The study, made by Kiyu Nishida showing the usage of natural resources, such as slime mold and aloe vera leaves in modern music performances. In this particular research and experiment, the aim was to show the novel possibilities of sound based on unconventional technologies such as integrating biological forms and structures into traditional circuits — in our case, aloe vera. A biosignal has been used in experimental music as the material for composition.
How does it work?
For controlling the sound with the help of electricity level, we need to use a resistor. Exist more complex resistor — memrisotor. The functions are all the same, but memristor can memorize information and use it for further notice. Fascinating, that there are couple of memristors in a nature, such as slime mold and aloe vera. They are the bio-memtistors.
Nowadays, people are trying more and more to connect technologies with nature. One by one. Result is not always successful, but always worth it. The aloe vera sound creates new possibilities for performance, music experimenters in a new unique way.
»If you want a great site, you’ve got to test. After you’ve worked on a site for even a few weeks, you can’t see it freshly anymore. You know too much. The only way to find out if it really works is to test it.«
– Steve Krug in Don’t make me think (2000)
To observe, if a (digital) product really fits the user’s needs and what are potential problems and pain points, there is a method called usability testing. I watched a talk of Steve Krug, experience professional and author, in which he explains why usability testing is so important and runs through some tips for improving your own usability tests. To break it down usability testing basically is watching people trying to use what you have created, even if it is just a prototype, and let them think out loud in order to have access to their cognitive process and looking for the frustration points, questions etc. It should start at an early state of the project and includes the user’s direct feedback into the creation process, to figure out the problems before you build them into your project and discover them at a (too) late status.
Why are we doing usability testing?
They take a lot of time to build, get the data, cost money and the main question is, is it all worth it? It is! There are many reasons for you to test your product in order to have a good user experience and improve your work. Steve Krug said:
»Usability is an attribute of good design«
Steve Krug
He defined a thing as usable if:
A person of average – or even below average – ability and experience (i.e., most people)
can figure out how to use the thing for the intended purpose
without it being more trouble than it is worth.
A common issue is that a deeply involved person e.g. a designer is very into the subject and gathered a lot of information throughout the research phase of the project. While designing the product, she/he of course uses all that knowledge and creates the prototype as if the user has all that knowledge too, because it is just obvious to her/him and why should anybody think of it different? Usability testing gives the creators the opportunity to watch somebody else have the experience without former knowledge about it and let the participant use it in their own individual, intuitive manner. This discovers lots of problems in best case at an early state of the project and can happen in only a very short amount of time if well planned and organized. As Leisa Reichelt, Head of Research and Insights at Atlassian, said:
»You are not your user and you cannot think like a user unless you are meeting users regularly.«
Leisa Reichelt
In his talk, Krug also mentions that we are basically all users and we imagine that everybody uses it the same way as we do, but we are not our users. He says that users are incredibly diverse and all use is idiosyncratic (depending on prior knowledge, situation, goals…). Sometimes it can be very hard for us creators to remember that the user does not know what we know.
Usability issues can slow down the whole process of use, it can cause anxiety, be annoying and sometimes even scare people of to use something any further at all. Usability testing can prevent the product from all this, in order to guarantee a good user experience and usability throughout the process of use. Most usability issues and problems are contextual, it depends on the thing that you are building, there are only a few absolute truths in therms of usability and UX, says Krug. He gives a good example, talking about that people mostly get their jobs because of who they are as a person. He describes that e.g. people become a developer, because they like complicated stuff and figure out how things work. For a pure developer, interfaces can totally look different as if a designer or another involved person in the process looks at it and it can also differ from how the user would look at it. If you now take into consideration every member of a team, including developers, designers, project managers etc. it is sometimes just very hard to agree on something and make a decision and proofs the idiosyncratic use. A good solution can be to just test it and see how the user can cope with the discussed particular element.
In his talk, Krug gives a short introduction in DIY usability testing (nutshell version) and goes on by a live usability testing to demonstrate how easy it can be. After that, he goes on and introduces his 6 maxims, which you can also see in the video beneath.
For user centered design, it is necessary to be aware how the user would interact with your product or service, whether it is a website, an app, a streaming service or anything else. For me it influences my design decisions and helps to discover usability problems, that I sometimes would have never imagined to be a problem at all. Every design decision kind of starts off with a hypothesis, that this is how the user would like to experience something and this is also very much influenced by own assumptions and previous knowledge. User Testing proves your decision wrong or right and puts yourself in the user’s shoes to see the project from his point of view.
Sources:
Don’t make me think : Web usability – das intuitive Web by Steve Krug
The Vehicle Experience consists of a lot of different elements and each of these elements can be evaluated individually. Testing all elements of the vehicle experience is one of the most important steps during the development process of new cars. Vehicles can be evaluated objectively with standardized methods, driving maneuvers, and sensors or subjectively with the development team, external partners, or real users. With the rise of new technologies, the testing of the vehicle experience also gets more complex and complicated. There are a lot of companies out there that are specializing in testing specific features. Especially the ADAS, autonomous driving features, and other safety-relevant elements are tested meticulously during the development.
