Is this real life?
I don’t feel anything. I have two fingers.
Or maybe four fingers. I feel funny.
What’s happening to me? Is this forever?
That was David after the dentist talking with his dad. He was on sedative effects and couldn't control his senses making him to reach the unconscious threshold. You might have watched this YouTube hit. But if not, do it here.
David came to my mind after I left the movie theater watching “Inception” years ago. I was immersed and intrigued by the plot for 148 minutes, trying to figure out what was reality and what was a dream. During that time, I was following my unconscious and dipping inside the movie. Then I realized that I was just looking at a non-stop spinning top. Thus it was the end, and I had to leave the movie theater.
What happened to me? I was sedated by a movie and flying around my own dream memories. I usually have adventurous dreams with difficult missions, just like a movie. But that day, not only I had my eyes open, but I was in a dark room hypnotized by a large screen and reflecting about my own dream reality. — Oh! Come on… Wake up, baby! Back to the real life, or some kind of unknown reality.
“Life is not a dream, beware, and beware, and beware. And so many think because then happened, now isn’t. But didn’t I mention? The ongoing WOW is happening right NOW. We are all co-authors of this dancing exuberance, for even our inabilities are having a roast. We are the authors of ourselves, co-authoring a gigantic Dostoevsky novel starring clowns… An assumption developed that you cannot understand life and live life simultaneously. I do not agree entirely, which is to say, I do not exactly disagree. I would say that life understood is life lived. But, the paradoxes bug me, and I can learn to love and make love to the paradoxes that bug me, and on really romantic evenings of self, I go salsa dancing with my confusion. Before you drift off, don’t forget, which is to say remember, because remembering is so much more a psychotic activity than forgetting… And as one realizes that one is a dream figure in another person’s dream… that is self-awareness!”
– Waking Life’s Quote
Being a figure in another person is a brilliant idea. Now, imagine taking this to products and trying to be a character in the users’ dreams. It’s like feeling and understanding them deeply.
Dreams show us that we can feed our imagination to create new scenarios and stories anytime. When we dream and discover a new world where anything is possible. Where we feel free to design unique products far from any constrain. Even if, some of these product ideas could be unrealistic, they can also become great innovation cases when applied to the business and marketing reality.
Therefore, close your eyes and dream when creating.
Try this psychotic exercise.
