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 Journeys, in our realm, often imply a quiet
inward retreat during meditation, that transforming
spiritual trip to Sedona or the ongoing quest for
enlightenment. Rarely, if ever, would we turn to
technology to find a beautiful, powerful, interactive
experience to explore mind and body. Yet, The Journey
of the Wild Divine provides adventures that combine ancient
breathing and meditation with modern biofeedback technology
for total mind-body wellness.
This is the only sophisticated piece of biofeedback
equipment for home use that runs on
Macintosh or Windows based computers. The Journey is no ordinary game. Three “Magic Ring” sensors gently attach to
your fingers and measure your heart rate
variability and skin conductance levels. As
you explore through the visually stunning
environments, listen to the peaceful music,
characters within The Journey help you
to learn control over body reactions by
increasing, decreasing or synchronizing
body rhythms with events. You must control
your own physical and mental state in order
to progress through the game.
In a mythical world of towering palaces,
sacred temples, and sumptuous gardens, wise
mentors guide you throughout the Wild
Divine empowering you with breath control,
creative imagination, energy enhancement
and meditation skills in over 40 biofeedback
energy events. One early challenge shows a
bellows stoking a flame inside a chimney. The
player must relax and synchronize his or her
breath with the contractions and expansions
of the bellows. If it is done properly, the fire will grow. If not,
the fire will quickly die out. Other experiences enable you to
build stairways with your breath, open doors with meditation,
juggle balls with your laughter, and deepen your self-awareness
with every step you take. The ultimate goal of the game is self-regulation
of body function while achieving physical, mental
and spiritual balance.
The uniqueness of The Journey rests in part on the project’s
overall mission to remind humanity of its higher purpose
on Earth, and in part on the visionary work of it’s creators: Kurt Smith, the visionary founder of the Wild Divine Project
and Corwin Bell, chief design director. Kurt Smith, a Ph.D.
scientist, specializing in biomedical engineering created a
number of companies in the medical industry but wanted to
provide integrative healing tools and services to people in a more effective way. In Boulder, Colorado, Corwin Bell joined
forces with Kurt to develop the concept of The Journey of the
Wild Divine that would both entertain and promote mind/
body mastery.
| “The Journey
of the Wild
Divine provides
adventures that
combine ancient
breathing and
meditation
with modern
biofeedback
technology for
total mind-body
wellness.” |
Taken from their web site, [www.wilddivine.com] the
Journey works on many levels, according to Bell. “At one level,
it’s just plain fun, if not inspiring, to play,” he said. “However,
the game also has the potential to work on a psychological level
and might help reduce stress, expand one’s consciousness, and
perhaps even give some players a transformational experience
of self discovery.”
The Wild Divine Project is a small, privately-owned
company that produces multimedia experiences that facilitate
healing and transformation. The Journey of the Wild Divine
was released in November of 2003. The company is involved
in the creation of Healing Rhythms and
Soul Flight music. Recently, in collaboration
with Dean Ornish and Deepak Chopra, the
company launched its second installment of
The Journey called Wisdom Quest.
In Wisdom Quest, the player is given much
more in-depth training related to meditation,
breathing techniques, and spirituality. With
the addition of Dean Ornish and Deepak
Chopra, who act as wise teachers offering
sage advice, the player can return again and
again to hear what they have to say. The
player is moved from one place to another
by hot air balloon, or snowbird, or through
an mysterious cave, or winding over bridges
on mountain roads lush with greenery or
snow, and entering magical buildings. There
is the accompaniment of soothing music
and chants, plus magical visual effects.
The wand can now also act as a navigation
tool. When it turns from blue to green,
the player is able to gain a full 360-degree
view of the surroundings. Finally, an extra
feature permits players to choose a level of
activity difficulty from extra easy to very hard. This feature is
a wonderful addition for those players just beginning to learn
the process of self-regulation.
 Introducing the Journey experiences into my clinical
practice has been delightful and revealing. As a biofeedback
specialist, I work with a wide range of age groups from 6 to 80.
Self-regulation training, teaching the body to respond to state
shifts through physiological, mental and emotional awareness
requires patience and redundancy. The client’s reward is a
confident sense of control when transferring their skills to life.
Integrating The Journey as an addition to formal training or as
a home exercise provides the client with an enthusiastic sense
of variety and progress. I welcome your inquiry if you would
like to experience The Journey for yourself. Call my office at
(716) 634-4313 for further information.
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