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Philosophy & Video Games - Part 1

8/26/2011

1 Comment

 
WHEN A NON-DREAMER DISCOUNTS YOU and says: it's just a "figment of your imagination", remember that "figments of your imagination" are just the reality that you have put together in your head. 

Your imagination and your reality don't have much distance between them.  This is especially true when your mind is free to search the labyrinth within one's own mind.  The fascinating thing about video games is when events normally invented within the video game realm seeps into reality and alters your interpretation of reality.  Today's "What to do in a zombie apocalypse" thoughts seem to bring a misconception of reality.  I enjoy these misconceptions because it alters one's reality. 
When I say non-dreamers, I'm referring to the people in your life that don't inspire you.  The people who more often than not that think this is all there is, and find ways to snap you out of your next great idea-because it's not a traditional way of going about doing things, or it's not responsible when you should be taking care of business. 

When I was younger, I remember when parents and elders (in general) used to nag and nag about video games.  They would squeeze in sayings like how we "shouldn't be lost in the clouds".  The reality of the daily grind-work, school, finances that we try to ignore, social anxiety-that is ingrained into our minds needs to be constantly fed distractions.  We can become so miserable either going to work for hours and hours, or sitting in class not learning anything we care about.  But when things let up, we browse the internet for those distractions.  Anything that can get our mind off our troubles. 

Whenever a video game incident passes through your head, say when you imagine becoming a half-griffin growing wings--when one imagines the wings growing out of one's back and taking off in joyful flight--it brings you out of yourself.  It is a gateway to the imagination reaching reality.  It may not physically happen--but a temporal gateway between what you think is reality and what is actual reality goes eschew.  This is helpful because it lets someone create new connections to reality.  I can do anything.  I can imagine walking though a mountain trail, and when I decide to take a tangent off the beaten trail I imagine what marvelous encounters might be waiting for me.  I love how I can do that-at any moment. Say, perhaps glowing temporal rifts or chance encounters with elves or maybe at the other end of this path.  Perhaps I'll end up a tenth of my size and I will begin to see little spirits among the trees and the sun peeking through the branches, leaves, and vines above me. 

Instead of bothering ourselves about our issues, this is an escape that inspires.  Your imagination is so powerful you can accomplish anything you can create within your own head.  When you apply these creations to your life you can start bridging the gap between our great imaginations and that of what most non-dreamers call reality.

Where would all that imagination be if not for the fiction created by others?  Brilliant minds not too different from our own created the games we love.  They shared their dreams.  They decided they want to live the life they always dreamed of.  While they may have not physically reached that point, I would argue that they have brought their imaginations and their dreams closer to reality. 


The fiction we receive from those video games is incredible.  Incredibly powerful imagery is possible, almost a sensory perception overload.  It uses visual, audio, becoming very textile with the inclusion of rumble to motion control of course, but you can feel the rumble of sound coming from the TV, and you can feel the flashing of the screen when something dramatic is happening, or even when something beautiful is shining white with harmony.  Taste is induced but not included, same with smell.  Of course, since this is Philosophy and Video Games, the sixth sense-but no, that's not the right word, perhaps the sixth feeling...or perhaps to avoid the dangerous sounding sixth...lets say seventh harmonic feeling or something.  Anyways, it's that bubbly feeling you get when you gain much excitement and anticipation and calmness we live for in our games and or stories.  When we just start beginning to imagine what we might encounter in the mystical forest--and how exciting it will be--that's what I'm referring to.  It brings us out of ourselves, and lets us create the world we want to live in-not the reality that has been dropped on us.

by Paul Carroll
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Oh, a taste of a little philosophical feeling from the first Zelda,
    It's dangerous to go alone--take this, and other warming words are powerful because it bestows support and faith in you.  That you have someone to aid you, and you to them with no ties.  An offering to you.  You accept.  You grab the sword willingly without hesitation.  Why is that?  Don't we usually resist an offering at first?  This phrase could be considered a command literally, but it does not give off that aura.  It empowers us-It's warming.

1 Comment
Mysterious Stranger link
8/31/2011 03:07:11 pm

http://s3.amazonaws.com/kym-assets/entries/icons/original/000/000/240/1143362243714.jpg?1242243690

ooooooo, I read all of it thus far and I really agree on a lot of points! I love the wild stories and imagination that video games give me.. and that's why I love them so much, for the story, and of course, for the fun aspect. I really love in-depth characters as well, because then I can have a greater insight into my own characters, as well as myself. By playing, you really feel like you get to know them, and dig deeper into a immense realization.

Ooh, and I love writing on the computer too. That's a smart idea to type with your eyes closed, because you can't do that well with writing by hand.

And also, you should make an account on deviantart, maybe? There are other people who do beadwork on there, and you don't even have to post much on there, just upload pictures and promote this blog/creative site of yours.. ! It will make it a lot more popular, and people can give you creative advice and new ideas. And, they'll commission eventually! So it's a really good idea, and I'll help you out too (: Just a suggestion~

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    Paul Carroll is building a gateway between our dimension and that of the 8-bit realm.  He is an aspiring game designer and hopes to be able to make game design his main job.  It is one of his dreams.
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