US20040212152A1

US20040212152A1 - Interactive game that empowers participants through the use of imagery to help fight their illness and disease and to focus their mental energy to aid in healing and well-being

Info

Publication number: US20040212152A1
Application number: US10/829,712
Authority: US
Inventors: Victoria Kaplan; Laurel Goldberg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-04-24
Filing date: 2004-04-22
Publication date: 2004-10-28

Abstract

We have developed an interactive game that empowers participants through the use of imagery to help fight their illness and disease and to focus their mental energy to aid in healing and well-being. The game is played by means of a computer system or handheld type instrument or other multi-media device using audio-visuals. It can be played on this type of system at a multitude of places such as during treatment in a hospital or doctor's office, at a health care facility, or at home. It can be adapted to other computer-related or multi-media systems that could be developed. It is the sequence of game choices and goal of the game to empower the user to focus his/her mental energy positively that makes it unique.

Description

This application is based upon a prior Provisional Patent Application No. 60/465,097, which has a Filing Date of Apr. 24, 2003.[0001]

The invention is an interactive game that empowers participants through the use of imagery to help fight their illness and disease and to focus their mental energy to aid in healing and well-being.

We specify that there is scientific evidence that a person's mental attitude and positive thoughts can affect healing. We believe there is a benefit to our concept and that it could aid in the healing process. The person's mind would be actively involved and focused on his/her illness or injury in order to positively affect the healing process.

The game is played by means of a computer or handheld type instrument or other multi-media device with audio-visuals. Choices are provided for the user in order to create images on which to focus his/her mind and mental energy. By focusing the user's mind and mental energy, the game assists the empowerment of healing and promotes well-being.

The game contains basic sections with variables that the user chooses to personalize the game. Parts of the game include:

Choosing a Player

Choosing A Weapon

Choosing A Path and Target

Let the Game Begin (Accomplishing the Goal)

Choosing A Player:

The game prompts the user to select a player from a pre-defined library of players. By manner of illustration, the library may contain a graphic image of options that may include an Angel, Astronaut, Artist, Pet Animal, Wild Animal, Cartoon Character, Captain, Child—Boy or Girl, Cleaning Person, Construction Worker, Cook, Cowboy or Cowgirl, Dancer, Disc Jockey, Doctor, Fireman or Firewoman, Gardener, Make Believe Creature, Media Announcer, Medical Technician, Meteorologist (Weatherperson), Monster, Mover, Musician, Nurse, Person—Man or Woman, Pilot, Pioneer, Police, Scientist, Soldier, Sportsboy or Sportsgirl, Sportsman or Sportswoman, Superhero, Teenage Girl or Boy, Veterinarian, Wrestler, Warrior, or the like.

Choosing A Transport:

The game prompts the user to choose a transportation vehicle from a pre-defined library of transport vehicles. By manner of illustration, the library may contain a graphic image of an Ambulance, Animal, Bicycle, Boat, Bobsled, Car, Climbing Equipment, Cloud, Dogsled, Equipment such as Digger, Lawnmower, Tractor, Feet, Firetruck, Fly, Go Cart, Horse, Ladder, Motorcycle, Motorized Vehicle, Plane, Pogo Stick, Police Car or Van, Race Car, Raft, Rollerblades, Rope, Scooter, Ship, Skateboard, Skates, Skis, Sled, Snowboard, Snowmobile, Spaceship / Starship, Stretcher / Magic Carpet, Surfboard, Tank, Truck such as Construction, Garbage, Pick up, Water, Wheelbarrow, Wheelchair, or the like.

Choosing A Weapon:

The game prompts the user to choose a weapon to attack the illness or soothe the injury. The weapon is selected from a pre-defined library of weapons. By manner of illustration, the weapon may be an Animal, Artistic Tools, Ball, Body-Kicks, Hits, Bow and Arrows, Cleaning Tools, Claw, Colors, Cooking, Utensils, Darts, Feathers, Fire, Fishpole, Flowers, Gardening Tools, Hockey Stick and Puck, Ice Cold to Freeze, Lasso, Lightning, Lips with Kisses, Magic Tricks, Medical Equipment, Musical Instrument, Musical Notes, Mystery Box of Stuff, Net, Racket-Lacrosse or Tennis, Shovel, Snowballs, Spear, Sports Equipment, Strength and Super Powers, Swords, Teeth, Tools such as Jackhammer or Scooper, Warming Rays of Light, Water, Wrappings of Texture and Softness, or the like.

Choosing A Path and Target:

The game prompts the user to choose a path and target. The path is the direction the transport takes and is a means to reach the target. By manner of illustration, the path can be:

Outside the Body

Abdomen, Ankle, Arms, Back, Bones, Face—Ears, Eyes, Lips or Nose, Feet, Fingers, Hair, Hands, Head, Hips, Jaw, Knees, Legs, Neck, Pelvis, Ribs, Skin, Shoulders, Muscles, Tendons, Teeth, Throat, Toes or the like.