A lot of companies and public figures are also doing comprehensive tests of vehicles for their websites, blogs, magazines, YouTube channels, Instagram accounts, and many more. There are a lot of different resources where customers can get a lot of information about the cars they are interested in before actually visiting the dealership.
Examples for popular formats include Car & Driver, Evo, Motor Trend, Auto Motor und Sport, Motor1, Top Gear, Grip, carwow, and many more. Since a lot of modern vehicles also have a lot of techs inside, more and more technology-focused YouTubers and Influencers are also making comprehensive reviews of new cars. Because all of these formats also have a different target audience, they also test different features of the car in more detail. While most of these formats are also offering at least parts of their tests and videos for free on multiple channels, some still require subscriptions for more detailed information.
Car and Driver – Comprehensive Car Testing
Car and Driver Magazine has published a detailed overview of how they collect more than 200 data points for every single test they are doing. Since they are using the same procedure for every of the about 400 vehicles they are testing per year, the test results can also be compared with each other. Car and Driver are testing all cars in the following categories.
Performance Testing
To get a good overview of the performance, every car has to do different straight-line accelerations (standing quarter-mile, 5 to 60 mph rolling start, 30 to 50 mph, and 50 to 70 mph), a braking test, and a cornering test. Even though all of their data is recorded by a GPS data logger and therefore already very accurate, they are additionally accounting for wind, weather conditions, and a lot more external factors that might influence the performance of each car.
While measuring the performance on the test track, they are also measuring the sound-pressure level in an idle state, while accelerating and while cruising. Each of the sound tests is also done on the same section of the track to ensure the best comparability possible between the tests.
Another important piece of information for a lot of their readers is the fuel economy or power consumption of cars. To get a realistic real-world result, they have developed their own highway fuel-economy tests for combustion engines, plug-in hybrids, and electric vehicles.
Cargo space is often stated in liters by manufacturers. To get better real-world data, Car and Driver is measuring cargo volume with cardboard boxes the size of carry-on luggage and with ping-pong balls.
Measuring the seating height is done with an H-point machine (HPM) that defines the theoretical location of the hip joint of the driver or passenger. With a laser that is mounted on top of this machine, they are also measuring the outward visibility and how much roadway is obscured by the car itself.
source: http://www.khiart.com/safety.html
Center of Gravity Height
The center of gravity (CG) is an important value for the dynamic of the car. The lower the CG is, the better the handling in corners and the lower the risk of a rollover in really tight corners or during a crash.
The safety of a car is determined by combining data from crash tests with some subjective evaluations of safety equipment. In the US these crash tests are performed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) based on the US New Car Assessment Program (US NCAP) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) based on the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP). The Euro NCAP is also the basis for crash tests in Europe. Since the warranty can only be tested during long-term tests, Car and Driver has to rely on the numbers from the manufacturers in this case. But since they are also doing long-term tests with cars from a lot of different manufacturers, they already got a good overview of the coverage and services offered by each of them.
The results of this category are based on the editor’s observation sheet (EOS) they created. Editors are usually collecting more than 170 individual observations during exterior and interior walkarounds. This sheet contains information about the year, make, and model of the car, paint quality, USB port locations, amount of cup holder, material quality, ergonomics, the usability of the infotainment system, and many more.
Infotainment
Since the infotainment system plays an important role in the in-vehicle experience, Car and Driver is also measuring input lag, response time, and the features that make up the infotainment system, including Apple CarPlay Android Auto.
The results from all of these categories are then combined with subjective evaluations of the drivers and editors and converted on a ten-point scale. Another important factor for their overall rating is that they are evaluating cars only in comparison to the direct competitors. If they are rating the handling of an SUV, it is not compared to handling a sports car. Each test is also discussed within the team before it gets published to ensure better comparability and fairness.
More details on their testing method can be found online:
The “Elektroauto Supertest” series from “Auto Motor und Sport” gives a really good overview on how they are testing electric vehicles and which categories are important to them.
Top Gear – Review
While Top Gear is mainly known for the TV show on BBC which is one of the most popular car shows on TV worldwide, they also post car reviews on YouTube.
Carwow – Drag Race
Carwow is mainly known for videos, where they are drag racing different cars against each other, but they (mainly Mat Watson) are also doing car reviews.
Tech YouTuber – Car Review
As already mentioned, a lot of tech YouTubers are also doing reviews of modern, mainly electric vehicles. The most popular ones are probably Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) and Unbox Therapy, but also some German YouTuber started doing car reviews with the launch of the new Mercedes EQS.
