09:52, Thursday 24 Jul., 2003 Link

The Journey to Wild Divine is a Myst-like game that you play using biofeedback. Controlled sweat gland activity and heart rate is actually used for navigating through the game. "To succeed in the game, according to Whitehouse, players have to learn certain principles, which basically require what he calls an 'allowing attitude'--a kind of passive will. [...] In biofeedback terms, the game is set up so that players might actually have to raise either their sweat gland activity or heart rate in order to get through one particular barrier, while moving into a more balanced, or even calmer, state to successfully navigate another area. [...] 'At some point in the game, if a player has learned how to control their internal states to a degree, they can have an internal shift--something akin to an 'aha' experience, where they just know how to do things,' said Whitehouse, who particularly enjoys working in the area of optimal performance. 'The game actually begins to occur in their minds. For example, they might just automatically let the inhale and exhale become equal in their breathing and deepen it a little bit. This would result in their going into the desired pattern of increased heart rate variability. Or they might accomplish the same thing by connecting with positive emotions.'"