Inside the Body

Appendix, Bladder, Brain, Circulatory System—Arteries and Veins, Colon, Diaphragm, Duodenum, Esophagus, Face—Ears, Eyes, Mouth, Nose or Tongue, Female Body Parts, Gall Bladder, Glands—Adrenal or Pituitary, Heart, Intestine, Kidneys, Liver, Lungs, Male Body Parts, Nerves, Pancreas, Rectum, Ribs, Sinuses, Skull, Spinal Cord, Spine, Spleen, Stomach, Thyroid, Urethra, or the like.

The target is the visual embodiment of the disease or ailment toward which the user is focusing his/her mental energy. The target may be either internal or external to the user's body, and is selected from a pre-defined library of targets. By manner of illustration, the target may be a tumor, burn, cancer, broken bone, etc.

Let the Game Begin:

The game commences with the player possessing a weapon, taking a path and maneuvering a transport vehicle to reach the target. The player then attacks the target (or soothes the injury) with the weapon. While the game player accomplishes the goal, the actual user focuses his/her mental energy and mind on the action in order to positively affect healing and well-being.

Conclusion:

At the conclusion of the game, an inspirational message is displayed such as:

Congratulations!

You have attained your goal.

We envision an appropriate title for the game such as RUKISS. (We have a trademark application serial number 76/160230 for the mark RUKISS REWARD YOURSELF WITH A KISS.) At the end of the game, an image such as lips forming a big kiss is displayed along with the words:

RUKISS

Reward yourself with a Kiss

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the 1970's, Victoria Kaplan became ill and believed she could help her healing process by using her positive mental energy. She began a regime of swimming every day, and her mind focused on healing. As she swam, she imagined a house with windows wide open. With the force of her arm's swimming stroke, she swept the bad cells out. Each accompanying kick through the water energized her healthy cells to take control. She thought that through her mind's imagery of cleaning a house, she could cleanse her body, and her illness would lose control. Her positive energy could fight the disease. And it worked.

In 1998, she had a relapse and again actively participated in her healing. Her mental energy became important in the healing process. While being treated intravenously at home, with her children playing games to distract them from their mother's illness, Victoria came up with an idea. Wouldn't it be great to play a game while being treated for her illness? She took it a step further and thought about a game that could help her focus mentally to fight her symptoms. She discussed it with her sister Laurel Goldberg, and it was then that the idea formalized into the concept for a healing game.

SUMMARY

This interactive game empowers participants through the use of imagery to help fight illness and disease and to focus their mental energy to aid in their healing and well-being.

EXAMPLE OF A GAME SCENARIO

There are many games based on characters eating power packs to become stronger in order to win over a monster. This concept takes games to a new level. The character becomes a fighter who helps the user wipe out his/her disease. With the help of this fighter, the user focuses his/her mind and works against the illness. [0031]
As illustration, a goal of the game can the destruction of the diseased part of the body. The chosen player has a weapon and transport in which to travel to go forth and attack the target whether it is a broken bone, auto-immune disease or burn. [0032]
For example, a person has a tumor. By the person's choices, mini scuba divers with spears swim through the blood stream to the location of the tumor. They toss their spears to hit the mass, capture it in their nets, and it is destroyed. The person playing the game focuses his/her mind and mental energy and participates in the healing process and the destruction of the body's disease. [0033]
Another example of how to play the game is with the goal of comforting. The game choices could be puppies traversing the skin to cuddle and lick the damaged area and heal the hurt. [0034]
By making choices of the game's variables, there can be numerous manifestations such as: [0035]
Garbage truck drivers who gather the garbage (diseased part) and toss it out [0036]
Lawnmowers with blades that mow down the disease [0037]
Teeth that bite out the hurt and chew away the disease [0038]
An artist with a brush painting healing colors on injured areas [0039]
A baseball player batting a ball to hit the spot to heal the injury. [0040]
The principle remains the same—to create an image on which to focus the user's mind and mental energy to empower him/her to assist in the fight against an injury, pain, illness or disease and promote healing and well-being. [0041]

Claims

We claim:

1. We have developed an interactive game that empowers participants through the use of imagery to help fight their illness and disease and to focus their mental energy to aid in healing and well-being.

The game is played by means of a computer system or handheld type instrument or other multi-media device using audio-visuals. It can be played on this type of system during treatment in a hospital or doctor's office, at a health care facility, or at home.

Choices will be provided for the player in order to create images on which to focus the player's mind and mental energy. By focusing their mind and mental energy, the player will assist in fighting against an injury, pain, illness or disease, and also promote well-being and healing.