is based on personal gain of a few at the expense of hundreds, thousands of people if not everyone else?
The word ‘game’ implies that it is an innocent activity when behind it, the intentions of Pokemon Go is far from innocent.
It is also in the reflection of what you describe above of seeing people totally checked out and walking along the streets like this ‘game’ world is normal and actually a part of the real world. If you were born today you wouldn’t know what life was like before this level of distraction and what the quality of relationships could be.
Vicky this is such a revealing and informative article. The problem is however that most people don’t want to be informed, they want to be distracted and the reason why they want to be distracted is because they are ignoring the science of movement that you have so clearly shared and so are living with high levels of agitation in the body.
I like the word “scattered” in this context, it just seems to perfectly describe how we are in relation to our movements with mobile devices. Why would we choose to walk around disconnected, that is the question that we should ask, especially when there is much wonder to take in, and what is this disconnection setting us up for in terms of how we relate to one another and the health we are able to enjoy.
I’ve seen a colleague at work totally distracted by this – it is absorbing and as you say, very dangerous
This is where we can see that playing the game is just the mask, a momentary band-aid of relief, from an inner tension that can never be relieved by distraction. In fact, the tension only increases.
There is so much more to life than meets the eye, and this is a great example of what happens when we look beyond an ‘exciting fun new app’. An interesting exploration behind this new phenomenon.
In the last two years I’ve been attending regular Esoteric Yoga sessions -the way and quality we move in has a huge impact on our health! And it was a wide eyed moment when you brought this aspect to the reality of what this game asks of the players. When I am walking distracted with issues in my mind I feel more tired and drained, speed walk at work under pressure and I exhaust myself so quick. Walk with an awareness of my heart and the warmth in my body I feel light and energised. The way we move affects our lives far more than we give it attention or credit.
On pondering your words Vicky, the words from a song came to me … ‘What the world needs now is love, sweet love…’ and never was there a call more strong than right now to come back to love. Games like this are pure evil, they take us further away from our bodies where true love and intelligence lies, is it no wonder that so much investment is going into keeping us away from something that doesn’t cost us millions of dollars. Love costs nothing except commitment and dedication to ourselves.
Vicky, thank-you for your much needed expose on the real danger and sometimes hidden agenda of games such as Pokémon Go. This was something I was unaware of, and I found what you share quite startling. Considering the dangers some people place themselves, and others in, whilst playing the game, and how disconnected they become from their bodies let’s hope that we come to our senses before we distract ourselves into oblivion.
They are also bringing out other forms of games and technology that use the augmented reality of the surroundings of the user to make the app or game even more real and engaging. Facebook even announced its intent to get into this too with their social media platform. It would seem the seeking of distraction is a growing and worrying trend.
A great expose Vicky – it is crucial to be discerning about the energy behind these games and whether we are really willing to pay the price of playing along.
How great is our need to tie the strings to ourselves and become the marionette for someone else?
I was unaware of the sinister underlying motive – the data collection – at the root of this game. The importance of discerning the energy in anything is thus highlighted. As Einstein has stated ‘everything is energy’ and Serge Benhayon has said, ‘everything is because of energy’. Distraction seems to be all that people currently want, be it video games, social media activity etc – anything to take us away from connecting and truly being with ourselves.
Absolutely brilliant blog Vicky and yes there is unequivocally more than meets the eye. You have exposed quite a few interesting points here that many may not have considered. With this particular game I noticed that it is also getting used as a false way for families to spend time together or for people, couples and families to walk around very lovely natural settings but to be completely distracted from the experience to chase a cartoon type character that doesn’t exist. Really what are we making our reality when we look at it like this?
It is great that you are exposing the level of distraction and disconnection from self and others that occurs with this game. I watched a family of four on an outing in the park all playing it, no connecting at all with self or each other. Very dismal to observe.
The idea behind this game does sound alarming and sinister. We accept so much at face value, but don’t care to take the time to read the energy behind it. Probably because we ourselves are also equally distracted. There is always so much going on energetically and I can see how I choose to be easily distracted without without discerning what’s really going on.
