It's a new year. Our country is divided. We need meditation apps more than ever.

No wonder tech that focus on peace of mind has become big business.

“The new-age/woo-woo stink is coming off meditation, and it’s being recognized (and scientifically validated) as an incredibly useful tool for normal folks,” Ben Rubin, the CEO and co-founder of 10% Happier, told us. “Meditation has always worked. It’s finally becoming popular.”

Investors and users seem to agree.

Here is some of our favorite tech that targets peace of mind.

Headspace

Perhaps the most well-known app in the meditation space, Headspace has raised $38.3 million and has used those funds, in part, to create quirky advertisements, like the one above. The app makes meditation simple and fast. 10 minutes a day is all you need, according to co-founder Andy Puddicombe who has a pretty impressive CV—he was a Buddhist monk. Users focus their mindfulness on areas of concern, like health, performance, or relationships, and their journey is tracked in the app. After a 10-day trial, the service is $12.95 per month.

Muse

Muse is a meditation app and futuristic looking headband ($250) that, according to the creators, uses brain-sensing technology to measure whether your mind is calm or active, and translates those signals into guiding sounds. InteraXon, the Toronto-based company that created Muse, has raised over $18 million. With its hardware and software, the company is working toward the ability to control objects with our minds. In the past they’ve created a levitating chair and a brain-powered beer tap.

Calm

This meditation app uses sounds and series, such as seven or 21-day courses, to guide users toward a meditation practice. Calm has hundreds of thousands of paying users and has been generating revenue since day one, according to founder and CEO, Alex Tew. “We found that people are really willing to invest in their personal well-being,” Tew told Tech Crunch. “We’re finding that it’s monetizing very well, conversion rates are very high, and our demographic is in line with people who like to spend money in this area.” After a trial period, the app costs $12.99 per month.

Thync

After struggling to raise funds earlier this year, Thync, is back from the dead and selling their dongle that sticks to a user’s forehead and offers a 10- to 20-minute “vibe session” for $199. Hardware creation can be pretty pricy, but the company has raised a total of $13 million to create “the first wearable technology that actively elevates your mood and lowers stress” by “gently stimulating nerves on the head and neck with safe, low level electrical pulses.” We think of it as forced meditation.

10% Happier

Nightline anchor Dan Harris co-founded this app after a panic attack during a Good Morning America appearance. He went on to write the New York Times bestselling memoir 10% Happier that focused on what led him to embrace meditation, a practice he’d long considered ridiculous. Now his company has launched the 10% Happier app, which delivers video and audio guided meditation lead by experienced teachers. Users also have access to a meditation coach. After the first seven days, the app costs $9.99 per month.

mSpot

You want to master meditation on your own, but where should you go to get your Zen on? Think of mSpot as Yelp for contemplation spots like parks, gardens, and churches. mSpot is currently a fun side-project for creator Damian J Watson. “His dream is to one day pursue mSpot on a full-time basis to uncover and share the best mSpots in the world,” according to his website.

Meditation Studios

You could find a nice park or garden, or you could go to MNDFL, Unplug, Incape, or Primary to get your meditation fix. MNDFL, Unplug, and Inscape are part of a crop of new businesses that give meditationers a sleek space to practice. Think: Soul Cycle for meditation. Inscape is “multi-platform meditation brand,” according to its founders, with a 5,000-square foot Manhattan location and an app. Unplug has a studio in Los Angeles, and MNDFL has locations in New York City. Booking a cushion at one of these spots can cost over $20 a session. Primary combines coworking with mediation as well as other healthy endeavors like yoga, seasonal lunches, and fresh juices.

HelloMind

Already over meditation? What about hypnotherapy? HelloMind offers users 250 different hypnotherapy treatments like ones for overcoming stress, anxiety, insomnia, and weight gain. Find a comfortable spot and let the audio guide you. These are not for the commitment-phobic, though–many treatments have several 35-minute sessions. The app does offer quicker booster treatments on topics like improved confidence and increased motivation.

HelloMind was created by Danish hypnotherapist Jacob Strachotta, who employs the self-explanatory “Result Driven Hypnosis” method, which he developed. He told us: “Self-improvement is not a new topic, but mobile apps are making it increasingly more accessible to do this in the comfort of your own home at your own time."

