Digital technology, meditative and contemplative practices, and transcendent experiences

RB Markum, K Toyama - Proceedings of the 2020 CHI conference on …, 2020 - dl.acm.org
Proceedings of the 2020 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems, 2020dl.acm.org
Meditative and contemplative practices are common among US adults, but the impact of
digital technology use on these practices and on associated transcendent experiences is
poorly understood. Through semi-structured interviews with sixteen experienced
practitioners from a variety of traditions, we find that practitioners consider digital technology
to be a mixed blessing. While they see its practical value, they are wary of its stimulation-
based effects and find minimal usefulness in commercial meditation apps. They also feel …
Meditative and contemplative practices are common among U.S. adults, but the impact of digital technology use on these practices and on associated transcendent experiences is poorly understood. Through semi-structured interviews with sixteen experienced practitioners from a variety of traditions, we find that practitioners consider digital technology to be a mixed blessing. While they see its practical value, they are wary of its stimulation-based effects and find minimal usefulness in commercial meditation apps. They also feel that digital technology use may interfere with possible transcendent experiences. The practitioners, however, applied insights from their respective practices to strategically mitigate digital technology's negative effects in three ways: limiting its use to instrumental purposes, using technology interactions as grist for self-reflection, and integrating technology itself into a site for practice. Specific design recommendations are discussed.
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