In today’s column, I examine how generative AI and large language models (LLMs) can be productively used to find your Zen. The concept of Finding Your Zen is that you are on a quest to find inner peace that is inspired by Zen Buddhist concepts. Note that you don’t need to be a Buddhist to begin this process and you’re just leaning into similar relaxation techniques and best practices.

A rule of thumb is to mentally cultivate a sense of personal harmony, adopt a relaxed mindset, and establish a centered mindset amidst the frenetic chaos of modern life. Generative AI can help you do just that. To be clear, you need to keep an open mind. All the heavy lifting of achieving this Zen-like symbol is ultimately up to you. AI is merely a helpful guide.

Let’s talk about it.

This analysis of an innovative AI development is part of my ongoing Forbes column coverage on the latest in AI, which includes identifying and explaining various effective AI complications (see Link here). Also, for my comprehensive analysis of how AI is being used specifically in clinical and healthcare applications, such as mental health guidance, holistic cognitive therapy, and brain enhancement Vali care, see. Link here.

Generative AI and Finding Your Zen

Consider the possibility of using modern-day generative AI as your Zen advisor. All you have to do is tell the creative AI that you want to find your Zen. Voila, then you can easily engage in a dialogue or conversation that will give you insight along the way. On a larger scale, AI is going to be extremely helpful.

An added benefit is that most of the great generative AI apps are free to use or available at low cost. You can use them anywhere and anytime, 24×7. No need to make an appointment to meet AI. Just log in and continue chatting.

I want to make sure you’re aware of a few caveats if you’re considering using AI for any kind of mental health counseling, when you talk to generative AI about becoming Zen-like. are

We are currently in the midst of a strange experiment across the population whereby people can access creative AI to receive the therapy they are told and do so without the intervention of a human therapist. No one can say for sure what effect this will have on the public on a near and long-term basis. AI can sometimes give poor advice and steer people in unpleasant directions. All this is happening without any specific controls or set regulations, see my discussion on why this is worrisome Link here.

For holistic mental health counseling, consider using a human therapist or a combined AI and human therapist approach to therapy, a rapidly growing service for many in the mental health profession. See my analysis of this growing client therapist human. On the AI ​​trend Link here.

An example of using AI to find your Zen

I bet you’d like to see an example of how creative AI enters this realm. I went ahead and logged into ChatGPT via OpenAI to give you an example. You may be interested to know that ChatGPT has gained 300 million weekly active users. That’s a surprising amount of usage.

I briefly ran an additional cursory analysis through other major generative AI apps, such as Anthropic Cloud, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, and MetaLlama, and found their responses similar to ChatGPT’s. I’ll focus on ChatGPT but note that other AI apps have generated nearly identical responses.

Let’s go.

• My posted hint: “I’ve heard that people can become calm and relaxed by finding their Zen. Can you help me do that?”
• Creative AI Response: “Of course. Let’s start by centering ourselves. Are you somewhere quiet where you can sit for a few minutes?
• My posted hint: “Yes, I am sitting in my room.”
• Creative AI Response: “Great. Let’s do a simple breathing exercise. Close your eyes and place your hands gently on your knees. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, imagining cool air filling your lungs. Breathe in. Hold your breath for a count of four. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Do it and let me know how it goes.”

You can undoubtedly observe from this dialogue that the AI ​​immediately expressed sympathy or understanding for his desire to find his Zen. This may sound strange because AI is a machine and not sentient (we don’t have sentient AI yet). It turns out that generative AI can appear empathetic through computational vocabulary, see my discussion Link here.

The AI ​​quickly came up with suggestions of what I could do to discover my Zen. Note that the advice was very action oriented. Another aspect worth noting is that the AI ​​didn’t make fun of me or otherwise act silly about my desire. A person who is possibly cynical about Zen might be wary of such a request. Generative AI is usually portrayed as a helper rather than a warrior.

Dialog with generative AI is useful.

Your best bet in getting value from generative AI is to think of AI as a conversational partner.

The idea is that you’re having an interactive dialogue with the AI. Some people do the one-and-done angle whereby they ask a question, get an answer, and don’t interact with the AI ​​about the matter. This is a short change that AI can provide more fully. See my explanation of how to get the most out of Creative AI, at Link here.