Wow, Vicky, this is an incredible exposé, and holds true for any company we purchase from. It is super important for us to discern and find out any agendas that may not be obvious to the consumer.
This makes me feel like I am loosing my balance just reading about it (and this is sitting down!) so gosh what does it do to people that are actually playing this and walking. As you say it is complete distraction and disconnecting the person from themselves and their innate essence. Scattered says it all as well ‘or consider how unfocussed and scattered this leaves us, not to mention the after effects of being so distracted and disconnected from our body.’ and yes if this it what it does first up what are the after and long-term affects. Vicky thank you for writing such a clear and transparent blog about something we very much need to be more aware of.
My feeling is that the effects of this will be something we will witness in the future, with completely new conditions and adding greatly to existing conditions. In psychology we call it disassociation, to not be present, or to switch of yourself and your presence. This makes the body sort of un-vacated, which causes lots of unwanted suffering.
When I heard of this game I wasn’t impressed by what I saw. You explain in depth just what the situation can lead to when we are not fully present with what we are doing physically, There is physical danger as well as harm through others abusing our trust in a game played for fun. Thank you Vicky for your research awakening us to its dangers as well.
Thank you Vicky for this brilliant article exposing how this, so called ‘harmless game’, actually has a sinister, controlling and numbing foundation to it. Thank you for bringing awareness to this.
A brilliant blog Vicky showing what is really going on and with the distraction and underlying intentions we are buying into as humanity. Distraction seems to be the way for so many and the true enjoyment of simply being with ourselves and the appreciation of nature and the all is being lost with technology and disconnection as the way. Very revealing and sad.
An amazing evaluation of this world-wide phenomena, and the tendency we have to consume without stopping to consider what it is we are taking in and accepting – much like Snow White taking and eating the apple without hesitation, we are often all too eager to accept the next new thing even if in truth it may cause harm, distress or ill effects. The blurring of the lines between reality and the virtual world are taking every closer step to a future where it will be hard to tell the difference – as human begins we are designed to be present and focused and in the real, the here and now, we are not meant for the disconnected and mental pursuit of the virtual world which is already causing new kinds of physical and mental ill health.
Thank you Vicky for exposing the real purpose behind this game and how it was dressed up as something to promote healthy activity. There is nothing healthy about it and it furthers extends the available distractions that have tragic consequences not just in the amount of accidents but in the long term harm to participants ability to interact with others in a truly connected way.
Great article Vicky. It’s true that we don’t look at or read the purpose BEHIND computer games, the true values of the brands we buy and objectives of the people behind these companies, and actually we can think that we’re playing a harmless game but actually are being used in an even bigger game where our data or information is used for the benefit of others.
Thank you Vicky I have heard of this game and it has always felt pretty horrendous to me, mental health problems within our youngsters are rising at an alarming rate and any game with an alternative reality is certainly not going to help this and in fact I would be sure to say these types of games are directly harming our mental wellbeing.
Thank you Vicky, a much needed expose not only on the dangers of these virtual games that we have yet to fully comprehend, but the hidden and more sinister intentions behind the games themselves. We so gleefully accept these baited ‘treats’, without ever fully stopping to feel into the entirety of their intention, purpose and consequences. Time will show us just what a dire and damaging activity they truly are.
Wow, the intention of the game seems very deceitful, why not be up front about the data collection? I also consider the game to be quite dangerous, I have heard of players having accidents because of being distracted, that is of course the players responsibility, but what about the corporate responsibility to put out such a game?
Great exposure Vicky. This needs to be distributed as widely as possible. As a student of The Way of The Livingness I am aware of the harm of distraction but was not of the data collection and I am sure the majority of people are not of either.
Very, very good blog Vicky, asking us all to take responsibility. I don’t play computers games, but non the less I am checked out and distracted 70 % of the day – which is no different and adds to this. The question is why do I not want to be in my body? Because I don’t want to take responsibility. It’s a comfort.
