The Beautiful Game: Reclaiming Life Through Play

Play as a Spiritual Practice

Fragments from imaginary dialogues

“You use a lot of game terminology.“

“Games will always be a part of me.

Simon the Sorcerer, one of the games that shaped my childhood. What begins as escapism can become initiation.

Videogames have been a consuming passion and an addiction for many years. And I mean over twenty years. However, I managed to turn this obstacle upside down.

I turned my weakness into strength.

This is one of the most important accomplishments on my Journey so far.“

“How did you do it?“

“I turned games into a deep source of Meaning. Two values are most central to my life: Love and Play. Games are an expression of them both.

I gave up videogames, to make more room for my Art. But I realized their memory is a beautiful resource. More specifically, they are a rich metaphoric system, a deep source of strategies and tools.

For instance, there’s a type of games I used to love called RPGs (Role-Playing Games). Every RPG is essentially a virtual Hero’s Journey. You play a virtual character, on a virtual transformative Quest, overcoming virtual obstacles, and developing virtual skills and abilities along the way. The problem (I now see) with it is that it’s all virtual.

I gave up video games, but I turned my whole life into a Game.

I call it The Beautiful Game. And the Game is essentially an RPG. I see myself engaged in a real Hero’s Journey. I play myself, on a real transformative Quest, overcoming real obstacles, and developing real skills and abilities along the way.

This is a very powerful metaphor for me because it draws meaning from my personal experiences.“

“If you were to pick a theme song for your Game, what would it be?“

“The piano theme of the game Hero Quest.
(You can listen to it here.)

It reminds me that I’ve always been on the Playful Path. I just didn’t always know I was the Hero.”