PREVENTION OF VIRTUAL REALITY PSYCHOSIS
(click here for russian version)
And, so sweet is honey, that, at last, is muck ...
So, in sense of measure, therefore, is luck.
(Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare / Pasternak / Valeryan Studio)
Yet in thirty years up to the prophecy, at the end of 50's, american researcher of psychedelic influence on a brain, PhD Timothy Leary has stated an idea that, the computers can be same psychedelics, or substances, influencing on mentality, as well as actively investigated by him then narcotic substances. And all these three tens of years latently were check of this assumption. In 1992 in his book "Virtual Revolution" he already with complete reliance declares that the computers, or are exacter, created in them, virtual reality is psychedelic. So, alongside with it positive qualities, in absence of a measure its use will have also all those negative consequences, which are inherent to psychedelics-narcotics (for example Lysergic acid diethylamide or simpler - LSD).
The first results had appeared soon and were published already in 1995. In the report of U.S. Army Research Institute about Sickness in Virtual Environments PhD Eugenia Kolasinski, at last, brings figures, destroying iridescent representation about a virtual reality, having place, from the same end of 50's, when were started works on creation of a virtual reality or, as it then referred, computer rendered useful environment. In result of analysing date from research participants of a different sex, age and training state in the immersive virtual environment was got the minimal time of immersing, not causing any by-effects, equal approximately to 7 minutes (after such time one of participarnts began to feel a headache). Longer immersing began to cause all peculiar psychedelic effects: ataxia, nausea, hallucinations and other.
However, as was planned before, at all participants these effects were different and appeared in different time. Moreover, at some they had no time to appear at all, since the maximal time of immersing - 20 minutes was chosen. Longer than this time nobody was immersed and due to this fact, maximal effect of psychedelic influence - psychosis, therefore, was not achieved. Nevertheless, following above mentioned analogues to LSD and using available results of LSD influence, this effect can be achieved theoretically. Increasing time of immersing from minimum up to maximum proportionally to a ratio between minimum (5 mcg) and maximum (1200 mcg) doze of LSD, the time of approaching psychosis for virtual reality turns out equal approximately to 28-30 hours.
It is possible to argue long concerning legitimacy of comparing virtual reality and narcotics. However, the fact, that the virtual sky already is not absolute cloudless, established. On the one hand it certainly a little bit afflicts. But on the other hand it is very good, that the business has moved from a dead point, and these "clouds" will be now taken into account, as at creation of new systems of a virtual reality, as at their use. And, following analogy to clouds, person with a umbrella will be always ready to rain. Eventually, narcotic substances carries only good for a person, awaring their properties and strictly in a measure using it.
The basic in the prevention of virtual reality psychosis is a skill to precisely distinguish, what is reality, and what is virtuality. On this question, as well as on that, what is matter and information, thing and idea, at last, body and soul, people are beaten already not one millenium. Today these concepts have in general got mixed up so, that even reality become "virtual". There is the impression, what already latly try to understand, what reality is actually. However, it is not absolutly. And it is possible to answer this question. For this purpose it is necessary at first to answer other question: "What it should be known for?". So, looking future, first of all, it is necessary to know for adequately reacting to influence, which is dangerous to the physical body. From here follows also answer to the basic question. Namely: Reality is such part of our world, that surrounds a physical body and whose influence can be pernicious for this body.
Thus, the unique way to distinguish a reality and virtuality consists in necesity to keep up those sensations, which speak about a reality. To watch though occasionally, but so, that not forget, that it be constant process, that even when, as in a case with a hero of film "Matrix", all sensations of a reality substituted by virtual signals going directly to brain, i.e. completely being in the virtual world, even then it is necessary though simply remember the real world, which at that time is outside sensations and, however, environmental for real body anyway.
That is all in general. The rest are long and persistent trainings. And to begin this training it is possible already today. Simply keeping up for the physical body and suppressing its aspiration to evade from rockets playing DOOM game, aspiration to strain muscles watching KARATE movie or though most simple - aspiration to frown, if something wrong. In general, trying to make any physical reactions adequate to reality. Strictly on necessity. Not more and not less. I.e. in a measure.
VALERYAN STUDIO, January 02, 2001