There is that word again – ‘comfort’ – absolutely astounding how far we will go to ensure that nothing gets in the way of our checked out ‘comfortable’ way of being …
Computer games are so sophisticated these days and have moved far away from the simple games that I remember such as table tennis on a TV screen or Pac Man, that asked you to do a few simple moves, but had none of the sinister and mind bending visual affects that you see today that take you into a different world. As you say Vicky there is a blurred reality between what is real and what is fictional, I am sure for many children this can be very confusing and offers a greater opportunity to check out from life.
It seems that whenever we are avoiding whatever is so prevalently going on, there is enough depth and things to address in our human communications and relationships, disractions such as game apps, computer games etc are there and ready. It’s easier to get these distractions than true healing, counselling or relationships in our current age.
The obsession with Pokémon Go seems to be waning and at first I thought it might have some merit in that teenagers, either alone or in small groups, were out walking in the woods where they had not previously been observed. However, as they were completely unaware of their surroundings and completely focused on the flickering screen of their phone it was clear that this activity was total distraction and they were dancing to someone else’s tune.
Agree Mary. They are probably causing more distruction to these areas also through not being aware of how they are in these spaces.
First of all they say that a glass of wine is good for you, then you need ‘5 a day’, a cigarette can relax you… why do we, as a human race need to come to it’s knees to realise its mistake and then begin to pick itself up again. It seems the further we stray from love the more extreme are the games we play, literally! We have all been dancing to someone else’s tune for too long (only realised by me since I met Serge Benhayon), and it is only through the Way of the Livingness that we can return to some order of truth.
Great subject to bust wide open Vicky, the distraction caused by phones alone let alone a game like this are huge. So often I have had people walk out in front of my van or car because they where in a zone with their phone. I suppose most people think it is just innocent entertainment but how can it be when it leave us so disconnected from our bodies.
Wow super dangerous. That’s not only disconnected from their bodies but also from the fact that they are in a world with other people. A cartoon game character is actually being put before awareness and safety.
Put that way – “A cartoon game character is actually being put before awareness and safety” – makes the whole thing even more sinister…
Yes, myself too. Not so long ago a lady pushed out a pram directly in front of my car whilst glued to her phone. It left me in shock as she came out behind a parked car but the lady hardly noticed as she continued to be glued to her phone.
Thank you Vicky, this illustrates clearly how we are affected in life by our every move and how nothing can be put down as trivial.
Everything it everything, and nothing is nothing. It is staggering to realise how our movements affect everything right from our fingernails to the far flung reaches of every star in the Universe. Is it no wonder we don’t want to take responsibility, choosing instead to distract ourselves so we don’t have to feel our ill choices.
The stars and our fingers nails are equal parts of the giant canvas that is God. One glorious pulsating Life, to imagine that we can do anything within that canvas and it not be felt by the whole is indicative of the extent of our separation and delusion.
Yes and so important to remember that everything matters and nothing is ‘just nothing’ …
I know this game to be dangerous as in that people don’t look where they walk and can cause accidents, as well as fights at times but never thought of the effect of ‘checked out’ movements which is another factor that makes this game so much more harming than it to many seems.
Vicky you raise some brilliant points here, how is it that we don’t notice this strange behaviour, this disconnect to reality that the new generation of games deliver? And the second point is that as I understand more and more the importance of the way we move and how that affects us and all around us then this shows how much we avoid moving with responsibility, even though the results and the feeling in the body we could have when we are with ourselves is far greater than any game could ever offer.
In the last twelve months I have been really exploring the power of walking and how it can support my body. It requires a real commitment to presence and even on a quiet morning, on an empty street, with no music, no telephone and no traffic, I can find it hard to stay present. But, when I do, it is absolutely magical what happens and how supportive and evolutionary the process can be. No question that it is an pin-point accurate reflection of where I am at. Thus, a game that is specifically designed to keep us disconnected from even this most simple of activities and thus from ourselves is, in my opinion, pure poison.
