Comments on: Reality Is A Matter of Opinion

By: Blue Bird memories | Burbank High Class of 1968

Blue Bird memories | Burbank High Class of 1968 — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 22:00:54 +0000

[…] Home Station magazine, which is devoted to gaming on the PlayStation Network. Her latest article, “Reality is a Matter of Opinion,” reveals some of her growing-up years in Burbank, CA and I highly recommend reading it. It’s […]

By: ted2112

ted2112 — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 12:49:24 +0000

This was an amazing piece of writing and really puts into perspective the level of literary excellence here at HSM. I feel that ultimately what we are talking about is an experience, and that is a very real thing. How we get to that experience is kind of irrelevant, it’s that emotional connection that makes it, and keeps it real. Awesome article!

By: Nosdrugis

Nosdrugis — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 20:15:39 +0000

Wonderful article!
When initially experiencing Home around October 2008, one of the first personal thoughts was, “How lost could someone get in this realm?”
Suffice it to say that, at the time, the wonderings of the nosdrugis avatar pilot were shallow in comparison of what was to come.
Shortly after, the Homelings were introduced to yours truly by the Collective’s birther. It was, and still is, amazingly enjoyable to blur the lines between the virtual, physical, and the mental. Not only the immersion of one’s self into the “Homeling virtual reality”, but the ease of blurring those lines for other users. How many times this question, “You do KNOW you’re NOT really an alien, don’t you?” was heard is unknown -- and always brings a chuckle. In fact, there were times when convincing users that the pilot of the nosdrugis avatar did NOT work for Sony took more effort than assimilating them into the Collective would have. Ha.
Being a member of the Homeling Collective facilitates a great number of satisfactions. Am certain quite a few other Home groups also lend well to this. Like-minded individuals, whether we are all playing, competing, discussing, or creating, and the feelings of camaraderie, friendship, and belonging, are all very real reasons for doing something. Especially when that something is a positive happening that brings happiness to many.
We are whatever we wish to be. Any time. Anywhere. It does not have to be physically tangible. If you feel it, it is real.

By: johneboy1970

johneboy1970 — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 18:48:06 +0000

Excelent article, Seal. Much to chew on, Indeed. And we’ll get Mouse on Home yet; might have to get him a couple of bottles of chablis first, but its gonna happen!

By: Kid Fleetfoot

Kid Fleetfoot — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:18:52 +0000

HOME is where the heart is. It's where we want it to be whether it is where we are or some place we want to be. I once decided to read a book of fiction and became engrossed in it and it at least seemed to me that my mind was taken away to the story of fiction which became real. Watching TV, playing video games or traveling in Playstation's HOME I sometimes have a sandwich or take a break to the toilet. And sometimes I become so engrossed in HOME that like the time I read a novel HOME becomes my reality... in my mind's eye anyway.

By: Olivia_Allin

Olivia_Allin — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:41:41 +0000

“To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit.
We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special.”
Stephen Hawking

By: SealWyf

SealWyf — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:20:09 +0000

Thank you for your comments. I am grateful for the feedback, and even for the disagreement. It shows that people are thinking.

For those who object to the use of “real” for an experience that does not include bodily functions, here’s another way to look at it. Which part of you is the “I” — the body or the mind? Before you answer, let’s try a thought-experiment.

The aliens have landed, and they offer you a voyage to Arcturus as Earth’s first ambassador. But, because space travel and the Arcturan planetary surface are hostile to human life, they will download your consciousness into an android body. Your physical body will stay on Earth, where its needs will be cared for. But, until your mind can be reattached to it, your body will lack intelligence. It will be… a body. With, perhaps, the self-awareness of an intelligent earthworm.

You accept the offer. A year later, your mind returns from Arcturus and is re-integrated with your body. You are asked to present your experiences to all humanity on a global television link. As you stand behind the podium, which of these is your opening sentence?

1) For the past year, I have lived in interstellar space while my body stayed on Earth.

2) For the past year, while I continued to live on Earth, my mind traveled to the stars.

I think most people would use the first sentence. For most of us, the “I” is the mind. It’s the part of us that matters. And in that sense, it’s more real — even when it’s encased in an android shell — than a body which continues to eat and excrete, but doesn’t think about it.

