What’s the most calming thing you can imagine? An ocean? A massage? How about an AI-powered meditation app owned by Gwyneth Paltrow? On Wednesday, Paltrow launched her new partnership with Moments of Space, an app that guides users through something she calls “eyes-open meditation.” Because the meditation space is so crowded with celebrities, Goop is setting itself apart by encouraging a traditional Buddhist form of the practice that involves keeping your pupils exposed to the elements while you drift off into an enlightened realm of serenity.
“Once you learn how to do eyes-open meditation,” Paltrow claimed in an interview promoting the app, “you can be engaged with the world but still very connected with yourself.” She added that the practice makes her feel “more whole” and is a major part of her “longevity plan,” which she has been “crafting” for years. The upside of eyes-open meditation, Paltrow says, is that you can do it “literally anytime.” In one video, she demonstrates this by open-eye meditating while getting her makeup done.
Even though it reminds me of how goldfish sleep, eyes-open meditation is way more evidence-based than many of Goop’s other wellness habits, which have famously included jade vagina eggs and getting stung by bees on purpose. Paltrow certainly seems to believe in its power. Speaking with the Independent, she declared, “I believe eyes-open meditation could be potentially important for changing the world.” Totally.