Car YouTuber – Reviews
Of course there are not only tech focused YouTube channels with a lot of videos about cars. There are far more car focused YouTube channels that make videos about different cars. Some of them are mainly focusing on the technical parts of cars and how to tune them, some are mainly focusing on showing and optimizing their own car collection, and some are mainly focusing on reviews. Popular Englisch car channels include Car Throttle, Shmee150, DougDemuro, Drivetribe and many more. The most popular German car-focused YouTube channels include JP Performance, Philipp Kaess, Auto Bild, Motor Woche, Car Maniac and many more.
Society is increasingly trying not to subjugate nature, but, on the contrary, to learn from it. With knowledge of the properties of certain organisms, we can revolutionize design. For example, grow bulletproof leather and create lamps with an alternative way of getting light.
BioDesign
Biodesign is associated with the design of hybrid forms of living organisms and modern technologies in order to enhance certain properties of organisms and increase their chances of survival.
In many ways, the task of a biodesigner is to address the challenges posed by the impending climate crisis. The field of biodesign cannot be imagined without the interaction between designers and scientists who know how the body works at the molecular level.
On the one hand, the question arises whether we have the right to interfere with the life of other living beings and transform it; on the other hand, biodesign, in theory, is guided by noble ideas and is looking for ways to make life easier (not only for people, but also for other living organisms) in extreme conditions.
Researchers and designers are studying the properties of various microorganisms, which are the first to develop cunning mechanisms for adapting to new conditions. For example, inside nuclear reactors, scientists found microbes that were able to protect and restore their DNA, despite the huge doses of radiation. Studying and using such a defense mechanism could help scientists looking for a cure for cancer. Another representative of superhero microorganisms managed to survive, being on the ISS hull for 553 days and overcoming the space cold. For biodesigners, such discoveries are a real find, given that the human genome is 90% composed of cells of symbiotic microbes. That is, theoretically, we can “add” tiny neighbors to ourselves and get some of their super-abilities.
Biodesign is not equal to biomimicry.
The term “biomimicry” denotes an approach when the design borrows or copies the principles observed in nature. Biologist Janine Benjus detailed the main ideas of this approach in her 1997 book. One problem with the term biomimicry is that it is used too widely. Often, in such a design, the connection with nature is limited only to the imitation of form or material for a symbolic, decorative effect. That is, the form turns out to be divorced from the idea of biodesign — to live in harmony with existing ecosystems.
Examples:
BioConcrete
This experimental technology was invented by Henk Jonkers. Bioconcrete contains bacteria of the Sporosarcina pasteurii species, which naturally produce limestone under suitable conditions. Before the bio-concrete hardens, bacteria are mixed with nutrients. Over time, as the concrete structure begins to crack, bacteria will help fill them, producing limestone. This hybrid material extends the life of the man-made technology, reduces maintenance costs and minimizes the carbon footprint. Since concrete is one of the most common building materials, the use of technology improved in this way will help to significantly reduce the harmful human impact on the environment.
Botany as architecture
The architecture technique, invented by Ferdinand Ludwig, Cornelius Hackenbracht and Oliver Storz of the University of Stuttgart, involves the use of trees as a supporting structure. For this purpose, species with strong trunks and a root system, such as willow, are suitable. Moreover, the branches and trunks in such a structure will only become stronger over time. It is important for the authors of the idea to emphasize that architecture is not static, it is also subject to change and transformation, like all elements of nature around.
EcoCradle
This packaging material was developed by the American company Ecovative Design as an alternative to containers made from petroleum products and polluting the environment. The basis of EcoCradle (from the English cradle – tray, stand, frame) is mycelium (or mycelium), which is characterized by a rather dense structure. To create such eco-containers, you can use waste from the local agro-industry.
A microbial home
The concept of a microbial home was invented by the Dutch subsidiary of Philips. We can say this is a version of a smart home in which all the work is done and coordinated by microbes, bacteria and fungi. Thanks to them, devices for heating, cooling and growing food, as well as processing food waste, function. They all make up a closed ecosystem. For example, an apparatus for bio-processing of methane helps to solve the problem of recycling food waste and at the same time produces gas, due to which the stove operates.
LatroLamp
An experimental lamp design by Mike Thompson illustrates an alternative way of producing light. In this case, it is generated using gold nanoelectrodes, into which algae cells have been implanted. So, thanks to photosynthesis, we get current.
In addition, Yalila Essaidi is an artist, designer and researcher who invented and created bulletproof leather. It is a hybrid of human skin and spider filament:
The manipulation of the electrical status of cells allowed scientists at Tufts University, Massachusetts to grow fully formed eyes in the intestines and on the tail of tadpoles. As strange as it sounds, the demonstrated result is an important step towards the regeneration of complex organs and the evolution of design.
In earlier work, the researchers managed to grow a new tail for the tadpole to replace the lost one. To do this, they changed the electrical properties of cells by stimulating their absorption of salt. These and later results indicate that not only chemical, but also physical factors play an important role in the development of the animal organism in the direction of cell differentiation.
