Dr. Huatong Sun

Abstract:

World Health Organization reports that 15% of adolescents (aged 10-19 years) experience mental disorders (2024). To address this global challenge, this paper explores how we design culturally sensitive and meaningful technology to empower high school teenagers and support their holistic development by applying the Low-Dissipation Optimization State (LDoS) framework and its core technique, mind-holding (Lun et al., 2022).

Collaborating with a local High School in Guangzhou, we developed a "Mind-Holding Pod (Mind-Body Wellness Pod)" to provide students with a space for relaxation and focus enhancement, rooted from China’s traditional culture. Guided by “The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon” on the unity of body and mind, the Pod integrates advanced brain-computer interface (BCI) technology and neuroscience to help students achieve mind-holding mindfulness through environmental design and experiential activities. Chinese traditional philosophy of Five Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) is used to emphasize embodiment and situatedness, and Five Tones (Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, Yu) is used as music therapy to enhance the Pod experience.

In a discussion how novel interaction techniques and fair algorithms are integrated in this indigenous community-engaged design endeavor (Sun, in press), we will compare the two mindful design models between the West and the East. While the Western model promotes an individualist approach of mindfulness that reduce the sufferings of stress, anxiety, anger, and depression into individual ailment and weakness (Nixon, 2020), Traditional Chinese Medicine highlights the Unity of Heaven and Humanity (天人合一). This holistic approach applied in this design case, i.e., the Low-Dissipation Optimization State (LDoS) framework and the mind-holding technique, aims to engage adolescent users with embodied activities, mediated by artifacts that is situated from the Chinese traditional culture such as herbal incense and tea ceremonies, to help students be socially connective and bridge differences.