The Therapeutic Value of Gaming

[Aramara Meibi]

as i've previously announced, I will soon be beginning post graduate studies. as I am currently announcing, those studies will be in the field of Art Therapy and Counseling. Although through these vacuous forums i've presented mostly written works, a few of you may know that I have had a lifelong pursuit and devoted interest in the visual arts. Art and the creative process for me has always been my therapy, a form of meditation, even a cathartic experience. Art and Gaming are similar in that they fall under the category of immersive experience. We all are familiar with that feeling of deep immersion, late at night, sleep deprived, when the plot is so thick it's tangible, and for a moment, you become so engaged in the activity you are performing that you lose your sense of self. Now, for the serious student of psychology, this is known as disassociation, and for the more serious student of psychology, it is known that this is truly a breakdown of the ego identification. Ego dissolution is necessary for psychological healing to begin.

So, as a community of alleged gamers, what are your thoughts on the practical value of Gaming as a therapeutic tool? First of all, let's clarify the definition of Gaming to include role playing games of the table top and influenced variety over, let's say, Grand Theft Auto (although that game has it's fair share of catharsis). But we are all here, I like to believe, because we value the immersive and dissociative qualities of plot/character based role play over the spectacular sensory gratification of other more popular games. The type of Role Play that I experienced with this game, for example, was creative, spontaneous, immersive, and at times definitely dissociative.

As an artist, one becomes well attuned and sensitive to hidden content, that is, the motivators behind concrete action that originate beyond consciousness. It is one of the goals of an Art Therapist to uncover the hidden content behind the surface content of the created artifact. The art media becomes a safe field in which to explore latent, repressed, or displaced anxieties, to safely communicate them and thus fully integrate them into the framework of the self. It is said that to speak the name of a spirit is to gain mastery over it. Therefore, the therapist is there to guide and encourage this expressive mode in order to foster healing and self development.

In Role Play, the game world too becomes a safe field, an abstraction, or an obtuse approach towards potential identities latent within ourselves. By playing out these characters and their spontaneous interactions with others, their responses toward situational crises, we safely test out these roles for ourselves in a mostly innocuous and consequent free environment. So, translated into the realm of therapy, Role Play Gaming can be utilized as a way to safely navigate unconscious motivators, to dispel latent anxieties which lead to neuroses, and to foster self realization and encourage the individuation process.

thoughts? comments? personal experiences?

[Rigwyn]

Yes.

[Volki]

<3 u aramaramara

[Gilrond]

Games definitely can have a therapeutic effect. Whether it's a tool against depression or simply a way to express creativity, for which roleplaying games are conductive. It's good to note that the first aspect can be achieved by many genres, including arcade, action, puzzle, adventure and many other types of games. They all can be entertaining if they are good games.

Bad games on the other hand won't have such positive effect. Bad in a sense of bad art. Like in any art, there are masterpieces and there is junk in computer games. Some you enjoy (whatever the genre is), others you can't stand.

[cdmoreland]

PlaneShift really helped me to recover after open-heart surgery and the complications that disabled me. Helped me to regain concentration and focus from what we call "pump head" that is caused by being on the heart-lung machine during surgery. That was 5 years ago.

[poezza]

When I was 17/18 I was in a mental institution for about a year. My therapy group had weekly sessions with an Art Therapist and in the later phases of my treatment I also did this individually. From experience I know that it can help deal with alot of things, especially trauma.
Besides working with visual art I also did 'drama' therapy, mostly used to help ppl deal with certain situations.. In a way I think this can be the same with RP'ing.. However to really experience the therapeutic side of RP you have to feel like you are in a safe environment, which I am not sure PS (or any other game) is.

