[Advaita-l] Building the Meditation States Monitor: From Inner Yardstick to Interactive App

[Sundar Rajan]

*Building the Meditation States Monitor: From Inner Yardstick to
Interactive App*

*A peek at Samyama stages thru a live AI-built experience*
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“You don’t have to be a coding genius to bring complex ideas to life
anymore.
The game is changing — fast.”
------------------------------

*The Spark of an Idea*

It started with a simple question:
*Can meditation — something so inward and intangible — be visualized?*

I wanted to create a tool that captures the essence of meditation, not
through data or timers, but through *feeling*.
Something that expresses the classical Yogic progression from
*Dharana* (concentration)
→ *Dhyana* (meditation) → *Samadhi* (absorption) — but in an interactive,
intuitive form.

Not a static dashboard.
Not another “mindfulness tracker.”
Something *alive* — visual, responsive, and meaningful.

So I did what many creators do in 2025:
I collaborated with an AI.
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*The Search for an Inner Yardstick*

In my earlier articles and a recent YouTube video — *“Can You Measure
Meditation? Don’t Be Silly — It’s Not Golf, There Is No Par Score”* — I
explored a central challenge:
If meditation is internal, how can one gauge progress?

That video used the ancient principle of *Neti Neti* (“not this, not this”)
to strip away misleading measures — like time spent, number of thoughts, or
enforced stillness.

When all that is cleared, three *authentic* inner qualities emerge:
*Absorption*, *Peace*, and *Joy.*

These became the foundation of the *Meditation States Monitor.*

*Embed suggestion:* YouTube video link here
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*From Generic Sliders to Spiritual Journey*

*The First Prototype*

The journey began with a simple request:

“Create an app with 3 vertical levers that show different text based on
their values.”

Within minutes, the AI produced a working prototype — three sleek sliders
labeled “Power,” “Efficiency,” and “Stability.”
Functional, yes. But soulless.

That’s when I reoriented the design from mechanical to meditative.

*Adding Meaning*

The levers were renamed to mirror the inner path:

   - 🔴 *Absorption* – depth of focus
   - 🟢 *Peace* – calm of mind
   - 🔵 *Joy* – inner bliss


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*The Three Stages of Meditation (and App Development)*

*Stage 1: Dharana — Focused Concentration*

When any lever drops below 50%, the app displays:

“Beginning concentration and focus.”

And if all three fall to zero?

😴 “Dude, you are not meditating!”

A gentle reminder that awareness, like code, starts from iteration one.

*Stage 2: Dhyana — Sustained Meditation*

When all three rise above 50%, the interface glows:

✨ “Dhyana — sustained meditation and mindful awareness.”

If the three align evenly:

⚖️ “Perfect Balance — Absorption, Peace, and Joy in harmony.”

The lesson: Meditation isn’t about extremes, but equilibrium.

*Stage 3: Samadhi — Complete Absorption*

At 100% alignment:

🕉️ “Samadhi!!! — complete absorption in divine consciousness.”

Three exclamation marks for good reason.
------------------------------

*Making It Mobile-First*

Meditation happens everywhere — and so should the app.

I asked:

“Can you make it mobile-friendly?”

The AI understood the intent instantly — adjusting touch targets, scaling
text, and rebalancing the layout.
Every slider responds smoothly on a phone screen.

*Design rule:* If you can’t use it cross-legged on a cushion, it’s not a
meditation app.
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*The Power of AI Collaboration*

Let’s be transparent: I didn’t code every line.
This was co-created with *Claude AI* through a series of iterative prompts.

*Me:* “Make it mobile friendly.”
*Claude:* *Implements responsive design automatically.*

*Me:* “Add humor if all levers are zero.”
*Claude:* *Adds ‘Dude, you are not meditating!’*

*Me:* “Define logic for Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi.”
*Claude:* *Writes conditional rules instantly.*

*Total development time:* ~3 hours.
*Traditional estimate:* 8–12 hours by hand.

AI didn’t remove creativity — it *amplified* it.
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*The Technical Stack (For the Curious)*

Built with:

   - *React* + *Tailwind CSS* for UI
   - *JavaScript* (no frameworks beyond essentials)
   - *Responsive design* with dynamic logic

Core features:

   - Real-time state updates with React hooks
   - Touch-optimized sliders
   - Auto-generated logic for stage detection
   - Share buttons (WhatsApp, LinkedIn)

*Lines of code:* ~250
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*Why This Project Matters*

*For Developers*

A demonstration of *Vibe Coding*: creation through dialogue, not syntax.

*For Meditators*

A visual model of inner states — not as measurement, but reflection.

*For Everyone Else*

Proof that technology can nurture awareness, not just distraction.

“Vibe Coding turns creation into conversation — and code into
consciousness.”
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*The Unexpected Lesson*

The process mirrored meditation itself:
Focus, feedback, refinement, release.

The app evolved from *Power Levels* to *Peace and Joy.*
Just as meditation evolves from effort to ease.

Progress — in both — is never linear.
Iteration *is* the practice.
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*Try the Demo*

Experience it yourself:
👉 *Open the Meditation States Monitor (Live Demo)*
<https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/ace59d13-6d22-41fa-9baf-bc6e09c3c657https://your-demo-link.com/>

Adjust the sliders, find your balance, and try reaching Samadhi (hint:
alignment matters more than maxing out).


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*The Meta-Meditation*

Each build cycle became its own mindfulness exercise:
*Prompt → Response → Refine → Repeat.*

You stay present with the iteration, release attachment to outcome, and let
the process unfold.

Perhaps the real meditation was the app we built along the way. 🧘‍♂️
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*Resources & Links*

*Learn more:*

   - YouTube: Can You Measure Meditation? <https://youtu.be/KvDd1goMAn4>
   - Download the Meditation States Monitor Demo PDF
   <https://github.com/godzillaborland-arch/meditation-stages-monitor-app/blob/docs/Claude%20-%20Demo%20Presentation.pdf>
   - Live Demo
   <https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/ace59d13-6d22-41fa-9baf-bc6e09c3c657>
   - Blog Post: https://quantumviewpoint.blogspot.com/2025/08/blog-post.html