The Meditation App Nobody is Talking About
Seriously though, how is this not being promoted?
Okay we get it
There are a lot of mediation apps, I mean A LOT. Take a look at the Apple App Store and you’re guaranteed to find hundreds of meditation apps which proclaim meditation will provide you with the following:
Reduces Stress
Controls Anxiety
Promotes Emotional Health
Lengthens Attention Span
May Reduce Age-Related Memory Loss
Can Generate Kindness
May Help Fight Addictions
Improves Sleep
Helps Control Pain
Anybody who looks at this will say:
a) This is great, where can I sign up! or b) This is a load of bull****.
Now let's take the side of the critic and say that none of these benefits are proven. Through much research, you will find most of these proclaimed health benefits are backed up by small control groups and don't offer much of a basis for scientific evidence of psychological benefit.
I’m here to tell you, even if all of the benefits listed are in fact untrue, you should still, without a doubt, begin a meditation practice.
Okay I’m Listening
My favorite neuroscientist is Sam Harris who states “Unfortunately, we haven’t evolved to be happy. From the point of view of evolution, we were built to do nothing more than spawn — and to survive just long enough to ensure that our descendants do likewise. As social primates, linguistic thinking has been so useful that evolution never saw fit to build us an OFF switch. Once we begin understanding the speech of others and producing speech ourselves, we helplessly internalize this conversation — which becomes an endless litany of hopes, fears, judgments, opinions — and we never get a moment’s peace for the rest of our lives. That is until we learn to meditate.”
Sam is devoted to his own meditation app. He states: “There are hundreds of meditation apps on the market, and several do a fine job of teaching the basic principles of mindfulness. But most present the practice as though it were an ancient version of an executive stress ball — whereas it’s more like the Hubble Space Telescope.
The purpose of meditation isn’t merely to reduce stress or to make you feel better in the moment — it’s to make fundamental discoveries in the laboratory of your own mind.”
How have I never heard about this?
That's just it, how havent you? It’s not your fault, just take a look at the Apple App Store.
You may see tiles on your front page of the App Store as soon as you open it. This is where the majority of people find their apps. The problem with this marketing strategy is the apps being promoted may or may not have the best reviews, they simply have paid to be in the spotlight, so to say. If you were to try and search the query “Meditation App” in the app store search bar, Sam Harris’s app is close to the bottom, after scrolling past nearly 30 other meditation apps.
Why does this matter?
Sam’s meditation app is doing something no other does.
“If you complete the Introductory Course and don’t find it valuable, we want you to have your money back. Please email us at info@wakingup.com, and we will give you a full refund.
As with all of Sam Harris’s digital content, if you would like to use this app but truly cannot afford it, please email us at info@wakingup.com so that we can give you a free account.
While we operate a business, we believe that money should never be the reason why someone can’t gain access to the Waking Up course.”
Just take a look at the reviews:
There is not one bad review. The app has more positive reviews than nearly every other meditation app on the market and even has a different pay structure, allowing those who simply cannot afford it, be able to engage in mindfulness.
Don't take my word for it, try it out for yourself, I think you'll be happy with the results.
This article is not affiliated with Waking Up: A Meditation Course or Sam Harris.
Further reading and links:
https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion/dp/1451636024