The membranes of all cells have a certain electrical potential, which is formed due to the difference in the concentrations of charged ions of sodium, potassium and calcium in the intra- and extracellular space. The movement of ions across the membrane is regulated by so-called ion channels. For most cells, in addition to nerve and muscle, the charges created by these currents are very small and are expressed in millivolts. However, it turned out that the difference in potentials of different cells plays an important role in the migration and development of cells.
The researchers found that about 19 hours after fertilization of the Xenopus laevis Xenopus laevis egg, the membrane potential of some cells in the embryo was reduced by about 20 millivolts. At the site of localization of these cells, the eyes of the animal are subsequently formed. At the same time, the introduction of compounds that block the change in potential prevents the formation of eyes.
To test the hypothesis that the electrical properties of the cell play an important role in the formation of the eye, the scientists have embedded ion channels, allowing to create a characteristic decrease in membrane potential, into the cells of the intestine and tail of tadpoles. As a result, each stimulation of these channels led to the formation of an additional eye in the selected localization.
Previously, experts believed that eyes can only form from head cells that express certain regulatory proteins. However, it turned out that the primary signal in this case is a change in potential, which somehow triggers the production of the necessary proteins.
The researchers believe that in the future, similar approaches could be used to stimulate the formation of organs from stem cells in the laboratory. However, some experts doubt the success of such experiments, since the course of the process of organ formation is most likely determined by a change in the electrical status of the cell relative to the surrounding cells, and not simply by reaching a certain level of membrane potential.
An eye formed in the intestine of a tadpole is circled in red.
I asked around for some information through qualitative research about who is willing or has thought of learning the sign language. Basically to get to know if there is an interest in getting educated in and on sign language or if there is no need for such a tool. The structure of the questionary did not follow a concrete form and I was adjusting my follow up questions by the answers which were given to me.
The following questions appeared most of the times:
Were you ever interested in learning sign language? Yes/No if yes: Why did/do you want to learn it? open answer if did not learn it yet: Why did you not learn it yet? open answer How did you learn it (instructor, YouTube, apps, other options) open answer How did you improve the most? open answer Do you generally learn new languages and if so how? open answer Do you have someone in your surroundings you would require to use sign language to communicate with them? Yes/No and open answer How old are you and where are you from? open answer
Outcome
The following answers give a short insight into the interest situation. The presented persons refer to the people interested in sign language and one participant who has learned it.
Person A, 27 years old female:
Her friend wrote a paper about the topic of sign language accompanied by a photo exhibition. She became interested in the topic trough that but she did not start to learn it because she would not know with whom she might practice speaking without letting the learned signs fall into oblivion. She is planning on learning the most important signs like “hello”, “how are you?” and other most common conversation pieces on her own so that she can at least communicate like in the other languages with these simple sentences. Because she is interested in the topic she thinks the tool would be helpful to get to know a few sentences but thinks it is difficult if the person who wants to learn it does not have someone in the surrounding to talk to in sign language because there is no motivation if you do not know if you will really deploy it to communicate with another person.
Person B, 52 years old female:
She thought about learning it about a hundred times since she was a child. Her aunt is deaf and she was willing to learn it, not just because of her aunt but in general because she is interested in the language, but has never done it. Her aunt can read lips and person B learned to articulate clearly to make the communication easier so it was not necessary to learn it even though she had somebody in her surrounding she could communicate through sign language. She explains that her laziness is in her way even when trying to learn spoken languages like English.
Person C, 25 years old female:
She is interested in the language, since you can communicate with many people all over the world as well because she is interested to learn a language only based on movements, gesture and mimic. She has no one in her surroundings where she would require to use sign language. So far, she has only learned spoken languages because she really loves the melodic sound of the different languages which she has learned mostly in school and in university. She improved the most by spending time in the countries where she had to speak the language.
Person D, 26 years old male:
Has learned sign language when he was 18 because he thinks it is important to know how to communicate with all people and sign language is in his opinion a really universal language. He knew someone who was communication trough sign language and used to work with Org which in his opinion is always useful. He learned a couple of gestures and hand positions with the help of YouTube and a foundation that teaches the language. He did not improve much because he did not practice.
Conclusion
In conclusion the questionary helped me as a first little step to understand the position and situation of possible users and which difficulties or behavior stands in the way. Most of the time people are interested but their own laziness or absence of the need to learn it because there is no one in their community who can not speak spoken language as well as if they would be interested in it and learn it they would not have somebody to exercise it with. It is clear that both people of unspoken and people of spoken languages stay in their own communities and communicate with each other as it is a lot easier and the empathy is higher most of the times. This is why the persons I have asked for this questionary as well and which were not even interested in learning sign language were naming reasons like that as well because they see no need for it and do not need it for communication. In order to not forget the whole picture it could be possible to implement different features into the tool that stand against these difficulties for example a buddy-feature where people can connect and exchange. Which of the solutions for such problems will be necessary or helpful will be discussed within the next months after more insight through the next steps as this questinary shall not be interpreted as representative due to the number, gender and age of the participants.