I absolutely agree Otto… and where do these games come from to keep us away from ourselves, I suspect not from the Love and Grace of God but from another, not so loving force that arrogantly and ignorantly wants to keep us living in a world that is suffering more than enough already, and FOR WHAT!!?
Otto, I can relate to what you say. I too have been observing myself as I walk and what it takes ‘to stay present’. So easy for my mind to trail away into future and past. Then we have a game deliberately designed to take a hold of a person and distract us from ourselves and environment, this feels wrong and evil. To play a game as you walk distorts and destroys the purest of activities, movement.
So much can be said of this post – great article, Vicky. What strikes me is that the data being collected is that of a headless chicken wandering around the place with no purpose. Is that really very useful and what do the results really prove?
Nick, I was asking myself the same question, what is the benefit of this data, does it just show how easily distracted and taken in we can be to understand how to target the next money making spin. The earning power of this game is eye watering so collecting data of the types of users will no doubt support the gaming industry to hit the target market even more accurately the next time to create an excited frenze and therefore millions of dollars.
Oh what a great picture to describe this behaviour – a headless chicken wandering around aimlessly – very good. When we can truly feel this is what we do, maybe then we can start making more conscious choices ….
This is a great expose Vicky on the seemingly endless distractions that are being offered to humanity on a daily basis; and we accept them without question in many cases. This game I knew virtually nothing about but now that I do I am shocked at the level of distraction that is on offer and I doubt whether many “consider how unfocussed and scattered this leaves us, not to mention the after effects of being so distracted and disconnected from our body.” For me life is amazing just as it is although it always wasn’t that way. I too had distractions that took me away from daily living but taking the time to understand why I needed to be distracted has allowed me to reconnect to the magnificence that is on offer in every moment, with no games in sight.
This game is so perfectly designed to increase our disconnection from life. As humanity gets more and more wayward, we need more and more extreme and forceful methods to disconnect us from the pain of separation that we are all feeling. Abuse, alcohol, coffee, internet use, obesity and health issues are all going through the roof….and so, by definition there must also be an increase in the intensity of our distraction methods. In truth, we are in agony. Pokemon Go is the latest anaesthetic.
And we all know what happens when the anaesthetic wears off, we are left bruised and sore – and then we go looking for more and more extreme behaviours to numb and distract ourselves again. Where it is all going?
And so often when we are numbed by the anaesthetic we live even more waywardly, as in those moments we can’t feel so fully the affect of our choices, but eventally it wears off and we come back to earth be it with a hang over, and aching body, health issues or mental and emotional imbalance.
I wasn’t aware of this game Vicky, but clearly it is a popular one generally. What you share and expose in relation to it is much needed as we tend not to look beyond the surface layer of computer games. I know that parents often endorse computer games that are not seemingly violent thinking that these are harmless, but when you add movement and energetic perspective then all is not what it seems. Universal Medicine has also made the link between checking out in life to the disease of dementia… with more and more of us living distracted and checked out then the sharp increase of this disease is explainable.
Well said Vicky, with two teenage boys I’ve seen many different video games and devices and it is so clear looking on how hooking they all are and the ‘not so fun’ intention behind them. When Pokémon Go first came out there were people walking the streets and big groups hanging out at certain places. Pokémon Go promoted that it was encouraging people to get out and exercise and meet people… all I saw was children, teenagers and adults looking at a screen not at each other. It’s fizzled out now but there are plenty that take its place. These kind of distractions could not take the hold that they do if we were aware and consciously present with our movements and feeling how they affect our bodies, moods and thoughts.
It looks so innocent indeed, a game we play and have fun with, but at the same time we have to ask ourselves why we need these games, what purpose do they have in our lives and in addition to that, this blog shows so clearly, these games are not that innocent at all.