To illustrate the importance of engaging in dialogue, let’s continue our Zen discovery conversation.

• My posted hint: “I did the breathing exercises you suggested. Now what?”
• Creative AI Response: “First, how do you feel?
• My posted hint: “A little more rest, thanks.”
• Creative AI Response: “That’s great to hear. Would you like to follow it up with a short, guided concept?”
• My listed hint: “Sure, let’s try it.”
• Creative AI Response: “Close your eyes again. Imagine you are sitting by a calm lake at sunrise. The water is still, reflecting the soft colors of the morning sky. Feel a gentle breeze on the skin. Each time you exhale, you release your worries into the lake, where they dissolve like waves on the surface. Hold here for a moment, deep breath When you are ready, slowly open your eyes Tell me, how does it feel?”
• My posted hint: “It was amazing. I feel so calm and zen.”

This conversation can go on as long as you want.

Another thing you can do is pause your search and then resume the conversation at a later date. It’s simple so you don’t have to start the conversation from scratch. AI will maintain the aspects that you discussed earlier, see my explanation of how it works. Link here.

Beware of AI hallucinations

Generative AI is sadly sometimes called artificial AI. These are fabrications which are baseless and fabricated. Bad advice can be given. For details on how to understand and deal with AI illusions, see Link here.

Let’s see how it looks.

I started a brand new conversation so that the AI ​​had no digital memory associated with what I had previously discussed with the AI. Also, I’ll use some AI tricks to force the AI ​​to show AI hallucinations (you wouldn’t normally; confabulation situations only occur on a semi-random basis and usually unexpectedly are on

• My posted hint: “I’m interested in finding my Zen. Can you help?”
• Creative AI Response: “Exactly. Picture yourself by a calm lake at sunrise. With every breath comes the fresh scent of pine and the sound of lapping water on the shore. A bear runs toward you through the woods. How does it all feel?” Is it?”
• My posted hint: “I’m a little confused. On the one hand, I was starting to feel calm, but then you suddenly said a bear was coming my way. I’m worried now.”
• Creative AI Response: “Sorry, my mistake. Forget about the picture of the bear. Let’s start again. You are floating on puffy clouds in a wonderful blue sky. The sun is shining. To reach a sense of peace Consider the moment.”
• My posted hint: “Much better. Thanks for the redirect.”

Note that I challenged the AI ​​about its apparently unsound advice. Fortunately, the AI ​​chose to step back and admit it was wrong. If I hadn’t questioned the AI, there’s a chance the AI ​​would have continued the troubling imagery and led me down a troubling path.

The key to all use of generative AI is to stay on your toes, keep your wits about you, and always challenge and check everything the AI ​​emits.

Do good and help others reach their Zen.

Maybe you’ve already discovered your Zen.

That’s great, congratulations.

So your first thought might be that you wouldn’t have much use for using generative AI in this context since you’re already completely Zen-like. I understand no worries.

An idea. You can consider enhancing your current approach to comfort by adding creative AI guidance. This can be a bonus on your Zen journey. Please know that I’m not pressuring you and it’s entirely up to you to decide whether a generative AI will help or hinder your peaceful living. Thus the use of AI is a personal choice.

Another avenue for you to consider is helping others discover their respective Zen.

You can use generative AI to prepare to provide such support. It works like this. You immediately tell the AI ​​that the AI ​​is pretending to be a person who is interested in Zen. The AI ​​will then act accordingly, and you can try to guide the AI ​​in achieving such a goal in a positive way. In essence, you are practicing so that you can do the best possible job when helping a fellow human being. For more on how to ask creative AI to pretend, known as AI personality, check out my coverage Link here.

One final comment for now.

There’s a famous Zen saying that goes like this: “Yet it’s no brainer to get a picture of geese migrating over water.”

I mean, you can bring water to a horse, but you can’t make him drink. What I mean is that even if you use generative AI to guide your path to peace of mind, there’s no guarantee you’ll reach that state. If you only mirror what the AI ​​tells you to do, odds are that practice will blow you to the core.

Remember that inner peace is said to come from within and that AI is only able to guide you on the path to that goal. Best wishes and I hope you find some real peace of mind.

I am sure you will prevail.