SPLICED GAMING /
ISSUE 04
FEATURE / MEDITATION FOR GAMERS
THE GREAT HALLS OF WIZARDS, MAGES AND TECHNOCERY IN
THE MOUNTAINS OF SHAPEIR ARE SAID TO BE LOUD WITH
THE SOUND OF ITS SILENCE. A GREAT, UNBLINKING TIGER
OF AN EYE HUMMING THROUGH THE HALLS AND
LEAVING ALL WATER UNRIPPLED. ONLY ONE
OF GREAT AWARENESS IN THE CENTRE
OF THAT STORM MAY BE APPROVED
ENTRY INTO THE TRIALS THAT
GRANTS ADMISSION INTO THE
UNIVERSITY OF MAGICS.
Such is the great power of mindfulness
meditation discipline. Naturally us
mere mortals would only like to be
more calm, less anxious and have
increased focus and concentration. All
very valuable tools to the studious gamers
who look for any edge over another in a
noisy LAN gaming hall or Sierra quest game
with hours of staring at the screen, trying
to figure what to do to obtain full puzzle
points. The ability to see patterns emerge out
of chaotic information can be more readily
obtained in certain brain wave states or as the
wizards would say, in their convoluted look-howbrainy-I-am sort of way, “Inherent patterns in the
web of being are only felt by giving yourselves over
to them. Flux and flow are not the problem, it is the
boogie board with which we choose to ride them.”
So off we go with a ripped out page from the Primer
of Concentrated Focus by Magus Spirare Memor.
STEP 1 / Place your wands, tomes and familiar in your
storage locker. Take a seated posture in a chair with feet
flat on the ground and back straight, hands may rest lightly
on top of the knees or cupped in front of your navel. Lying
on the back with pillows placed under knees and head is
also helpful but sleep may occur.
STEP 2 / Close your eyes and simply become aware of your
breathing. Mosquitoes may be dealt with by a simple Citronella
Charm Bracelet from your first year textbook.
STEP 3 / Focus on your breath in the
area of your body that you feel it the
most. Common sites are the interfaces
between air and skin - the nostrils and
back of the throat and where you feel
muscles move because of air movement
– the tummy, the chest and ribs, the
pointy bit of your hat moving forwards and
backwards.
STEP 4 / Maintain a gentle focus on the
breath. If the mind wanders, and thoughts
about your next incantations exam or who you
want to invite to the Kobold’s summer dance
abound, just lightly and without judgement
bring your awareness back to the breath. Bring
your focus back to the breath like a puppy being
guided back to its wee-wee spot. This is the
practice: returning to your breath over and over
and over and over again.
Start with 5 minutes and slowly build up until you can
hold the state for the duration of an unskippable Elder
Scrolls conversation. If you are struggling, you may count
the breaths, simply labelling; 1 in, 1 out, 2 in, 2 out. This
may prove a valuable focus point for the mind until you are
able to master the 12 languages of spellworking. A gentle
master will lead the strongest warriors.
Failing that, you can always use c