Deepak Chopra Invites Everyone Into His Metaverse Home The meditation marvel has brought his friend and CEO of the Chopra Foundation, Poonacha Machaiah, into the fold to build a digital oasis of caring and compassion.
By Dr. Rod Berger Edited by Maria Bailey
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Hallmark symbols of business building and entrepreneurship are constructed on a series of rules, parameters and functions that rely on established experiences over time.
What if I told you there is a world without limits built on a set of constructs, not rules? You would undoubtedly think a world with an endless horizon line might be less than calming.
If you're a famed thought leader (emphasis on thought) like Deepak Chopra, you cross the chasm without concern for what lies beneath your feet. The real-life Indiana Jones crossing a bridge on utter faith, Chopra and his partner Poonacha Machaiah are welcoming all of us into our own homes through their conscious Web3 platform, Seva.Love (meaning service and love in action).
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Let's take the horizon line back two decades before Machaiah became the CEO of the Chopra Foundation and before Chopra himself became an author of over 90 books translated into almost 50 languages.
Chopra and Machaiah met through a common friend and famed filmmaker of Elizabeth and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Shekhar Kapur. It was at this meeting that the technology background of Machaiah and Chopra converged.
"I met Deepak and quickly asked him about his vision. So many people pined to understand the vision of this icon. He responded by saying that he planned on reaching a billion people for a more peaceful, just, sustainable, healthier and joyful world. My reply was, sign me up!" shares Machaiah.
Chopra wasn't pitching Machaiah in the classic sense of business building, but he had ignited a path for the College of William and Mary grad that had been kindling under the surface for some time. "That conversation started our journey into wellbeing together. I wake up every day and ask myself, "Poonacha, what are you going to do to ensure a more peaceful, just, sustainable, healthier and joyful world?"
Machaiah's computer science and engineering background has proved complimentary to the globally renowned leader of the meditation revolution. He had been a part of the Motorola team that innovated cellphone technology, so new adventures were a part of his DNA. "Deepak focuses on our joint efforts through the lens of wellbeing and consciousness, and I look at our work through technology and the ability it [technology] has to democratize access for people."
Chopra and Machaiah believe that the world is at a nexus point in history and the world of Web3, or as they like to say, the multiverse has the potential to change the course of personal and professional experiences.
Seva.Love has bundled together an initial consumer offering that aims to reach people outside of the standard Web3 fare. A combination of apps and metaverse meditation experiences are punctuated by the Chopraverse opening the digital door to Chopra's "House of Enlightenment," a Roblox offering under the Choprakids umbrella, and a curated library of educational resources created by the Chopra Foundation.
The app gabl (Give. Ask. Borrow. Love.) is emblematic of leadership that understands business is about walking, not running. The app integrates documented experiences of good deeds in the physical world through social technology, seeding user behavior reflective of the Seva.Love world.
Machaiah sees an opportunity to lean into the metaverse as a therapeutic. Chopra and his endlessly engaging partner, Machaiah, might be the best tandem to think beyond Web3 gaming conventions. They were at the forefront of online meditation offerings beating out Calm and Headspace. Having Oprah as a collaborator on the 21-day meditation challenge with Chopra and the foundation didn't hurt either.
"Imagine integrating an experience that helps you to breathe, to meditate. That is an experience that can lead to kindness. I believe the metaverse is going to be the place where digital therapeutics will come to play. And that's the reason why Deepak and I are so excited about Seva.Love."
The story of Seva.Love is just evolving, and Chopra's roots might explain his excitement for this stage of the endeavor.
"My mother was one of the most interesting storytellers," says Chopra. "When my little brother and I were young, she would entertain us with stories. But, she would stop halfway through her story. She would leave a cliffhanger for each of us to finish the next morning. We had to share our own conclusions and include all aspects, including the villain, the good and bad guys."
The unknown excites the global icon, citing those initial storytelling sessions as trigger points for his imagination. Chopra and Machaiah appear to have written a script that includes a vivid set of imaginative experiences where we all get to play in the scene. A welcomed opportunity for personal and professional experiences to take center stage.
Coming home from a long day at the office has been forever and creatively depicted by Hollywood authors as an activity of respite in the face of the trials and tribulations of the cold, dark, unforgiving world of the adult experience. The front door closes, sealing off the subject from the unrelenting pressures of life.
That physical door transforms through Chopra's guidance and Machaiah's tech wherewithal into a portal void of locks and peepholes to reveal a world governed by self-control, a sense of belonging and without outside edicts.
The neighborhood is open. Chopra and Machaiah have laid out the welcome mat. Now, they believe, the time has come to hand over the keys to a new generation of digital users ready to take off, where life and one's place converge to create wonderfully new and immersive adventures.
The keys are yours, and Deepak Chopra and Poonacha Machaiah beam at being your hosts.