Next steps will be needed like a more precise as well as quantitative questionary to get to know the needs from actual users who have to learn it, different approaches in learning and many more to get as much information as possible.
One of biggest concerns around my app is the possibilities to have levels or kinds of meditation. In my intern investigation I look that most of the apps in the market have a focus on different kind of meditations instead of levels. So, I started wondering what a user will like more an app with levels or an app with different kind of meditations guide.
Levels
Only a few users told me that they prefer levels over types of meditation. The main reason for this is the time. Most of the people I interviewed told me that they need something that focuses on a specific topic so it is easier for them to follow.
Kind
My interviewers told me that they prefer different kinds of meditation with a guide, sounds and timer. The reason for this is that is easier for them to be a focus on only one topic. This means that they prefer for example only a simple guide for sleeping and maybe a second step if they find it useful.
Also they try to used meditation for one thing in specific for example work, love, partnership, mindfulness and more. With a focus is easy for the user to keep tracking into the app, because they can get what they are looking for in no long time.
Even though I still think that having a mix of level and kinds can be good for the app. The mix of it can result in a good balance in development and focus in your life.
Nachdem ich mich letztes Semester mit künstlicher Intelligenz befasst habe, wollte ich dieses Semester ein neues Thema angehen. Rückblickend war es spannend, sich nicht bloß mit der Technologie zu befassen, sondern vielmehr die Auswirkungen auf unsere Gesellschaft zu deuten, sich eine eigene Meinung zu bilden und zu sehen, was die Technologie für mein Arbeitsfeld bedeutet.
Bisher hatte ich mich viel damit beschäftigt, in welche Richtung diese Recherche gehen soll, habe viele Texte gelesen und habe leider auch viel Zeit in Dinge reingesteckt, die ich wahrscheinlich nicht verwenden werde. Da ich bereits zu Beginn meiner Recherche zur künstlichen Intelligenz sicher war, dass dies eher eine Exkursion wird, wollte ich für dieses Semester zu meinem angestrebten Aufgabenfeld zurückfinden. Um vermitteln zu können, wo meine Recherche eigentlich hinführen soll, muss ich zunächst erklären, was ich in den letzten Jahren erarbeitet habe.
Generell arbeite ich gerne an Projekten, die Wissen vermitteln oder eine (meines Erachtens) wichtige Botschaft kommunizieren wollen. Dies war beispielsweise in den drei Projekten gegeben, die ich für eine Ausstellungsdesign-Firma in Hamburg angefertigt habe. Hier hatte ich festgestellt, dass ich nicht mehr nur Produkte oder Dienstleistungen verkaufen möchte, wie es bei vielen Agenturen, bei denen ich zuvor gearbeitet habe der Fall ist, sondern stattdessen Wissen, Erfahrungen und Empathie transportieren möchte. Die drei genannten Projekte waren interaktive Anwendungen für Museen oder Ausstellungen in verschiedenen Themenbereichen. Hierfür war es wichtig, sich gründlich in wissenschaftliche Themen einzuarbeiten und dieses Wissen sowohl fachlich als auch emotional in eine digitale Anwendung zu übersetzten. Ich hatte unglaublich viel Spaß an diesen Aufgaben und möchte aufgrund dessen weiter erfahren, wie wir Menschen uns Wissen aneignen, um in Zukunft dies bei der Implementierung von Anwendungen einfließen zu lassen.
Außerdem hatte ich mich in meiner Bachelorarbeit damit befasst, warum die meisten Menschen über den Klimawandel Bescheid wissen und davor Angst haben, aber nur die wenigsten wirklich aktiv etwas dagegen unternehmen. Hierzu habe ich die Diskrepanz zwischen diesem Wissen und Tun untersucht und wichtige Leitlinien erarbeiten können, die uns als Designer helfen können, positives Handeln hervorzurufen. Da auch in diesem Kontext, der/die NutzerIn die Möglichkeit hat, etwas dazu zu lernen – zwar nicht im Sinne von bloßer Information sondern vielmehr wie er/sie umweltfreundlicher den Alltag beschreiten kann – zählt auch diese Recherche zum Thema wie der Mensch lernt und wie man Wissen vermitteln kann. Dies wird in einem der folgenden Blogeinträgen nochmal wiederholt und vertieft.
Vipassana was taught in India more than 2500 years ago as a universal remedy for universal ills, i.e., an Art of Living.
In Pali, an ancient language of Buddhism, the word “Vipassana” means “seeing things as they really are.” The literal translation is “special seeing.”
Often, the term “Vipassana meditation” is used interchangeably with “mindfulness meditation,” but Vipassana is more specific. It involves observing your thoughts and emotions as they are, without judging or dwelling on them.
Vipassana, you simply observe your inner self instead of consciously controlling the experience. The goal is to help you:
Quiet your mind
Focus on the present
Accept thoughts, emotions, and sensations for what they really are
Reduce regrets by dwelling less on the past
Worry less about the future
Respond to situations based on reality, instead of worries or preconceived notions
Why it is better for a beginner?