It offers a new perspective on what we consider to be fun – being fully checked out? A truly scary thought …
I agree Karina. Most people wouldn’t equate fun with something that is harmful, but so often that is the case. A ‘fun’ night out, for example, can be to spend well-earned money on purchasing drinks that are designed to poison the body. When we really look at it there is no element of fun in this or in a computer game that is designed to make us move in a state of distraction.
Brilliant blog Vicky. Thank you for sharing. This is an example of total manipulation and exploitation of another (and children at that!) I agree that the manipulation of a child’s natural movement into this configuration is totally devastating for the human frame and the being inhabiting that body. I love what you are saying here: ‘ If we walk or move our body in a harsh, hard or abrupt way, this is the quality of energy that travels through every part of our body, meeting every organ and body system, right down to the cellular level. Equally, if we move with presence and in a way that holds an awareness and care for our body, this is the energy that is received and distributed throughout our whole body.’ The simple and obvious and wonderful science of energy. How have we been so easily fooled??
Wow Vicky, thank you for the insight into what’s behind this App and to what is happening in the body whilst playing the game… very sobering indeed! It certainly seems the need is to keep upping the ante on what we consider ‘entertainment’, and one wonders where else it can go, and at what point we will collectively call a halt to it. There is no avoiding the relationship between the apathetic, checked-out state of so many of our younger generations today and the escalation of screen-related entertainment.
A very scary reality we now are experiencing. Already the simplicity of spending our days with ourselves and those we meet is constantly hindered by distraction, to give ourselves, willingly over to what is shared here is building foundations of absolute disconnection with our world and others, which can only foster even more disregard and contempt of the people we share our lives and our planet with. For any who are willing, ask if this is what you want for our world before engaging in such activities.
There’s so much you are offering here in this amazing article, Vicky. And I just caught myself having my breakfast while reading it. Seriously, I don’t know when was the last time I was able to just have my breakfast without any other activity going on at the same time. There’s so much going on that we are choosing not to be aware of. Such a trick this is while we think we are advancing with new technologies and all, we are actually retarding ourselves. And I love what you say about our investment. We like to think we can just take only the bit we like out of one package and have nothing to do with the rest of it, but that is so not how it works, we are getting the whole lot and we are feeding the whole lot. It is a movement that would then circulate and eventually return – with consequences.
Brilliant blog Vicky. The first reports I read on Pokemon Go were full of praise for the game. These articles referenced psychologists and fitness experts who said the game was inspiring people who lived sedentary lives to get up, move around and even go outside when they had previously not been able to. But what benefits are these people really getting? We live in a world of supply and demand and clearly most of us are choosing distraction and then choosing to produce stories that support our choice to distract ourselves. Serge Benhayon presents an unpopular and uncomfortable truth that we would all greatly benefit from if we choose to be honest with ourselves.
It amazing how quick the media bandwagon is able to justify the reasons why the marketing of such an app would get the tick of approve from experts. Are there any benefits that may be shared with other agencies? Is this no different to shopping dockets promoting discounts on alcohol, sports stars selling sugar drinks and school teachers promoting processed food as health lunchbox choices?
We do live in a world of supply & demand, and although there is something sinister about businesses that take advantage of weaknesses and idiosyncrasies instead of truly aiming to serve people, the responsibility is in our court to reflect on the situation. What is it that has us be so blind to what is going on? Or at least pretend that we are.
I felt my skin crawl reading about the underlying motive of the data collection. We are so desperate to keep ourselves distracted, to numb ourselves from the fact that something about the way we are living feels so very wrong, that we trade ourselves. If our eyes were wide open would we as parents let our children use games such as this, to diminish themselves to such a level? In this desperate plight to keep ourselves distracted from what we feel we will go to measures more and more extreme – only to keep ourselves in this constant vicious circle so as not to feel the consequences of the devastating choices we are making.
Fabulous expose Vicky of a marketing device that is ruinous on many levels. We’ll be reaping what has been sown for years to come with this and many other such harmful innovations as they emerge.
