Are video games destroying spirituality?

Quote: Don't try to silence me just because I'm saying what people don't want to hear. I have as much right to be respected here as you do. I'm not insulting anyone; I'm just part of the conversation.

Everyone's fighting over games, yet most of you haven't a clue what you're talking about. You call them "little games"—that's like calling *The Godfather* a "short flick." It’s the first sign you don't get the subject. To most, Tetris and BioShock are just "games." One is simple but revolutionary; the other is a masterpiece that could sweep ten Oscars. A decade of a person's life poured into pure, unadulterated art.

Fine, go ahead. Meditate or whatever Zen nonsense you think you're experiencing. Just stop sticking your nose into things you don't understand. Go find some gaming forum and start this debate there—you'll be buried under a flood of posts you won't even be able to finish reading.

Alright, but honestly, who are you to sit there and lecture everyone on how they ought to live their lives? It’s fine, really. You might be chasing material success—and people will judge you for it—or maybe someone else chooses to meditate, and you find that equally distasteful... but who actually cares? At the end of the day, the only thing that truly matters is whether we're all satisfied with our own quality of life.

So, I’m still circling back to the fact that this has nothing to do with whether video games or some > could somehow threaten someone's spirituality. That's my take on it, anyway. What's yours?

Look, here’s my take: NO. I’m just helping you see life from different angles. I’m helping you develop qualities that school and teachers can't touch. Whether someone plays a round of Counter-Strike and then decides to go out and throw a bomb at someone has zero to do with gaming. They’d do that after watching a gritty action movie anyway, which just means they aren't right in the head to begin with. Games are just an interactive medium. A crazy person is going to be crazy regardless...

Here's a quick example regarding escaping into the virtual world: Imagine a kid from some tiny rural town in the Midwest, surrounded by a super conservative crowd. There’s nobody there to talk to on their level. Everyone is just talking about cattle, the farm on TV, the latest country music album, or who slept with whom in the hayloft. So, they start playing something like World of Warcraft. They make friends with people just like them. They actually have things to talk about. They feel accepted, fulfilled. They eventually meet up in person, stay friends, fall in love—that kid basically escaped the bubble of their hometown, found purpose, found love, found life itself. They win...

Does a scenario like that break your logic that gaming stifles spirituality???????

Like I mentioned back in my very first post, if someone actually thinks the virtual world can have a tangible impact on their actual quality of life, then in my opinion, they’ve got much bigger problems to deal with than anything we're discussing here.
And honestly, if you think there's anything I could possibly learn from getting kicked around in UT every single day, you might want to check yourself.

The example you're bringing up doesn't even touch on the virtual side of things; it's really just about real life, where someone who lacks better options decides to make the most of whatever medium happens to be available to them. It's also pretty far off-topic, if you ask me.

Gregory Jackson said:So, I’ve got this one old story for you—my former mentor once went on this wild streak where he played Lines for four days and four nights straight without even blinking. You know, that super simple game where you just try to line up five colored balls in a row? It was honestly kind of intense; they basically just kept him fueled up with food and water while he was totally locked in. Now, this guy is seriously enlightened—we're talking twenty years deep into this stuff, a really powerful presence. Anyway, when he caught a glimpse of what I was thinking about earlier, he made a point similar to one of those posts above, saying that it’s really all about the quality of your consciousness and how whole or integrated it feels, rather than the specific act itself. I guess what he meant was you could be in a state of total meditation while standing in line at a Target, or you could be in the middle of absolute chaos and still be "meditating." So, yeah, it doesn't really matter if you're playing Lines or whatever else; whether you're actually being "spiritual" or not just comes down to the depth and integrity of your awareness while you're doing it.

Honestly, I stay far away from that kind of "spirituality." That isn't spirituality; it’s just pure suggestibility. He was just trying to use "consciousness" as a cheap excuse for his gaming addiction.
It’s like saying I can justify a gambling addiction by claiming I’m in a "high state of consciousness" while hitting the casino, or heaven forbid, while committing a crime. His answer is totally incomplete, especially since he barely even touched on the idea of integrity.

Any kind of extreme behavior is a million miles away from being spiritual.

