In light of everything that’s happening in the world right now, many (myself included) are in need of some new means of de-stressing at the end of each day. Fortunately, one new application is arriving later this week that could help with just that.
Developed by Andromeda Entertainment, SoundSelf: A Technodelic is a new VR experience that will bring you on a “meditative journey” that is led by your own voice. When utilizing your voice to create various sounds, the visuals you’ll then be met with in your VR headset will take the form of a series of strobing lights and various shapes, backed by some music that harmonizes with your voice. The experience is said to help put you into a meditative state, leading to a relaxed psyche.
The game’s designer, Robin Arnott, says that they hope SoundSelf can have a positive effect on the mental health of those who use it. “Videogames are an incredibly powerful tool for shaping a person’s consciousness,” Arnott expressed. “We have an opportunity to flip the distraction of games into a healing interaction.”
Arnott has been talking about the idea of SoundSelf for years at this point and presented the idea of the project in a TEDx Talk back in 2018.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfd8HtQq67g]
SoundSelf also has roots in the medical field and was at one point the subject of a study by scientists at the NeuroMediation Institute. Early results of tests associated with SoundSelf showed that it can have similar effects on the brain that psychedelics can cause. In full, the tests were shown to positively affect the anxiety and mood of those who utilized the app.
“People are ready to become more intentional about the content they consume. SoundSelf is a safe, tech-driven alternative for meditation and inner space exploration; an exhilarating journey into altered states of consciousness,” explained Devolver Digital co-founder Mike Wilson. “With SoundSelf, we are seeing the emergence of a new genre that points to a more heartfelt vista of what games can do for their players.”
All in all, SoundSelf looks like it has the potential to be greatly beneficial to those who might be looking for what it has to offer. Still, I’m not sure if this is a game that will be for everyone. The bright lights, sounds, and strobe effects look as though they could end up stressing some people out rather than relaxing them. That said, for those that SoundSelf does have a positive effect on, there doesn’t seem to be a better time for Andromeda to release such a product.
SoundSelf: A Technodelic will retail for $29.95 and will be available on Valve Index, HTC Vive, and Oculus Rift headsets later this week on Wednesday, April 22. For more information on the app, you can check out the official Steam page or visit the SoundSelf website.
And if you want to get a better idea of what SoundSelf: A Technodelic will be like, you can watch the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuvDa1Q45Qo]