@Aramara; feel free to send me a PM about this

[Aramara Meibi]

thank you all for your responses.

gil, i agree that all games inherently have entertainment value which can be mood uplifting, but I think Role Play based gaming has a much greater potential as a therapeutic tool.

poezza, I agree that PS as it stands as an open-to-the-public game environment isn't necessarily as conducive toward healing as a controlled small group session where a safe and trusting environment is established. Although, as cdmoreland proclaims, and I'll also confidently proclaim, my time on PS certainly helped me through a rough time (an extended period of unemployment after losing my job as an art/ special ed teacher), and as I spoke of earlier, playing out the character of Aramara allowed me to explore a much repressed, deeply spiritual side of my personality, which I wasn't confident with in RL. In doing so, I've been able to fully integrate that aspect of personality into my self identity, leading to a greater sense of completeness and self realization. Hell, even popping onto these forums and having this conversation with you all is therapeutic, in that, i'm currently trying to compose my statement of intent as part of my application, and you are my testing grounds, so to speak, for the formulation of my final words. That on top of the rest of my application, letters of recommendation, portfolio, etc., another precarious employment situation and a big move ahead of me, i'm under a lot of stress right now. Recognizing the stress energy and how it's effecting my behavior and being able to speak about it (remember what i said about naming spirits?) allows me to remaster my actions and release the stress positively.

But back to your point. Of course the ideal setting is one of trust and common intent amongst all participants. here's an example of what I more so had in mind. Consider one of the greatest dungeon crawls of mythological history: the myth of theseus and the minotaur. Using a symbolist approach, we can unveil the hidden content of this myth: The King Minos (super-ego) because of self serving purposes foregoes the demands of the gods (the Self) and is cursed with the grotesque man-beast Minotaur (sexual urges/primal energies) which he has to entrap in an elaborate subterranean labyrinth (repression), which ultimately leads to an even greater sacrifice, the death of many a would be hero. That is, until the rise of the true hero Theseus (the conscious Ego) who delves into the labyrinth (introspection) armed with the guidance of Aranea (the Anima) to put to rest the beast within and emerge again heroically, restoring balance to the kingdom.

Now, the function of this myth and the surrounding Mystery was to immerse the listener so that they become a participant and master of their own psychological functioning. They would be able to relate the story to the myth of their own lives. Now, the mystery cults of the ancients are for the most part forsaken in our current world, and there are some who point to this and the resultant lack of initiation as the cause for most behavior or mood disorders not related to a neurological dysfunction or other physical trauma/impairment. So then, a session of D&D can act as a stand in for the ancient rites of initiation, and in a therapy setting, with therapist in the role of GM, a dungeon crawl can be structured and crafted, with backstory, character sheets, etc., to recreate,enact out, and induce these psychological functions symbolically. With a small group of adventurers, you add in the dynamics of cooperation, motive, morality, problem solving, decision making, acceptance of challenge, an understanding of strengths and detriments, how detriments become strengths, empathy, relatedness... really the potential for fostering personal development is deep.

[Dannae]

Your writing feels so scholarly using so many long psychology oriented words and convoluted abstract philosophical ideas for me to try and wrap my mind around even after reading through twice or three times… give me a moment to unravel my now twisted brain. I’m thankful I find your fantastic stories more easily comprehensible and joyous to read!

Honestly, I was only looking for a little fun exploring a 3D world, something very new at the time, when I first logged on to PS. What I came to find was something so much more once I learned about and began to involve myself in role play.

I am truly amazed with the number of players I came to know closely, both inside and outside of our guild, which after gaining friendship and trust, opened up to share what I considered to be extremely personal and emotional aspects about themselves. What surprised me the most were the number who sought or felt the role play to be therapeutic with real life situations and conditions. You might remember several of our past guild members who discussed personal gender identity issues and found us and role play to be accepting and helpful in many ways.

One player, who often spoke to me confidentially, revealed that much of our shared role play over several years was all based on real life situations and conditions the player had endured. They unveiled to me how helpful therapeutically the role play had been and appreciation for my small part in their coping and learning to move past. It makes me smile inwardly and feel warm inside every time I think of them, just to know I had helped in whatever small ways this kind of experience can provide.

I wish you great luck with incorporating what you’ve learned here with helping others in your studies!