Arthur White37 said:So, here is my situation. I am quite fond of PC gaming, and there are times when I find myself lost in it for hours on end—honestly, I don't know where I would be if my parents didn't set some boundaries on my screen time 😢....
I have spent a significant amount of time delving into various conspiracy theories, and I frequently immerse myself in books regarding spirituality. I also make a conscious effort to practice meditation 😢, as I am truly striving toward a deeper level of spiritual growth.
My question is this: does my passion for computer games somehow undermine my spiritual journey? Should I consider giving it up entirely? If I were to stop, I suspect it would be an incredibly difficult transition for me to navigate.
👎 😠

Well, I suppose you could look at it as a form of getting high—just a way to trigger that chemical pleasure response in the brain. But honestly, there are so many ways to "do drugs" in life. I guess it all comes down to balance. Everyone has a certain capacity to absorb a little dose of psychological dopamine, but if you realize you're spending most of your free time getting high on one thing or another (and there are endless channels to choose from), then maybe there isn't much room left for the soul, right?

Given that you spend a good chunk of your time focusing on spiritual stuff, I wouldn't say gaming is inherently problematic. It’s more about whether you find yourself wondering if you could be doing more, faster, or deeper if you weren't distracted by it.

But hey, if you're happy...

wearyhawk83 said:Honestly, I stay far away from that kind of "spirituality." That isn't spirituality; it’s just pure suggestibility. He was just trying to use "consciousness" as a cheap excuse for his gaming addiction.
It’s like saying I can justify a gambling addiction by claiming I’m in a "high state of consciousness" while hitting the casino, or heaven forbid, while committing a crime. His answer is totally incomplete, especially since he barely even touched on the idea of integrity.

Any kind of extreme behavior is a million miles away from being spiritual.

Come on now, you really can't jump to those kinds of conclusions based on just one little episode, I guess. He wasn't even playing before or after, so there's nothing to talk about regarding an actual addiction. There is way more going on here—staying alert, "fighting" through the fatigue, "battling" the boredom... all of those things actually require total awareness and wholeness and some pretty serious mental work. But I suppose to someone looking in from the outside, it probably doesn't look that way at all.

Look, I never said all games are the same, nor that some (like UT) have even a shred of educational value. Could you learn anything from Civilization or Europa Universalis? Maybe.

I’m not claiming gaming has extreme psychological effects on everyone—like those kids in South Korea who take their lives over game events—but those individuals usually have much deeper issues. Gaming was just the spark that lit an already existing powder keg...

Regarding your previous post where you basically implied I’m crazy twice: I'll say it again. The virtual world (your term) had this specific impact on my life. Judge for yourself if it's real or not...

I was born in America, but the war forced me to move to a different state. My parents had me late in life, so they were pretty old by the time I was growing up. They were conservative, practical people—and broke, I forgot to mention that—so I had zero support for self-improvement. Whenever I brought up learning something advanced, like a new language, programming, or design, my late father would just shake his head and yell: "Forget that nonsense." I think you get what I mean.

I somehow managed to scrape together enough for a computer back in '92 or '93. It was my window to the modern world. Through games (and movies, to be fair) I actually got my English to a high level. Games and computers in general built my sense of improvisation, tactics, creativity, math, and mechanics—not literal mechanics, but understanding how systems work and the cause-and-effect within them. All of this sparked a curiosity about the world. Not just computers, but history, geography, art, politics, economics, biology. It gave me the tools to land a great job, to earn respect in my circle, and to make sure my word carries weight when talking to executives. It taught me not to flinch at responsibilities involving millions of dollars. It let me view the world through a lens I never could have chosen otherwise. If I'd gone with the "go with the flow" option most of my peers took, I'd be stuck in dive bars right now, with no ambition or purpose. I credit virtual worlds for helping me navigate this brutal real world. So don't act like a smart-ass and tell me playing UT didn't change my life. I think your life might be more affected than mine. Games were just the catalyst for interests that wouldn't have surfaced if it weren't for virtual triumphs and defeats—fallen kingdoms, racing victories, street fights in American capitals, slain dragons, and scored goals.

I owe a lot of the good things in my life to these virtual worlds that you guys constantly belittle and dismiss...

Gregory Jackson said:Come on now, you really can't jump to those kinds of conclusions based on just one little episode, I guess. He wasn't even playing before or after, so there's nothing to talk about regarding an actual addiction. There is way more going on here—staying alert, "fighting" through the fatigue, "battling" the boredom... all of those things actually require total awareness and wholeness and some pretty serious mental work. But I suppose to someone looking in from the outside, it probably doesn't look that way at all.

Gregory Jackson, if you're struggling to see my point, it's because you're lacking a bit of critical thinking—and honestly, maybe a little awareness right now too.
In your last post, you basically identified with your teacher and felt this massive need to defend an obvious lie by trying to pass it off as something normal or even "spiritual":

my ex guru spent four days and four nights continuously playing Lines, you know, that simple game where you line up five colored beads.

