Thread: Abuse Potential - Neglecting Real Life For LD? Only If Per Technical Shortcut?

Humans have always been fascinated by the possibility of virtual reality. We went as far as to integrate it in high-risk professions, education, recreation uses (gaming for example), and we know for sure we're bound to develop it further and further. Short tip about videogames: check the anime Sword art online, it's basically a spiritual representation of the use of "induced lucid dreaming" into a video game context, and it's just great ^^

Alienation is inevitable, especially because as we know (internet), it's not necessary that we're fully immersed in the experience to become addicted. The simple fact that we can access a world that allows us to reshape our identity is enough it seems to me. But lucid dreaming...

Would certainly be a higher issue. The problem is that unlike any videogame you acquire in the market, you could really go sandbox, as deep as it can get. Lucid dreamers learn relatively fast how to perform control at a basic level, especially specific elements-seeking. Since the power of expectation works so good with desire (and we can talk desire in so many ways here), it would be really easy to recreate the best moment of your life, and then do it again, and again, and again. This infinite sandbox scenario would allow people to essentially live their lives exactly how they wanted to. Let's see how lucid dreaming still provides a framework for a relatively "realistic" life story:

- Dream characters seem to possess sentient behavior.
- Dream plots can present themselves different even when expectation is performed at higher level (I recall Hukif DJ's here, anyone xD?)
- Lucidity is not a fixed degree of consciousness, so it's variations would allow a group of...hmm...let's call it meta-consciousness that would diversify the experience (living life, reflecting life, that sort of thing if I'm making sense).

As we can guess, there would be many drawbacks though. Constant lucid dreaming would influence sleep patterns, and disregulation of serotonin levels and other issues that we can't really predict at this point (you increase the risk of cardiovascular problems with excess of sleep). Even if we could recreate the specific point on the spectrum of wakefulness/sleep, and come out with something in the lines of "lucid hallucinations", that still would have some pretty negative consequences in the long-term. Besides, the problems themselves with maintaining this state for an apparent infinite amount of time would cause issues as well.

Can't even imagine how so many people would become hooked up on it 0o

Originally Posted by Zoth

Short tip about videogames: check the anime Sword art online, it's basically a spiritual representation of the use of "induced lucid dreaming" into a video game context, and it's just great

Hey, I watch that every week; cool.... wait a second... It was supposed to be about the "use of 'induced lucid dreaming' into a video game context?" I thought I was just forming that impression out of my own LDer bias; that only makes it better, knowing that was intended.

The problem is that unlike any videogame you acquire in the market, you could really go sandbox, as deep as it can get. Lucid dreamers learn relatively fast how to perform control at a basic level, especially specific elements-seeking. Since the power of expectation works so good with desire (and we can talk desire in so many ways here), it would be really easy to recreate the best moment of your life, and then do it again, and again, and again. This infinite sandbox scenario would allow people to essentially live their lives exactly how they wanted to.

Now there is the caveat of caveats, I think. The temptation to relive only those "best moments" -- no, forget temptation, let's just go straight to irresistible need -- would not only cause unprepared sandbox diggers to produce loops of their favorite moments (I'm having memories of a certain scene from the movie "Brainstorms," BTW), but that would be all they would produce, eschewing any real creativity or inward exploration in the name of those simply-filled desires... the roots of addiction indeed!

Nice that you're back, Zoth, your kind of input is deeply needed on these pages!

Ah - coool!
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Originally Posted by Zoth

... But lucid dreaming...

Would certainly be a higher issue.
The problem is that unlike any videogame you acquire in the market, you could really go sandbox, as deep as it can get.
Lucid dreamers learn relatively fast how to perform control at a basic level, especially specific elements-seeking.

"Specific elements-seeking" - could you do me the favour and define or describe this for me, please?
Sounds interesting.

Since the power of expectation works so good with desire (and we can talk desire in so many ways here), it would be really easy to recreate the best moment of your life, and then do it again, and again, and again.

Really - simply hit return again and again?
Is this, what happens to everybody after a bit of more experience?
I mean there sure is a healthy area for this - but I find it frightening as well.
I hope, I will not overly indulge in such a thing.

This infinite sandbox scenario would allow people to essentially live their lives exactly how they wanted to. Let's see how lucid dreaming still provides a framework for a relatively "realistic" life story:

So then it is important to take care not to substitute real life quality with LD, but to enrich and enlarge and expand it.
But I am too much of a novice to have an adequate idea.

- Dream characters seem to possess sentient behavior.
- Dream plots can present themselves different even when expectation is performed at higher level (I recall Hukif DJ's here, anyone xD?)
- Lucidity is not a fixed degree of consciousness, so it's variations would allow a group of...hmm...let's call it meta-consciousness that would diversify the experience (living life, reflecting life, that sort of thing if I'm making sense).

Do you not feel lonely, in a way - can that be completely over-ridden? Or is it maybe even regularly over-ridden?
And - do you mean to go into a sort of half-lucidity - you steer yourself into your favoured setting and then let the notion, that you are dreaming slip from the scheme?
....

Can't even imagine how so many people would become hooked up on it 0o

rolleyes.giftongue.gifwink.gif

Originally Posted by Sageous

..
Now there is the caveat of caveats, I think. The temptation to relive only those "best moments" -- no, forget temptation, let's just go straight to irresistible need -- would not only cause unprepared sandbox diggers to produce loops of their favorite moments (I'm having memories of a certain scene from the movie "Brainstorms," BTW), but that would be all they would produce, eschewing any real creativity or inward exploration in the name of those simply-filled desires... the roots of addiction indeed!

Nice that you're back, Zoth, your kind of input is deeply needed on these pages!

So are you saying it is absolutely natural - more - almost not avoidable, highly addictive - to get into this pattern of re-living of good memories? Or is it re-constructing a fictional past?
What do you consider as a good preparation?
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