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Biofeedback Video Game
Thanks to georgehm3 for pointing out a video game available at bio-medical.com called The Journey to Wild Divine. The game uses a series of sensors connected to your pc via USB port to determine your body's state of relaxation. From the informational page: "We take them on a mythological tour and on this tour, we teach them ancient techniques such as breathing exercises, meditation exercises, a number of tools you can use in real life."
The Commodore 64 had a program that would do this.
Basically it had two modes. Mode 1 would display a visual kalidescope of colors that would change hue as you relaxed. Mode 2 was this game that you had to control a hot air balloon as it flew over and under obstacles.
The URL you're looking for is http://www.wilddivine.com/
Good game, been out for quite a while. Works well.
I did some work on a few neurofeedback projects for Neurocybernetics a couple years ago. It's really facinating stuff. Their programmes go further than simple relaxation and actually work as an alternative to psychoactive medications for the treatment of anything from bipolar to ADD to drug addictions (by focusing on different ranges of brain waves). They use feedback to train your brain to balance itself (and i won't say more than that without fear of getting the bejeezus sued outta me). Check 'em out here: http://neurocybernetics.com/ (I did some of the 3D stuff)
DONT PANIC
Neurocybernetics' website isn't as informative as it used to be. Try EEG Spectrum's instead: http://www.eegspectrum.com/
DONT PANIC
I agree that TFA is poorly worded while describing how it works, but at least their package manifest correctly identifies the technology.
If it were open enough that anyone could write apps for it, I'd snatch it up right away.
Like this? http://sourceforge.net/projects/lsm/
I have been looking at this game over the past year or so and received it for Christmas. The biofeedback works well and I'm just beginning to learn to control the various elements. I've worked with sound-induced brain wave synchronization (anyone remember mindsync?) and this game reminds of some of those mental states.
The "new age" theme to me is more like playing a D&D game in the role of a wizard or cleric.
The graphics remind me of Myst -- highly rendered static scenes with motion captured "actors" and some CG decoration (waterfall, birds) and objects for biofeedback training exercises (floating balls, fire, pin-wheels...). Navigation is like watching a short movie as you progress from area to area.
I rather enjoy the music -- it fits the mood well. I'd classify it as Ambient.
I'm cheap and skeptical so the price is more than I'd want to pay without a trial (however that'd be achieved), but I am very satisfied with the product. The only two additions I'd like so far are 1) recording biofeedback input of what was being detected by the sensors, and 2) ability to quickly jump from exercise to exercise instead of navigating the game-space. I look forward to exploring the project on source forge posted above. Thanks for the link!