On the flip side, you totally missed that I wasn't even trying to shade the guy, I was just calling out his poorly worded response, basically, how incomplete it was.

Just because someone isn't eating, sleeping, or living in total harmony with nature—staying awake 24/7 while doing things that seem pretty useless—doesn't mean they aren't spiritual or acting from the heart, like people love to say. You've gotta separate the essential from the trivial and know how to recognize the right time, place, and way to act.

Gregory Jackson said:So, I’ve got this one old story for you—my former mentor once went on this wild streak where he played Lines for four days and four nights straight without even blinking. You know, that super simple game where you just try to line up five colored balls in a row? It was honestly kind of intense; they basically just kept him fueled up with food and water while he was totally locked in. Now, this guy is seriously enlightened—we're talking twenty years deep into this stuff, a really powerful presence. Anyway, when he caught a glimpse of what I was thinking about earlier, he made a point similar to one of those posts above, saying that it’s really all about the quality of your consciousness and how whole or integrated it feels, rather than the specific act itself. I guess what he meant was you could be in a state of total meditation while standing in line at a Target, or you could be in the middle of absolute chaos and still be "meditating." So, yeah, it doesn't really matter if you're playing Lines or whatever else; whether you're actually being "spiritual" or not just comes down to the depth and integrity of your awareness while you're doing it.

Actually, something just clicked for me!😁 Back when I used to play video games way more intensely, I was going through a pretty rough patch in life. I was dealing with some heavy stuff that I just couldn't wrap my head around on my own. During those times, gaming was such a lifesaver because my brain just needed that escape...🤷😕😕😕

quote: Just because someone lives off the grid, stays awake 24/7, and spends their time on things most people would call useless, doesn't mean they aren't spiritual or following what others call "the heart." You have to separate the essentials from the noise. It's about knowing the right time, the right place, and the right way to act.

I’m 100% with this. If our quirks—no matter how weird, pointless, or even messy they seem to outsiders—are what actually make us happy and fulfilled, why shouldn't we lean into them? Ignore the judgment and the confusion from everyone else. The whole point of being alive isn't just existing; it's finding the stuff that actually makes life worth living.

Here’s an old story for you—my former mentor once spent four days and nights straight grinding Lines, that simple game where you line up five colored beads. All they did was drop food and water off to him. This guy has been enlightened for twenty years; he's a heavy hitter. When he noticed the question mark I had floating over my head, he made a point similar to a post above. He said it’s about the actual quality and integrity of your consciousness—your awareness—not the specific act itself. You could be totally meditative while standing in line at a Walmart, or in total chaos while trying to "meditate." Bottom line: whether you’re playing Lines or whatever else doesn't matter. It’s the caliber of your consciousness while you do it that determines if you're actually spiritual or just posing.

I have to say something here: how does such a massive pile of nonsense fit into so few sentences? 🤷🤣

wearyhawk83 said:Gregory Jackson, if you're struggling to see my point, it's because you're lacking a bit of critical thinking—and honestly, maybe a little awareness right now too.
In your last post, you basically identified with your teacher and felt this massive need to defend an obvious lie by trying to pass it off as something normal or even "spiritual":

my ex guru spent four days and four nights continuously playing Lines, you know, that simple game where you line up five colored beads.

On the flip side, you totally missed that I wasn't even trying to shade the guy, I was just calling out his poorly worded response, basically, how incomplete it was.

Just because someone isn't eating, sleeping, or living in total harmony with nature—staying awake 24/7 while doing things that seem pretty useless—doesn't mean they aren't spiritual or acting from the heart, like people love to say. You've gotta separate the essential from the trivial and know how to recognize the right time, place, and way to act.

So, yeah, that’s just my way of paraphrasing the general vibe of it. But, man, I see people just don't get it, so let me try explaining again: the quality of your consciousness—which is, I mean, a pretty undeniable sign of someone's personal growth—doesn't actually depend on specific actions or things you're doing in the moment. Most of the time, we're just unconscious, or we aren't really "there," just kind of running like machines following some pre-set program. And when we're in that state, we end up creating all this psychological mess, tension, and pain for ourselves. If you can actually maintain awareness—that state of expanded consciousness where your thoughts, mechanisms, or reactions don't cloud what's actually happening—then you can do that in any situation. Just... I don't know, try playing a video game for four days straight without stopping, or try working at full capacity with total awareness for that long. It's a brutal spiritual challenge. And just so I don't have to deal with anyone else misunderstanding me: honestly, staying conscious for even fifteen solid minutes is a huge feat, let alone trying to do it for four days while doing anything at all.

