Brain Games: Emotiv

It won't be long now. Video gamers will soon have the ability to play brain games -- video games played with the power and energy of their thoughts. Now *this* is what brainwave journeys are all about!

An electronic-game company called Emotiv Systems has developed electro-encephalograph (EEG) caps to be used with video games that are right now being developed by video game brainiacs. These games will use the electrical signals from a player's mind to control the action on-screen.

What I wonder is what this will do to kids' brains. I think it's all part of the amazing whirlwind ride we're on straight into the incomprehensible future. As these gamers learn how to harness the power of their thoughts instead of just their thumbs, I think those old 3-pound balls of gray will get a lot of exercise, which I *hope* will lead to a grand appreciation for what they've got between their ears.

And couldn't we all use a little brain exercise?

 Talk about intentional thinking, conscious creating and the Law of Attraction!

To use the Emotiv system, a player puts on the EEG cap, making sure the sensors touch the scalp. Blinks are picked up, as well as emotional states. But to get something to move on the screen, the player has to go through training sessions, concentrating for about 10 seconds on moving the object. The more a person concentrates on a certain task, the more the system learns to follow the mental instructions.

There are actually three different applications involved in Emotiv's system. One senses facial expressions, like winks, frowns and smiles, and transfers them to an avatar in the game in real time.

Another application can detect two different emotional states, which could be used as cues to modify a game's soundtrack or affect the way virtual players interact with their human counterparts.

The third application detects conscious intentions of pushing, pulling or lifting objects in the game's virtual world.

What an amazing world we're waking up to! Maybe the kids who excel at this game will learn how to take out the trash and put the dishes in the dishwasher all by the power of their extraordinary minds.