Vipassana is a kind of meditation that doesn’t need much preparation to be done and it is a good starting point for a beginner because it is really easy to follow and to achieve.
That means that the guide for this kind of meditation can be optional. An app will be useful for the timer, sounds and in case of guide a guide. You can follow these steps to try to do it on your own.
Set aside 10 to 15 minutes to practice. It’s recommended that you do Vipassana when you first wake up in the morning.
Choose a quiet area with little to no distractions.
Sit in a comfortable position. Engage your core, straighten your back, and relax your body.
Close your eyes and breathe normally. Focus on your natural breath and what you feel.
Be mindful of each inhale and exhale. Observe your thoughts, feelings, and sensations without reacting or judging.
If you become distracted, simply observe the distraction and return to your breath.
Aim to do this for at least 5 to 10 minutes when you first start. As you get used to this practice, work up to 15 minutes or longer of Vipassana meditation.
Zen Meditation (Zazen)
Origin & Meaning
Zazen (坐禅) means “seated Zen”, or “seated meditation”, in Japanese. It has its roots in the Chinese Zen Buddhism (Ch’an) tradition, tracing back to the Indian monk Bodhidharma (6th century CE). In the West, its most popular form comes from Dogen Zenji (1200~1253), the founder of the Soto Zen movement in Japan. Similar modalities are practised in the Rinzai school of Zen, in Japan and Korea.
How to do it
It is generally practised seated on the floor over a mat and cushion, with crossed legs. Traditionally it was done in the so-called lotus or half-lotus position, but this is hardly necessary. Nowadays most practitioners sit like this:
Vipassana Meditation
Origin & Meaning
“Vipassana” is a Pali word tha
t means “insight” or “clear seeing”. It is a traditional Buddhist practice, dating back to 6th century BC. Vipassana-meditation, as taught in the last few decades, comes from the Theravada Buddhist tradition, and was popularized by S. N. Goenka and the Vipassana movement.
Due to the popularity of Vipassanā-meditation, the “mindfulness of breathing” has gained further popularity in the West as “mindfulness”.
How to do it
[There is some conflicting information on how to practice Vipassana. In general, however, most teachers emphasize starting with mindfulness of breath in the first stages, to stabilize the mind and achieve “access concentration.” This is more like focused attention meditation. Then the practice moves on to developing “clear insight” on the bodily sensations and mental phenomena, observing them moment by moment and not clinging to any. Here goes an introduction, aimed at beginners. To know more I’d suggest following up the links provided or learning from a teacher (perhaps in a Vipassana retreat).]
Ideally, one is to sit on a cushion on the floor, cross-legged, with your spine erect; alternatively, a chair may be used, but the back should not be supported.
The first aspect is to develop concentration, through samatha practice. This is typically done through breathing awareness.
Focus all your attention, from moment to moment, on the movement of your breath. Notice the subtle sensations of the movement of the abdomen rising and falling. Alternatively, one can focus on the sensation of the air passing through the nostrils and touching the upper lips skin – though this requires a bit more practice, and is more advanced.
As you focus on the breath, you will notice that other perceptions and sensations continue to appear: sounds, feelings in the body, emotions, etc. Simply notice these phenomena as they emerge in the field of awareness, and then return to the sensation of breathing. The attention is kept in the object of concentration (the breathing), while these other thoughts or sensations are there simply as “background noise”.
The object that is the focus of the practice (for instance, the movement of the abdomen) is called the “primary object”. And a “secondary object” is anything else that arises in your field of perception – either through your five senses (sound, smell, itchiness in the body, etc.) or through the mind (thought, memory, feeling, etc.). If a secondary object hooks your attention and pulls it away, or if it causes the desire or aversion to appearing, you should focus on the secondary object for a moment or two, labelling it with a mental note, like “thinking”, “memory”, “hearing”, “desiring”. This practice is often called “noting”.
A mental note identifies an object in general but not in detail. When you’re aware of a sound, for example, label it “hearing” instead of “motorcycle,” “voices” or “barking dog.” If an unpleasant sensation arises, note “pain” or “feeling” instead of “knee pain” or “my back pain.” Then return your attention to the primary meditation object. When aware of a fragrance, say the mental note “smelling” for a moment or two. You don’t have to identify the scent.
When one has thus gained “access concentration”, the attention is then turned to the object of practice, which is normally thought or bodily sensations. One observes the objects of awareness without attachment, letting thoughts and sensations arise and pass away of their own accord. Mental labelling (explained above) is often used as a way to prevent you from being carried away by thoughts, and keep you in more objectively noticing them.
As a result one develops the clear seeing that the observed phenomena are pervaded by the three “marks of existence”: impermanence (annica), unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and emptiness of self (annata). As a result, equanimity, peace and inner freedom are developed in relation to these inputs.