Every single time I post something on this forum, the attacks start immediately. Calm down, casualeagle82.
I was merely seeking some guidance.
If my intention is to meditate and pursue spiritual growth, then I am simply trying to discern which path is the most effective.
To be honest, I enjoy PC gaming quite a bit; in fact, I likely would have struggled in school, and my life might have fallen apart because I lack self-control. I’d be lucky if my employer let me have just thirty minutes of downtime during a weekday (poor me 😁), but once I am alone...
My goal is to cultivate spirituality, at which point I won't even need a computer.
However, have you noticed that most people who are hardcore gaming addicts aren't particularly bright?
It is much easier to face a monster in a game than it is to confront actual life situations.
I agree that certain games are true works of art—Mass Effect being a prime example—but just because they are art doesn't mean one should devote their entire existence to them.
Even if gaming helped you personally, that doesn't mean it serves as a solution for everyone.
In reality, more people have found themselves in trouble because of it than have found any benefit.

quote: I want to develop my spirituality so much that I won't even need a computer.

How can you even know if you've actually reached that level or not? And what's your definition of spirituality anyway?

Gregory Jackson said:So, yeah, that’s just my way of paraphrasing the general vibe of it. But, man, I see people just don't get it, so let me try explaining again: the quality of your consciousness—which is, I mean, a pretty undeniable sign of someone's personal growth—doesn't actually depend on specific actions or things you're doing in the moment. Most of the time, we're just unconscious, or we aren't really "there," just kind of running like machines following some pre-set program. And when we're in that state, we end up creating all this psychological mess, tension, and pain for ourselves. If you can actually maintain awareness—that state of expanded consciousness where your thoughts, mechanisms, or reactions don't cloud what's actually happening—then you can do that in any situation. Just... I don't know, try playing a video game for four days straight without stopping, or try working at full capacity with total awareness for that long. It's a brutal spiritual challenge. And just so I don't have to deal with anyone else misunderstanding me: honestly, staying conscious for even fifteen solid minutes is a huge feat, let alone trying to do it for four days while doing anything at all.

That challenge might help overcome egoism, which I suppose would free up access to consciousness. Though, for feats like that, one really needs to be driven by their own intention, rather than someone else's idea that we've simply adopted. Otherwise, an ego-driven person chasing a "sounds good" achievement—like trying to "become enlightened"—might just end up anxious and uncentered, worrying about whatever advice they get from psychiatrists in New York.
Games can help improve focus and quiet the internal dialogue. Just like any other activity, I guess. It all depends on our approach and our ability to observe our own actions in any given situation.
We examine desirable and undesirable things in the exact same way. That’s really the whole story. That guru simply used games as a tool—whether he felt passionate about them or not, his position regarding the approach to consciousness remains the same, whether he recognizes it or not. Anywhere.

Arthur White37 said:So, here is my situation. I am quite fond of PC gaming, and there are times when I find myself lost in it for hours on end—honestly, I don't know where I would be if my parents didn't set some boundaries on my screen time 😢....
I have spent a significant amount of time delving into various conspiracy theories, and I frequently immerse myself in books regarding spirituality. I also make a conscious effort to practice meditation 😢, as I am truly striving toward a deeper level of spiritual growth.
My question is this: does my passion for computer games somehow undermine my spiritual journey? Should I consider giving it up entirely? If I were to stop, I suspect it would be an incredibly difficult transition for me to navigate.
👎 😠

Gaming isn't going to ruin your soul. But you need balance. It’s not just about mental health—like that weird story about the guy who was too scared to walk outside because he couldn't see a waypoint on his HUD—it's also about physical health. Sitting in a chair for ten hours straight kills your eyes, back, and neck. Meditation helps, though. I consider myself a believer, I go to church, but I've played countless games (check out the avatar) and I haven't become a worse person, nor have I suddenly become a saint. Just carve out some time for your spiritual side. You'll always find thirty minutes or an hour to shoot things on the computer.

You guys talk about spirituality like it’s some trendy fad you pick up over a weekend—one day we’re all Zen, the next we’re heading to a Lakers game.
Spirituality—since it's such a vague concept anyway—isn't something you achieve by trying. You live it. It’s easy to just sit here and churn out endless sentences like Larry Wilson5 and Gregory Jackson do, acting like the rest of us should think you're somehow enlightened.

But honestly, the whole "guru" thing? Ridiculous. This guy’s been "spiritual" for 20 years? A "powerful figure"? What does that even mean? Did he play Lines? Who is he going to be a guru to? Does someone need to tell you when you're actually satisfied with your life or not? Is a guru just a coach? And that "powerful figure" bit... please.