So true Victoria, this is definitely ruinous and the effect of this will be there for all to see.
‘The name of the game is distraction’, So it is no wonder that this game was so popular. It took the world by storm and created havoc in many places – but was not seen for the reflection it gave. We are so happy to be relieved by the next fad and let it take us away from connecting to our lack of Brotherhood, Commitment to Life, Truth and Love. All the things we actually crave are only a breath away, within us, the Light of the Soul is with us always.
It is curious that a game can kill and maim people through their increased distraction and that this goes pretty much unnoticed, perhaps because many of us are already highly distracted.
Great point – “…because many of us are already highly distracted.”….
And perhaps the reason most of us do not notice is because we do not want to see or admit the extent to which we use and like distractions that take us away from feeling the truth.
Wow – I had not considered the data collection element of this game. What this exposes very clearly for us to consider is the degree to which we allow ourselves to moved as puppets from a source of energy we are unwilling to discern for ourselves. That is, we allow our movements to be dictated as a means to an end, an end that we do not even question the integrity of!
This goes to show we seek distraction in any form – the more colourful, entertaining and stimulating, the better.
It matters not to us the effect of this on our body or to discern the full energetic package of what we are staying yes to that travels in and through us and ultimately has its way with our body and all that we will be.
Incredible really. We are instructed to move in a certain way and data is gathered from us. It is a very poor carrot being dangled before our noses as we give away more than we know.
A serious and important expose Vicky. Your sharing and research highlights the fact and reminds me again that ‘every thing is energy and everything is because of energy’ (Serge Benhayon). This truth plays out in every aspect of life without exception and you have illustrated it beautifully and thoroughly here.
Also brilliant explanation on the science of our movements, how energy works through our body and the choice of energy we choose to move in is worth paying attention to.
Hear hear so it is.
The harm generated from such a new ‘craze’ is much worse than I was initially aware. Reflecting upon how the movements of the game displace and disconnect a person in energetic terms feels enough, and yet you reveal another intent that is becoming so common place in our society. Tracking and data collection that is then sold to others for financial gain is nothing short of evil. In this particular example its dressed up as a game that appeals to the young. Our collective thirst for distraction places our privacy in a precarious and fragile situation. Thank-you for the valuable insights Vicky.
I have come to the conclusion that anything that seeks to take us away from ourselves is evil, which, in a nutshell is life as we have come to know it.
The fact is the ‘reality’ that we know is already naturally augmented in the most incredible way. There is already is a battle, a war going on with every step that we take, but it is not always visible on first glance. This war is between darkness and light, and creates a constant tension with the thoughts and emotions that come from a source that is looking to make us less. This energetic battle is always at play, despite the visuals our eyes might see. When you consider this, and how much we like to avoid this fact then the craze for Pokemon you describe here Vicky starts to make a lot of sense. These digital games are not the only thing we like to play with.
Very true, Joseph, and it is this energetic battle that is the biggest and most important game of all.
I love how you make this parallel Jonathan. Behind the game is THE game – the battle of the unseen forces that move us around like chess pieces if we are not claiming the body we live in.
Absolutely, Jonathon. There’s already an energetic battle played everyday and this is where our attention is required, not in a hand held electronic devices.
There are so many ‘enticing’ products and distractions that we choose to keep us away from living our light, it is not until we start to discern what is true and what is not that the shocking statistics of harm will change.
When I look around and see so much physical and mental illness and so much ‘checking out’ behavior it is clearly not an innocent game at all but the same ongoing ancient battle between the light and dark energies being played out in every way possible.
Do we choose to just be directed and channeled using the excuse ‘its just a game’ or do we decide it is time to get savy and understand the energies that are at “play” so we can allow ourselves the chance to choose the harmonious energy that is on offer?
Jo the choice to choose the more ‘harmonious energy’ has to be a constant one because the moment we stop consciously choosing then the other energy, which is actually far from harmonious, pours in and fills the gap left by us checking out.
