Trataka Tracker is an interactive web application designed to guide users through the ancient practice of Trataka, or fixed-gaze meditation. By leveraging modern web technology and real-time eye tracking, this tool provides a unique and engaging experience for users looking to enhance their cognitive acuity and mental focus.
The application is built on the core principles of neurofeedback, offering users a live, visual representation of their eye movements. This immediate feedback loop helps users train their ability to maintain a steady gaze, a key component of traditional eye-gaze meditation practices.
- Real-time Eye Tracking: Uses your device's camera and MediaPipe's Face Mesh technology to track your iris with impressive accuracy.
- Dynamic Visual Feedback: A tracking dot moves on screen, its color and behavior directly reflecting the stability of your gaze.
- Customizable Experience: Users can adjust a wide range of settings, including difficulty levels and visual aesthetics like brightness, contrast, and multiple dithering algorithms for a unique, retro-inspired look.
- Performance Metrics: At the end of each session, the application provides a detailed report, including session duration, percentage of time "in the zone," a final score, and a colorful heatmap visualizing the entire session's eye movement data.
Trataka is a yogic practice that involves staring at a single point to develop concentration, strengthen the eyes, and calm the mind. Traditionally, this is done with a candle flame or a small object.
This application modernizes that concept by integrating principles of neurofeedback. Neurofeedback is a type of biofeedback that uses real-time displays of brain activity—in this case, proxied through eye stability—to teach self-regulation of brain function.
By showing you a visual representation of your ability to control your gaze, Trataka Tracker allows you to actively train your focus. The goal is not just to keep your eyes still, but to use the feedback to cultivate a state of relaxed concentration, which has been shown to improve cognitive functions like attention and working memory.
This project aims to bridge the gap between ancient meditative practices and modern scientific understanding, providing an accessible tool for anyone interested in exploring the profound connection between our eyes and minds.