Spirituality, however you want to label it, is just how you see the world and interact with it. We’re all spiritual in our own way, and no guru is ever going to teach you that. For me, fulfillment comes during the rough patches. When things go sideways, I don't sit around crying; I head out for a long run outside the city limits until I've worked every bit of tension out of my system. My head clears, the world's problems vanish for a few hours, and those moments define who I am. I didn't "develop" that, and some "FRAUDULENT GURU" didn't lecture me on how to do it. It’s just part of being me. It’s part of our nature. You don't learn it; you just are.

casualeagle82 said:You guys talk about spirituality like it’s some trendy fad you pick up over a weekend—one day we’re all Zen, the next we’re heading to a Lakers game.
Spirituality—since it's such a vague concept anyway—isn't something you achieve by trying. You live it. It’s easy to just sit here and churn out endless sentences like Larry Wilson5 and Gregory Jackson do, acting like the rest of us should think you're somehow enlightened.

But honestly, the whole "guru" thing? Ridiculous. This guy’s been "spiritual" for 20 years? A "powerful figure"? What does that even mean? Did he play Lines? Who is he going to be a guru to? Does someone need to tell you when you're actually satisfied with your life or not? Is a guru just a coach? And that "powerful figure" bit... please.

Spirituality, however you want to label it, is just how you see the world and interact with it. We’re all spiritual in our own way, and no guru is ever going to teach you that. For me, fulfillment comes during the rough patches. When things go sideways, I don't sit around crying; I head out for a long run outside the city limits until I've worked every bit of tension out of my system. My head clears, the world's problems vanish for a few hours, and those moments define who I am. I didn't "develop" that, and some "FRAUDULENT GURU" didn't lecture me on how to do it. It’s just part of being me. It’s part of our nature. You don't learn it; you just are.

Stay cool, man 🙂

Well, I guess if you're laughing, then mission accomplished, right? We're out here trying to spread some good vibes. Since this debate seems to be going nowhere fast, maybe we should just pivot back to gaming—for instance, I've always been a huge fan of Civilization, which is pretty much why I used to drop so much cash on new PCs back in the day, plus stuff like Heroes of Might & Magic and Starcraft too. But, I don't know, over the last couple of years, my free time has basically dwindled down to nothing...

casualeagle82 said:You guys talk about spirituality like it’s some trendy fad you pick up over a weekend—one day we’re all Zen, the next we’re heading to a Lakers game.
Spirituality—since it's such a vague concept anyway—isn't something you achieve by trying. You live it. It’s easy to just sit here and churn out endless sentences like Larry Wilson5 and Gregory Jackson do, acting like the rest of us should think you're somehow enlightened.

But honestly, the whole "guru" thing? Ridiculous. This guy’s been "spiritual" for 20 years? A "powerful figure"? What does that even mean? Did he play Lines? Who is he going to be a guru to? Does someone need to tell you when you're actually satisfied with your life or not? Is a guru just a coach? And that "powerful figure" bit... please.

Spirituality, however you want to label it, is just how you see the world and interact with it. We’re all spiritual in our own way, and no guru is ever going to teach you that. For me, fulfillment comes during the rough patches. When things go sideways, I don't sit around crying; I head out for a long run outside the city limits until I've worked every bit of tension out of my system. My head clears, the world's problems vanish for a few hours, and those moments define who I am. I didn't "develop" that, and some "FRAUDULENT GURU" didn't lecture me on how to do it. It’s just part of being me. It’s part of our nature. You don't learn it; you just are.

You can neglect the tools you have until they rust, or you can actually use them.
Tools provide access to anything, including the spirit. The spirit alone is spiritual; a human simply possesses the tools to reach it. That is the point. Whether video games ruin spirituality or human potential—or those tools—is a nonsense debate, because people try to find danger in something that isn't any different from any other activity. One person runs while another plays a game—what's the difference? If we have chosen a path, it is wisdom if it helps us; if not, then we’ve ignored wisdom somewhere along the line.
There are gurus everywhere, like the ones who suggest the path to happiness involves buying a Coke. If you can recognize and avoid the gurus around you, and understand your own tools for survival—even while playing games—then stories about the spirit won't confuse you. You'll be able to follow them and recognize the spirit.
A spiritual person is one who recognizes the workings of the spirit. The spirit remains the spirit, and the human remains a human.
An impersonal perspective can awaken anything, so why not master the game? If we don't recognize it, we might end up in a cave at the top of the Appalachian Mountains, leaving our spiritual tools completely unused.