It’s incredible just how discerning we need to be, yet we don’t talk about it. I would never have thought that what lies behind a video game would in fact be so misleading and so deceitful. My initial response was that you can’t trust anyone or anything, but then I remember that that only creates more distrust in humanity which is part of the mess we’re already in, so rather than go down that path, we’re better off to simply keep calling out what isn’t true, whilst bringing understanding to why it’s all happening and also accepting that we’ve all been part of it too.
Great sharing Elodie, mistrust only sows more mistrust and serves no one.
If we were to call out everything that was not true there would be very little of anything left ! and I include all relationships in that.
Wow, what an exposing, expanding and awareness increasing read. The Idea of not living life connected to my body and movements repels me but this has exposed a whole new awareness of the devious behind the scenes of games like Pockemon Go but also the dangers and control we unwittingly hand over to forces we do not know are there.
Yes and it does not even start there does it, it starts way before we even enter such a game. If we move in disconnection throughout our lives, picking up a game like this is just the next step – it feels as if this type of behaviour is totally and specifically targeted at those that are disconnected in life with the aim of enticing others to join …
Wow Vicky very interesting what you share, what is going on with games like this and how are they even allowed. What harm they are causing and yet people are not even realising what they are getting into.
This feels so sinister. It invites us to connect with a world that’s not real and behave in a way that’s not natural. It disconnects us from our bodies and our surroundings, and acts like a spy at the same time. And it calls itself a game. You are right Vicky, we really do need to take a step back and look at what we are partaking in.
Yes truly insidious – the hidden agenda is such a dark energy here, inviting people to enter a state of ‘zombie-ness…
Rebecca on reading the line that you shared “It invites us to connect with a world that’s not real and behave in a way that’s not natural”, caused me to ponder on whether what you have offered here is actually a summary of most of what’s on offer in life.
Great point Alexis. This is worth pondering deeply.
I agree Rebecca, our drive as consumers for the next best thing prevents us from taking a step back and actually considering what it is we are buying into in its entirety.
And this form of gaming actually desensetises for real life and how our bodies are responding. What will future generations be like?
From experience video games breed withdrawal from life, in this state there’s no care for real life beyond the games. Having this as a foundation from young will only create a generation of those not committed to contributing to society even more than we have now.
Great and powerful sharing Leigh. When we are gaming on a grand scale we are allowing the lack of commitment to increase in numbers. What is interesting to note here – is the pull for profits from the gaming organisations over the obvious statistics of family breakdown in connections with their children. Are we all taking responsibility or just brushing this topic under the table?
It is addicting and the scary thing is how many people are asking for the distractions from life. If there is no demand then the supply goes. So what are we wanting to run away from is the question?
I remember when this game first came out and I was having a meal with a friend and there were so many people all standing around looking at their phones and moving with their phones held up. I couldn’t believe that so many people were drawn in by this type of game and felt sad that they needed this kind of distraction in their lives. I was not aware though of the hidden agenda by the game from the company. Not so kosher.
It really is quite shocking how little we discern the nature of these products before we gleefully jump in, too pre-occupied with our immediate needs for gratification without really taking care of the bigger picture or stopping to clock the ulterior motives. It applies to all we do and is something that I am slowly waking up to, as too often still I allow my own needs to cloud the quality of my choices.
It reminds me of the Internet full stop, we have swallowed it whole without an ounce of consideration for its possible harm and now 20 years on the harm is there for all to see. But as the horse has bolted so to speak we are left trying to rein back some modecum of control.
What you share, Vanessa makes sense. It is true we have accepted the internet and have relished all the parts that serve, without taking into consideration the whole that brings with it problems, impactful harm that we either don’t want to see, or choose to ignore.
It is quite full on to see so many people chasing something that doesn’t exist and seeing the dangers that could happen and also noticing just how much of life they are missing out on in that moment. I first saw many people use this game when it came out when I was walking in a local nature area. A place that was usually quiet and enjoyable became much like a city mall in the bush.