Drugs and Virtual Reality
In both our discussions of Existenze and Neuromancer, I've been thinking a lot about the parallels between virtual reality and drug use. Neuromancer's Case is addicted CNS stimulants and uses them almost suicidally when he is unable to continue being a cowboy. It's like he has to substitute his experience of a virtual world with experience in the virtual world of drugs. To me it seems like there is a very thin line between traditional virtual reality and the state of being in a drug-induced haze, especially if the drugs have hallucinogenic properties. The question of what is "real" is interesting in this case, too. Perhaps the things you are experiencing/seeing/hearing while under the influence are not real, but the effect that they have on your physical body is very real. People on PCP fight policemen like they're Superman because they can't process the pain that they should be feeling but they still wake up with broken bones. (wow this is disjointed) Our discussion of the difference between what is "real" and what is not, especially when it comes to virtual reality or technology or cyberspace is pretty mind-boggling. But I really liked what Peter said in class (on Monday) about rather than saying real vs virtual, we might call it physical vs. virtual and leave the "real" term out of it. I think that we, colloquially at least, attach a connotation to the world "real" and seem to associate "real" with "important". Just because something is virtual, rather than physical doesn't make it any less important. To quote Albus Dumbledore, "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry. But why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"