Always good to see your posts here as a cherished once upon a time DOX guild member… Go bananAramara!   

[Aramara Meibi]

hehe, sorry about the scholarliness... like i said, i'm feeling quite stressed trying to formulate my thoughts into words for this application, so i might be overkilling it here :/

dannae, part of the reason i feel so confident having this conversation with you all on these forums is because, yes, I've already had many conversations with players in the past about using role play to help navigate the RL crises they were facing.

i know the developers envision PS as open and inviting to all kinds of players, and this thread is more so about utilizing carefully controlled RP environments and gaming situations in a therapeutic setting, but perhaps bringing more awareness to this side of RP will encourage them to develop a game which encourages player interaction over grinding. 

[cdmoreland]

but perhaps bringing more awareness to this side of RP will encourage them to develop a game which encourages player interaction over grinding. 

Hey, I resemble that comment! Seriously, it was the grinding that helped me to concentrate again and the rp was a bonus. I'm still not a great rp'er but I try to have fun.

[Gilrond]

Aramara: It also depends on what attracts people to different games. For instance, people have different tastes for books. Some like fantasy more, others science fiction or detectives and so on. I once saw an interesting poll about what attracts people to RPGs and other games. Answers were quite interesting. Some like the interactive storytelling aspect, others like exploration, yet others like simply escaping their mundane problems using the immersive environment of the game. Same way the therapeutic effect can be individual, based on subjective interests of each player.

[Zalya]

Hey, I resemble that comment!

Best typo ever.

Anyway, back on topic. I've been wondering if I should post a reply for a few days now. On one hand, baring your soul to people in the internet isn't always the smartest thing to do, but on the other hand stories need to be shared, and I feel very strongly about how helpful RP can be. Often times people think that roleplaying is about pretending to be someone else, when really it is all about being more honest to different aspects of yourself. RP gives us an anonymous filter to put ourselves through, to separate our own wants and desires from a person and look at ourselves through them. It gives us a creative outlet for stress and anxiety. It lets us feel safe when really opening our hearts. Roleplayers get to be hurt without actually being hurt. It is a safe place to take risks.

I am one of those people who has struggled with gender identity issues. I don't often talk about it, and feel some anxiety lingering now, even as I type this, buy I trust this community. I won't go into much detail here, because I already feel I've said to much, but I will say that Planeshift has been key to giving me a safe space to be open and honest with myself in ways I wouldn't even dare in real life. When I play Zalya I don't have to fear judgment, guilt, or being the butt of someone's joke. It's so strange how I can feel more at home with myself when playing someone else.

Roleplaying has also had major positive impacts in other parts of my life. Like Aramara I have been able to feel spiritually fulfilled, and much more open to to new concepts just from playing a faithful character. I find myself incorporating parts of characters that I like into my personal life. For example, since playing Zalya I have found myself to be a more compassionate person than I was before. When going through some dark time in my life I have found that roleplaying has given me a sort of relief. Even if nothing else was going right, I could have a place where I could explore thoughts, and ideas without depression getting in the way.

But back to your point. Of course the ideal setting is one of trust and common intent amongst all participants. here's an example of what I more so had in mind. Consider one of the greatest dungeon crawls of mythological history: the myth of theseus and the minotaur. Using a symbolist approach, we can unveil the hidden content of this myth: The King Minos (super-ego) because of self serving purposes foregoes the demands of the gods (the Self) and is cursed with the grotesque man-beast Minotaur (sexual urges/primal energies) which he has to entrap in an elaborate subterranean labyrinth (repression), which ultimately leads to an even greater sacrifice, the death of many a would be hero. That is, until the rise of the true hero Theseus (the conscious Ego) who delves into the labyrinth (introspection) armed with the guidance of Aranea (the Anima) to put to rest the beast within and emerge again heroically, restoring balance to the kingdom.

