Calm
Mainstream meditation tech is evolving.
Tap in. Mental health app Calm unveiled a new feature for daytime decompression.
Pitched as a social media alternative, “Taptivities” are text-based stories and visualizations designed to train gratitude, self-reflection, and breathwork in under two minutes.
Squeezing mindfulness sessions into scrollable content, Calm hopes to help its 4M+ paid subscribers feel better about screen time.
Turn off. Stressed over life and work, Americans can’t quiet their minds — and it’s taking a toll on public health.
As Calm doubles down on “meditainment,” companies are adding new tools to the mix.
- A wearable solution, Sensate combines therapeutic sound and vagus nerve stimulation.
- Ditching phones, Hatch’s smart sleep clock comes with meditations and soundscapes.
- Headspace launched in XR on Meta Quest with multiplayer mood-boosting games.
Take flight. Promising a deeper state of meditation than entry-level apps, The Way raised $1.4M for its Zen-inspired platform.
Targeting Silicon Valley types, Jhourney claims its data-driven approach can generate life-changing bliss in a week.
Punchline: Shining neuroscience on ancient wisdom, tech companies have gotten Westerners on board with Eastern concepts. Paradoxical as it is, commercializing tenets of Buddhism could help more people find peace.