Loving Kindness Meditation (Metta Meditation)
Origin & Meaning
Metta is a Pali word that means kindness, benevolence, and goodwill. This practise comes from the Buddhist traditions, especially the Theravada and Tibetan lineages. “Compassion meditation” is a contemporary scientific field that demonstrates the efficacy of metta and related meditative practices.
Demonstrated benefits include: boosting one’s ability to empathize with others; development of positive emotions through compassion, including a more loving attitude towards oneself; increased self-acceptance; greater feeling of competence about one’s life; and an increased feeling of purpose in life (read more in our other post).
How to do it
One sits down in a meditation position, with closed eyes, and generates in his mind and heart feelings of kindness and benevolence. Start by developing loving-kindness towards yourself, then progressively towards others and all beings. Usually this progression is advised:
oneself
a good friend
a “neutral” person
a difficult person
all four of the above equally
and then gradually the entire universe
The feeling to be developed is that of wishing happiness and well-being for all. This practice may be aided by reciting specific words or sentences that evoke the “boundless warm-hearted feeling”, visualizing the suffering of others and sending love; or by imagining the state of another being, and wishing him happiness and peace.
Mantra Meditation (OM Meditation)
Origin & Meaning
A mantra is a syllable or word, usually without any particular meaning, that is repeated for the purpose of focusing your mind. It is not an affirmation used to convince yourself of something.
Some meditation teachers insist that both the choice of word, and its correct pronunciation, is very important, due to the “vibration” associated with the sound and meaning, and that for this reason, an initiation into it is essential. Others say that the mantra itself is only a tool to focus the mind, and the chosen word is completely irrelevant.
Mantras are used in Hindu traditions, Buddhist traditions (especially Tibetan and “Pure Land” Buddhism), as well as in Jainism, Sikhism and Daoism (Taoism). Some people call mantra meditation “om meditation”, but that is just one of the mantras that can be used. A more devotion oriented practice of mantras is called japa, and consists of repeating sacred sounds (name of God) with love.
How to do it
Like with most types of meditations, it is usually practised sitting with spine erect, and eyes closed. The practitioner then repeats the mantra in his mind, silently, over and over again during the whole session.
Sometimes this practice is coupled with being aware of the breathing or coordinating with it. In other exercises, the mantra is actually whispered very lightly and softly, as an aid to concentration.
As you repeat the mantra, it creates a mental vibration that allows the mind to experience deeper levels of awareness. As you meditate, the mantra becomes increasingly abstract and indistinct, until you’re finally led into the field of pure consciousness from which the vibration arose. Repetition of the mantra helps you disconnect from the thoughts filling your mind so that perhaps you may slip into the gap between thoughts. The mantra is a tool to support your meditation practice. Mantras can be viewed as ancient power words with subtle intentions that help us connect to spirit, the source of everything in the universe. (Deepak Chopra)
OM is a well-known example of a mantra. But there are thousands of others. Here are some of the most well-known mantras from the Hindu & Buddhist traditions:
om
so-ham
om namah shivaya
om mani padme hum
rama
yam
ham
You may practice for a certain period of time, or for a set number of “repetitions” – traditionally 108 or 1008. In the latter case, beads are typically used for keeping count.
As the practice deepens, you may find that the mantra continues “by itself” like the humming of the mind. Or the mantra may even disappear, and you are left in a state of deep inner peace.
There are many methods of mantra meditation. I explain them in detail, together with why mantras are powerful, in my article on mantra meditation.
Yogic Meditations
Origin & Meaning
There is no one type of meditation which is “Yogic Meditation”, so here it is meant the several meditation types taught in the yoga tradition. Yoga means “union”. The tradition goes as far as 1700 B.C, and has as its highest goal spiritual purification and Self-Knowledge. Classical Yoga divides the practice into rules of conduct (yamas and niyamas), physical postures (asanas), breathing exercises (pranayama), and contemplative practices of meditation (pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, samadhi).
The Yoga tradition is the oldest meditation tradition on earth, and also the one with the widest variety of practices.
How to do it
Here are some types of meditation practised in Yoga. The most common and universal Yoga meditation one is the “third eye meditation”. Other popular ones involve concentrating on a chakra, repeating a mantra, visualization of light, or gazing meditations.
Third Eye Meditation — focusing the attention on the “spot between the eyebrows” (called by some “the third eye” or “ajna chakra”). The attention is constantly redirected to this point, as a means to silence the mind. By time the “silent gaps” between thoughts get wider and deeper. Sometimes this is accompanied by physically “looking”, with eyes closed, towards that spot.
Chakra Meditation — the practitioner focuses on one of the seven chakras of the body (“centers of energy”), typically doing some visualizations and chanting a specific mantra for each chakra (lam, vam, ram, yam, ham, om). Most commonly it is done on the heart chackra, third eye, and crown chackra.
