Virtualized Reality

gaurav kumar
Aug 25, 2017 · 3 min read

Four in the morning, alarm went off with Jog displayed on the screen. He perched himself on a one-legged stool, slipping into sleep. Waking up from beeping sound, he skullcapped his head with a device, a white hollow-like structure with various bland protrusions and heavily entangled plastic wires, resembling a bird’s nest. It was a matter of few minutes before he was drenched with sweat. This period was marked with intermittent twitching and flinching of his body. Feeling a bit worn-out, he went back to sleep.

He woke up to find the minute-hand deftly moving past the hour-hand at eleven mark on the dial. Getting late, he scurried into the car waiting at the doorstep. Since he barely had any time for breakfast, he put on the simulator. The growling in his stomach ceased and ended with him burping. He was just in time for his presentation. He conveyed his thoughts about how the today’s world was the best world the humankind has ever lived to his associates’ holograms, shrunk down to set them on the table. Feeling a bit exhausted and hungry from protracted discussion, he went to grab some food, realizing that the feeling itself wouldn’t suffice.

On his way back home, sitting on his haunch in Hyperloop-train and feeling trapped in a box with lifelike hotdogs with simulators put on, he put it on too. Lying on a lush green area and enjoying the splendid view of the three-level grandiose park perked him up. Cool clean breeze wafted through the trees with birds chirping and shooting out in all directions. It was awash with columns of brightly-colored flowers of all types. His long, tiring day seemed redeemed by this magnificent sight. Children on swings were competing with each other and were getting off at full speed. One was trying to place the reflection of sunlight on his sibling’s face using a shard of mirror. All this seems really peaceful to him. The train halted at his destination station and he had to put off the device. Sometimes, it becomes a bit difficult to cope with the juxtaposition of during and post simulator feelings. He was back to his bed.

Whatever our brain perceives is just a set of intrinsically complicated electrical signals. If we can somehow deliver the same set of electrical signals to the targeted cells, we can elicit required responses from the brain. So, can we say that everything is fake if every motion is just a specific set of electrical signals, since they can be reproduced with certain advancements in modern science?? Shoot a bunch of pre-defined electrical signals through electrodes on your skull and there you are — in love with someone or having the best dream of your life.

Will it be beneficial or detrimental to the society if we are able to develop this device or will it end up as a mere source of recreation?? It might wade the concept of reality to some extent but on the other hand might eradicate the class of dejected people. It can be used to have profound effects on people to change them for good or bad. I am not sure if I will make any sense if it is read after a few years because objectives, problems, thought processes, etc. change with time beyond anyone’s anticipation. Who would have anticipated the present pervasiveness of internet in our life when it was developed?? But one thing I know for sure; if I want to make some unfathomable pleasure in my room, I’ll choose my hand over the simulator.

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