Now, the function of this myth and the surrounding Mystery was to immerse the listener so that they become a participant and master of their own psychological functioning. They would be able to relate the story to the myth of their own lives. Now, the mystery cults of the ancients are for the most part forsaken in our current world, and there are some who point to this and the resultant lack of initiation as the cause for most behavior or mood disorders not related to a neurological dysfunction or other physical trauma/impairment. So then, a session of D&D can act as a stand in for the ancient rites of initiation, and in a therapy setting, with therapist in the role of GM, a dungeon crawl can be structured and crafted, with backstory, character sheets, etc., to recreate,enact out, and induce these psychological functions symbolically. With a small group of adventurers, you add in the dynamics of cooperation, motive, morality, problem solving, decision making, acceptance of challenge, an understanding of strengths and detriments, how detriments become strengths, empathy, relatedness... really the potential for fostering personal development is deep.

Now here you go into the classic hero story, which I think is important, and applicable to many roleplaying games. Being a hero conquering dangers and delving into deep dungeons and coming out richer and stronger can build confidence. Most Dungeons and Dragons games follow this sort of narrative in both their play styles and game mechanics. It lets the player feel stronger, and gives them a chance to really show off and be in the spotlight which can be great for self esteem. Though I would argue that Planeshift is closer to Augusto Boal's theater of the oppressed than a traditional hero story.

When I roleplay in Planeshift I take on the role of a Spect-actor. I am able to be part of the situation and have a connection to it, but still have the ability to step back and say "This isn't me." I can take risks and see the consequences of my actions without the fear of retaliation. We become both part of, and separate from the events taking place. We see and control our actions, but not others. We gain the ability to rehearse for real life. Of course not every situation in PS has a real life counter part, but we can learn from everything. Obviously you probably won't encounter many necromancers bent on destroying the world in your everyday life, but you will be thrust into negative situations, and hopefully from roleplay you can learn when to take a stand, and talk to someone, or when is the best time to fall back and ask for help.

Thank you so much for this post Aramara. Roleplaying has had massive therapeutic benefits for me, and I am always hearing stories of how RP has helped others. Roleplaying is a median in which we escape inwards and outwards at the same time. We get to find truth in what seems like fantasy. We get a chance to find ourselves through someone else. It is an art form, and a therapy session rolled up into one. I'm excited to see where this thread goes. I always like hearing others stories, and believe that this is extremely important not only for the community, but for the world.

[Eonwind]

Very interesting post, many of you already said a lot of thing I agree with then I will only add a few brief thoughts.
RPing techniques are gaining tractions in many fields outside gaming: psychology already proved the therapeutic value of RPing (of course given there are the condition aforementioned) but also in the education field RP can be a widely used tool, and very efficient in the educator's hands (there's no best way to understand someone than wearing his own shoes).

Last I would like to mention the other side of the gaming experience which is creating a game. Creating a game for others can have a high positive value as other than the previously stated skills there is also the beneficial value of creating something for others.
For crating a game I don't only mean developing an electronic game like PS, but also being a "narrator", a Game Master or the equivalent (as RPing games almost always require at least one of these figures to set it up).

Now going   

i know the developers envision PS as open and inviting to all kinds of players, and this thread is more so about utilizing carefully controlled RP environments and gaming situations in a therapeutic setting, but perhaps bringing more awareness to this side of RP will encourage them to develop a game which encourages player interaction over grinding. 

we try to encourage interaction between players, for example a lot of quest which require rare components, or animal parts are meant to foster player's interaction as it's easier to ask them to another player than providing it themselves. Opening the tutorial area so experienced players can welcome newcomers is another try. This are just few of many examples but still there is a balance to achieve in making a game playable even if there are few players around and making it playable even for the ones that simply likes to log to explore the world, hunt a few and, why not, grind a few since sometimes all a player may need is "switching off" his mind from everyday worries and like cdmoreland pointed out this can be "therapeutic" as well ... just in a different way.

[cdmoreland]

Hey, I resemble that comment!

Best typo ever.

It wasn't a typo.

[Aramara Meibi]

thanks for the link Zalya, very interesting