Gazing Meditation (Trataka) — fixing the gaze on an external object, typically a candle, image or a symbol (yantras). It is done with eyes open, and then with eyes closed, to train both the concentration and visualization powers of the mind. After closing the eyes, you should still keep the image of the object in your “mind’s eye”.
Kundalini Meditation — this is a very complex system of practice. The goal is the awakening of the “kundalini energy” which lies dormant on the base of the spine, the development of several psychic centers in the body, and, finally, enlightenment. There are several dangers associated with this practice, and it should not be attempted without the guidance of a qualified yogi.
Kriya Yoga — is a set of energization, breathing, and meditation exercises taught by Paramahamsa Yogananda. This is more suited for those who have a devotional temperament, and are seeking the spiritual aspects of meditation.
Sound Meditation (Nada Yoga) — focusing on sound. Starts with meditation on “external sounds”, such as calming ambient music (like Native American flute music), whereby the student focuses all his attention on just hearing, as a help to quieten and collect the mind. By time the practice evolves to hearing the “internal sounds” of the body and mind. The ultimate goal is to hear the “Ultimate Sound” (para nada), which is a sound without vibration, and that manifests as “OM”.
Tantra — unlike the popular view in the West, most Tantra practices have nothing to do with ritualized sex (this was practiced by a minority of lineages. Tantra is a very rich tradition, with dozens of different contemplative practices. The text Vijnanabhairava Tantra, for instance, lists 108 “meditations”, most of them more advanced (already requiring a certain degree of stillness and mind control). Here are some examples from that text:
Merge the mind and the senses in the interior space in the spiritual heart.
When one object is perceived, all other objects become empty. Concentrate on that emptiness.
Concentrate on the space which occurs between two thoughts.
Fix attention on the inside of the skull. Close eyes.
Meditate on the occasion of any great delight.
Meditate on the feeling of pain.
Dwell on the reality which exists between pain and pleasure.
Meditate on the void in one’s body extending in all directions simultaneously.
Concentrate on a bottomless well or as standing in a very high place.
Listen to the Anahata [heart chakra] sound.
Listen to the sound of a musical instrument as it dies away.
Contemplate on the universe or one’s own body as being filled with bliss.
Concentrate intensely on the idea that the universe is completely void.
Contemplate that the same consciousness exists in all bodies.
Pranayama — breathing regulation. It is not exactly meditation, but an excellent practice to calm the mind and prepare it for meditation. There are several different types of Pranayama, but the simplest and most commonly taught one is the 4-4-4-4. This means breathing in counting up to 4, holding for 4 seconds, breathing out for 4 seconds, and holding empty for 4 seconds. Breathe through your nose, and let the abdomen (and not the chest) be the one that moves. Go through a few cycles like this. This regulation of breathing balances the moods and pacifies the body, and can be done anywhere.
Yoga is a very rich tradition, with different lineages, so there are many other techniques. But the ones above are the most well-known; the others are more specific or complex.
I have to make quick interviews with possible users for the Meditation Guide App. The main point of this interviews is to understand what the different kind of users waits from an app like this one.
For this post, I will describe the different needs that I have identified from the users. These needs will be divided into three different post parts to make them easier to understand.
Expectancies
When I ask my possible user about what they expect from an app like this, I got multiple answers with different necessities and recommendations. But, there were three things that they find extremely important.
Levels
For the users seems extremely important to have different levels of meditation guide. It should start with a beginner lever, where someone guides you through the whole process. A medium-level that is a mix between music and guides. An expert level that will be only music or mantra and a timer for finishing the exercise.
Timer
Another element to seem important is a timer that helps the user measure their time progress through the use. Also to programme the time and the duration of the meditation progress so it is easy to get through the process and out.
Music
The final part of the expectancies is the music, most of the users said that they will expect that the timer alarm is through Buddhism, calm music that helps the people awake softer. Also, they want to have soft music in the meditation process to keep them calm.
Calming Anxiety
The meditation applications are useful to calm down an anxious mind by offering guided & unstructured video of around 20 minutes (the time differs from app-to-app).
Stress Management
These meditation apps help in determining stress levels and reduce them through meditation tools that consist of images & music.
Deep Sleep
Meditation mobile apps create a nice aura through relaxing music of nature and melody. This helps users in experiencing calm that promotes sleep.
Focus & Concentration
These applications allow their users to block distractions from other apps, texts, calls, and this allows them to focus and concentrate better during work.
Relationship
Few of the apps offering advanced features allow their users in connecting and maintaining healthy and sound relationships that increase their energy.
Habit & Goal Tracker
The apps allow its users to break habits through its tool that is useful in tracking habits & realizing their goals. It may consist of notifications, reminders (can be customized), and a lot more.
Attain Happiness
The apps offer several features that help their users to experience true happiness. It may consist of guided meditation sessions, nature sounds, and several step-by-step processes to stay in a peaceful and happy space.
Self-Esteem
Most of these meditation apps offer this functionality that is helpful in boosting the self-esteem of the users by bringing their attention to positive aspects of life.
