The Benefits of Video Games: How Video Games Can Stabilize Heart Rhythm, Reduce Stress and Depression
Until recently, the benefits of video games have not been known or publicized. We've heard a great deal about the negativeeffects of video games. Recent development in game research shows tha tthere is a positive side to video gaming as well. What are the Benefits of Video Games? According to an article in The Washington Post, game manufacturers are looking at the possible mental health benefits of certain games like PopCan Games'Bejeweled. A preliminary study shows that volunteers who played Bejeweled experienced an improvement in mood and heart rhythms compared with volunteers who weren't playing thegame. Game companies are targeting new markets for their products - people who are prone to depression and anxiety or those who are overwhelmed by daily stress and worry. The idea is that these games can distract people and place them in a "different mental zone." How do these Video Games Work? Certain video games allow people to fall into a rhythm that hovers between relaxation and alertness. Players do not get bored; nor are they over-extended in their efforts. These games activate the parasympathetic nervous system"which can reduce the heightened tension that is anatural response to stress." Another reason is that Type A people have a difficult time relaxing. Playing video games allows them to be alert yet at the same time relaxed in a state of "relative mindlessness." A third reason is that different emotions produce different heart rhythm signatures. Companies like HeartMath of Boulder Creek, California have designed games that allow players to be mindful of their heart rate variability. In effect, the gaming allows them to manage their emotional responses to stress. An example of the benefits of video games can be seen in HeartMath's "emWave" system which feeds a player's heart rate variability into a computer screen.The point of the game is to play it in such a way that the player can stabilize his heart rhythm variability. According to HeartMath psychophysiologist, Rollin McCraty, the key is coherence which,unlike relaxation alone, is a state of optimal alertness and relaxation. Excessive relaxation is not the goal of these video games; they are intended to bring heart rhythm into coherence, in a state that has often been referred to as the SMR, or sensorimotor rhythm, in line with low beta brain waves. A tool provided by HeartMath that allows people to learn how to develop smooth heart rhythms can be found in their destress kit. Here is more information on this kit. Disclaimer: The above information is meant only to inform and should never displace professional consultation.
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