Losing your sense of what’s real

Ever had one of those dreams where, on waking, you cannot, for perhaps a few seconds, know if the dream was real or not? People having hypnotherapy sometimes confuse dream memory or fantasies with what really happened. Usually the difference between what really happened and what you imagined can be thought through, reality reaffirmed.

When I was 10 or so, I saw a movie on Broadway called Smell-O-Vision with a documentary on China. Here’s the official description: “Smell-O-Vision was a system that released odor during the projection of a film so that the viewer could “smell” what was happening in the movie…. The process injected 30 odors into a movie theater’s seats when triggered by the film’s soundtrack.”

The sense of smell is a very powerful prime element in memory. That film’s memory impact has stuck with me ever since, all 62 years.

Now, imagine that, instead of watching television or even watching 3-D projections in the movies, you can wear a full headset that places you inside the action depicted on the binocular screen goggles. You have 3-D impressions. The sound is stereo. You can move your hands, feet, you can speak and interact with whatever you are experiencing.

Experiencing, that’s the key word here. Not merely watching, but actually experiencing.

The gaming goggles of today are like the small B&W TV sets of the 1950’s compared to what’s coming. People testing the newest goggles and hand gloves have been vomiting, have been almost comatose with sensory saturation after an hour of “play.” People in these new video worlds are touching, feeling, experiencing feedback -— visual, aural and, yes, touch.

Who can then say what memory is real? If the experience inside these virtual worlds impacts the memory centers of the brain, what new memories will be stored, thought of as real? Are they actually real, could they be said to be? And if so, where does reality, truth and fact fit into the human experience.

Now, imagine if they add smell to the experience. Imagine if they add sexual stimulation to the experience. Imagine if they add true dangers and rewards to the experience? Our minds are perhaps not equipped to sort out the differences between this reality and real reality. Remember that dinosaur dream you had as a kid, being chased? Wasn’t that a real memory, didn’t it evoke fright and fear? Those emotions are still really part of you, stored as your memories even while you, as an adult, know they are but a dream. Nevertheless, they shaped your thoughts and reactions.

So will the new gaming goggles and controllers and they could take you down a path of never again knowing what is real or what is projected/implanted memory.

 

Peter Riva, a former resident of Amenia Union, now resides in New Mexico.

The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Millerton News and The News does not support or oppose candidates for public office.

Latest News

A scenic 32-mile loop through Litchfield County

Whenever I need to get a quick but scenic bicycle ride but don’t have time to organize a group ride that involves driving to a meeting point, I just turn right out of my driveway. That begins a 32-mile loop through some of the prettiest scenery in northern Litchfield County.

I ride south on Undermountain Road (Route 41 South) into Salisbury and turn right on Main Street (Route 44 West). If I’m meeting friends, we gather at the parking area on the west side of Salisbury Town Hall where parking is never a problem.

Keep ReadingShow less
Biking Ancramdale to Copake

This is a lovely ride that loops from Ancramdale north to Copake and back. At just over 23 miles and about 1,300 feet of elevation gain, it’s a perfect route for intermediate recreational riders and takes about two hours to complete.It’s entirely on quiet roads with little traffic, winding through rolling hills, open countryside, picturesque farms and several lakes.

Along the way, you’ll pass a couple of farmstands that are worth a quick visit. There is only one hill that might be described as steep, but it is quite short — probably less than a quarter-mile.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Correction: the Millerton News Street Fair was a collaborative effort between the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center.

MILLERTON — Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and the North East Community Center. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Keep ReadingShow less