新年到了。我们的国家出现了分歧。我们前所未有地需要冥想类的应用。

这也就难怪这些平静思绪的技术成为了热门生意。

10% Happier的首席执行官和联合创始人本·鲁宾告诉我们：“冥想可以驱除新的/厌世的想法。人们开始认识到（科学也已经证明）这是一种对普通人而言极其有用的工具。冥想总是有效的。它终于开始流行起来。”

投资者和用户似乎也都同意这点。

以下是我们最喜爱的一些能平静思绪的产品。

Headspace

这可能是最著名的冥想类应用。他们募得了3,830万美元的资金，并利用其中一部分来制作神奇的广告，例如上面那则。这款应用让冥想变得简单快捷。公司的联合创始人安迪·普迪科姆的简历令人深刻——他曾是佛教僧人。据他说，每天只需10分钟冥想即可。用户需要把自己的思想集中在健康、表现或人际关系等值得关注的领域，而应用则会记录每天的冥想历程。这款应用有10天的试用期，之后会收取每月12.95美元的费用。

Muse

Muse是一款冥想类应用，配有一条外形很有未来风格的头带（售价250美元）。开发者表示，这条头带利用了大脑感应技术，可以测量你的大脑处于平静还是活跃状态，并将这些信号转换为提示音。开发Muse的公司位于多伦多，名为InteraXon，他们已经募集了1,800万美元。利用公司的硬件和软件，他们的研究方向是利用我们的思想来控制物体。公司已经研发的产品包括一款悬空椅和用大脑控制的啤酒龙头。

Calm

这款冥想类应用利用声音和系列课程，例如7天或21天的课程，来引导用户练习冥想。据创始人和首席执行官亚历克斯·图介绍，Calm拥有数十万付费用户，上架第一天起就在产生收入。他对Tech Crunch 网站表示：“我们发现人们真的很愿意对自身的幸福进行投资。它的盈利情况良好，转换率很高，我们的用户数与愿意在该领域付费的人数也密切相关。”这款应用在试用期后会收取每月12.99美元的费用。

Thync

Thync今年早些时候在募资上遭遇了困难，不过如今他们已经起死回生。他们以199美元的价格，销售一款置于用户前额的设备，并提供10至20分钟的“感应冥想”。制造硬件可能会带来很高的成本，不过公司总共募集了1,300万美元，利用“安全、低级的电脉冲轻柔地刺激脑部和颈部神经”的原理，来打造“第一款主动提升情绪、减少压力的可穿戴设备。”我们认为这属于强制冥想。

10% Happier  

《晚间报道》（Nightline）的主持人在《早安美国》（Good Morning America）亮相遭遇恐慌袭击后，与他人合作创立了这个应用。他还在继续撰写《纽约时报》（New York Times）评选的畅销回忆录《10% Happier》，其中重点阐述了是什么让他接受冥想，这种他之前很长时间都认为很荒谬的举动。如今，他的公司推出了10% Happier应用，其中有经验丰富的教练指导的视频和音频冥想教程。用户还可以通过应用联系到冥想教练。在7天的试用期后，应用的价格为每月9.99美元。

mSpot

如果你想自己掌握冥想，那要去哪里找冥想场所呢？你可以把mSpot看成公园、花园和教堂等冥想场所的点评网站。对于开发者达米安·J·沃森来说，mSpot目前只是个有趣的副业项目。他的个人网站上写道：“他的梦想是能在未来某一天把全部时间投入到mSpot上，让它涵盖和分享全世界最好的冥想场所。”

冥想场所

你可以找个很棒的公园或花园，或是去MNDFL、Unplug、Inscape或Primary开始你的冥想。MNDFL、Unplug和Inscape都是一系列向冥想者提供理想场所的公司。可以把他们看作冥想界的灵魂圈。按照创始人的话说，Inscape是一个“多平台的冥想品牌”，它在曼哈顿拥有5,000平方英尺的场馆以及一个应用。Unplug在洛杉矶设有工作室，MNDFL则位于纽约。在这些地方预订坐垫的费用为每次活动20多美元。Primary则结合了冥想和瑜伽等健康运动，还提供季节性午餐和新鲜果汁。

HelloMind

已经冥想过度了？要不要试试催眠疗法？HelloMind给用户提供了250种不同的催眠疗法，用于克服压力、焦虑、失眠和体重增加的问题。找一个舒适的地方，听听音频的指导。不过，它们可能不适合害怕投入的用户，因为许多治疗课程都有几个长达35分钟的环节。在增加信心，提高积极性等方面，这款应用也提供可以迅速见效的项目。

HelloMind的开发者是丹麦催眠治疗师雅各布·斯特拉乔塔，他使用了自己创造的“结果导向式催眠”法，其意义字面可知。他告诉我们：“自我改善不是一个新的领域，但是移动应用让用户更容易用自己的时间在自己的家里做到这点。”（财富中文网）

作者：Uncubed

译者：严匡正