Fortunately, with Home, we need not make that choice. We can have sandwiches and Homelings too. But, for many of us, the life behind the eyes is at least as important, and as real (in every sense that matters), as the world of rocks and tables, sandwiches and toilets.

By: Orion_NGC1976

Orion_NGC1976 — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 04:55:50 +0000

Fantastic article ! Many of my friends and even family members have a hard time understanding Home when I tell them about my experiences (polite staring looks). I think any who daydreams and has an imagination would feel right at home in Home. Real and unreal are blended together in the new form of society that is Home.

Some have a hard time relating messages to email, text communication to texting, voice chat to talking on the cell phone, etc. They just can’t see past the virtual world; somehow having an avatar makes it all fake.

Frankly, some of us, myself included, feel more comfortable socializing in a virtual world like Home. It is real and unreal, game and not a game. It is what you make of it, just like the so-called real world.

By: Kid Fleetfoot

Kid Fleetfoot — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 18:09:01 +0000

I may not completely understand where Sealwyf is coming from but I get the drift. At least I think I do.

It was very enjoyable and if something makes me think which it did then it is usually worthwhile.

I was not at all being critical of the article. I am just off the wall or even sometimes crazy but certainly not insane.

I don’t know what Heaven or Hell are like.

By: keara22hi

keara22hi — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 17:57:43 +0000

Yes, Kid,there are physical necessities that living in the ‘real world’ entail. However, I do not expect to be eating sandwiches and pooping in Heaven -- and it certainly won’t be a virtual reality to me (if I get there). I completely understand where Sealwyf is coming from with this article.

By: Kid Fleetfoot

Kid Fleetfoot — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 16:09:11 +0000

HOME is a system set up through which we can interact and socialize with other human beings using avatars. We can also play games whether shoot em ups or even solitaire. If one is in a group in HOME and becomes a leader or follower that is reality. At least it is in HOME because we are interacting with other human beings. It may not get us much outside of HOME however. HOME is also a form of escapism, a world of make believe but not one as real as those found in The Twilight Zone and X Minus One. Oh yeah, when I can eat a sandwich or go to the bathroom in HOME, then perhaps I will consider it a real world. Till then it's part of the world I live in, a make believe world (figure that one out if you will or figure that one in). I wonder how many live in HOME. No one, at least not literally. One can tell the difference between a real and make believe world by whether we eat sandwiches or poop.

By: Godzprototype

Godzprototype — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 14:39:42 +0000

That was a very, very good article Seal. Cheeky is making good points too. When you teach a person what this is. It is an experience, and sharing it as such will only help for it to be something shared between friends. I really love this article Seal.

By: Burbie52

Burbie52 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 13:38:29 +0000

Wow Seal that was an amazing article describing how close the lines of reality and imagination can come sometimes. I think that they can even cross over into each other at times and that is where a lot of the creativity we have in us comes out. Your insights into this realm of real and imaginary are well wrought, and Home is a bit different as you point out because for many it is their only outlet for social acceptance or interaction. Very well done!

By: Dlyrius

Dlyrius — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:31:37 +0000

You said it all! *cheers*

By: CheekyGuy

CheekyGuy — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 03:23:18 +0000

Seal, you have written, what is, quite possibly, the most beautiful article I have ever come across on virtual worlds. From my own experiences of virtual worlds I can honestly say this, they can be as REAL as you want them to be, and that doesn’t necessarily mean so much in the physical sense. Even I have a hard time in explaining SecondLife or Home to anyone outside of either community and fairly quickly those people will instantly think I’m ‘nuts’. It’s VERY hard to explain what a virtual world is, my best way for me to explain would be for those people to meet me there and they can experience it for themselves..and thats the keyword here ‘Experience’, otherwise how are those people ever to be able to understand.

But for those embarking on an adventure in a virtual world, wether Home or otherwise, be aware of the time that you are spending there, it can get quite addictive and take over your life if not careful.

One example is of a single mother I had met on a virtual world. She had gotten so much into the ‘game’ her sleep pattern changed, she didn’t get out much. In as little as 2 or 3 months, she lost all sense of reality and her baby daughter had to be taken into care by the authorities. Now I don’t know if it can go this far on Home..but it can happen, you can get lost in these worlds.

But on the flip side if handled right, they can be a fun and rewarding experience for everyone..

Fantastic read.. the Cheekster LIKES