The Force May Be With You, Sooner Than You Think

Last week, one of the presentation groups talked about mind controlled games.  While still in their infancy, many companies are developing video games controlled by ones brainwaves.  It is the next evolution of gaming platforms; transcending handheld controllers and body recognition software.  I was very curious about this mysterious new format, so I researched mind-control technologies.  I found that gadgets, usually in the form of headsets, have been created which can translate brain waves into digital codes that are then sent to various computer devices.  This technology has been utilized in other physical objects as well.  For instance, NeuroSky produced a headset with cat ears on it, which adjust according to ones varying moods and energy levels.  These ears actually read the mind and translate those thoughts into  realistic feline ear positions. In video gaming, mind-reading technology is being used to create scenarios in which one can control gun shots single-mindedly.  While the capability to perform specific actions through thought are still in the beginning stages of development, technological engineers have been able to create sensors that track relaxation and concentration in the brain.  Games revolving around achieving various levels of meditation are currently on the rise. For instance, "Mind Labyrinth" is a mind game imploring users to navigate through 52 levels of an ancient temple, progressing as their concentration goes deeper and deeper. Some psychologists argue that these sorts of mind control games are beneficial to humans in that they support brain health.  The meditative exercises, especially, work as a sort of cognitive therapy.  I am very excited to witness the progress being made in mind-control technology, yet also wary of its effects. To be able to move and affect change in front of one’s eyes by simply imagining it is an exciting and intriguing experience to behold.  That being said, this progression could aide the potential for humans to become so completely dependent on technology, that their own autonomy is abandoned.  I also fear the possibility of the virtual world becoming so intertwined with reality that one becomes incapable of divorcing the two.  Should such an event occur, I predict that the violence of video games could transcend into real violence.  Overall, it is important for technologists to advance the mind-control platform, but it is also imperative to be cautious of public usage.  

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304707604577426251091339254.html