Basics of the Mind Pillar
Our brains work in a mysterious ways, and we have discovered more in the past few decades about our brains, than in all of our time on this planet before. It's ironic in the 2000's so many different media outlets kept insisting that video games were bad for you, and mostly it was just it was what parents wanted to hear. The mind is meant to be our driving tool in the fight for survival, but we don't really need to fight nowadays. Honestly we could have a much better existence as a species if we only controlled our impulses, and mindsets. The main reason behind so many wars, and idiotic atrocities, was the small minded leaders behind them. Such as Hitler, or even Trump (As he is getting dangerously close to starting a war with North Korea). This all comes down to mindset, and self-discipline.
Our minds are like a muscle that needs to be exercised on the regular!
What Video Games Do To Your Brain
Now there are so many different studies that point out the facts that they not only are good for you, but can actually alleviate some mental handicaps. They produce new neurological synapses, and connections in the brain, more than many other activities. On top of that they can increase hand-eye coordination, reaction time, attention to detail, and so much more. This isn't just isolated in shooters, or puzzle games, pretty much any genre can increase these things in some way.
They have even shown in some cases to increase neuro-genesis and plasticity. Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201310/video-gaming-can-increase-brain-size-and-connectivity
On top of that the various melodies and soundtracks the games possess can induce great warmth and happiness. The amount of deep emotional resonance, and nostalgia can impact the Emotions Pillar in a very positive way as well. In fact this is oftentimes a really good way to relieve stress for many people.
They Give Us a Glimpse of What The Future Can Be Like
The overall aspect of games is meant to be for immersion, and oftentimes deep exploration. This is a great experience, and the depth of interaction is monumentally ingrained. This gives you experience in life without having to accomplish certain things in real life, and that is not to say it replaces anything, but in fact gives motivation to go out and do it yourself, or gives you an experience you cannot have like being in Ancient Egypt such as in Assassin's Creed Origins.
The life you have is influence by everything you do, and video games can be a great way to add on experiences to that life. Enjoyment aside think of the Self-Development opportunities you have here, as you can think of it as a stimulation of your mind. A training exercise to mediate any negative attributes of stress. Stress has been hitting me hard personally, and video games have been a great relief for myself recently, and my mind started getting more and more active when I picked them up again. This is the origin of today's post for the most part.
The future is vastly underrated, and if we can have any hope of changing it, then understanding HOW it can change by simulating it with video games will be a great opportunity.