037. [Text]

[explosivecombat]

I come seeking discussion again today, which to most of you should probably be nothing new; if anything, I ought to apologize for it, but I suspect that will ring about as true as my usual apologies for the subject matter. For what it's worth, the subject is better than it usually is; take that as you will.

I'd like to discuss dreams today; I'm sure those that were here about a year ago know exactly why, but in the end that is neither here nor there, and you don't have to have experienced it to discuss this with me.

I'm sure we're all no strangers to very vivid dreams...? The sort that immerse you so entirely that they almost seem real...surely there are a few qualities here and there that mark them as dreams, but they're disregarded in favor of whatever is actually happening right in front of you. Dreams like that can hardly be said to be different from reality, can they? They invoke feelings within you; they encourage you to continue thinking about them long after you've awakened. You could even say that dreams like that have given you experiences that you might never have had, were you awake – you've gone on adventures and met people and done things that affected you, all while physically being asleep.

Say that there was a way to live like that forever.

Suppose that there's a machine that will put you under, rendering you solidly asleep and allowing you to experience whatever you want. The machine can simulate any pleasurable experience that you choose, instilling all the thoughts and feelings that would come with actually going out and doing those things for yourself in your waking life. There would be no pain or suffering; it would be an experience in pure bliss for as long as you were plugged into the machine.

Again, you could stay that way forever, if you so chose, living out the rest of your life in dreams, and it would be a pleasant experience that's custom-tailored to you. The only tradeoff is that you would be unconscious the entire time; the experience would be entirely in your mind, rather than anything you actually did.

Would you choose to go under and live the rest of your life happy but effectively comatose, or would you prefer to experience life for yourself, entirely awake, with all the imperfections and strife that may come with it?

You can answer me anonymously if you wish, because as usual, your identity doesn't interest me as much as your response does; if you really want to impress me, you'll tell me why you would answer as you did.

Comments

[sincereheart]

[ You will deal with this adorable literal child, Kimblee. You will deal and you will like it. ]

well there's the real world and the digital world!!!!!!
the real world is where i live and the digital world is where my friends and i have been for the past few months!! everything there is made of data whatever that means!!!
we beat one bad guy in the digital world but now there's another and he's going to try to take over the real world too and we have to stop him!!!!!!!!
it sounds like your machine would also kind of be a digital world but i guess one that's even less real!!!
if that makes sense!!!!!

[explosivecombat]

[...He'll deal with it, anyway. Liking it is Hughes' department; there's a reason this one refuses to breed.]

Ah, so I see.

All of this is a little over my head, I'm afraid; I'm from a time where things like that don't exist.

[sincereheart]

wow!!! when are you from???
are you from forever ago?? are you from...... medieval times????
gosh that would be really exciting!!! with knights and princesses and everything!!!!!!
i think one of my other friends here is from those times because he calls me lady mimi and stuff like that!!!!!
or maybe just another world!!!
also where are you from?? also what's your name???
my name's mimi tachikawa!!!!!!

[explosivecombat]

Not quite that far back, no - only around the turn of the last century or so. It's 1915 where I'm from, but we're ruled by something like a king. Not quite, but it's close enough.

The country's name is Amestris; you can call me Kimblee. It's a pleasure, Miss Tachikawa. How old are you?

[sincereheart]

wow that's really cool!!!!
1915!!! that's super old!!!!! i'm from 1999!!!!!

[ Wait. Amestris? That sounds familiar... ]

do you know ed-san and al-san???
ed-san is from amestris too and al-san is too i think because they're brothers!!!!
not that i know every japanese person here of course but al-san said some of his friends from home were here so maybe you were one of them!!!!!

anyway it's really nice to meet you kimblee-san!!!!!
i'm 10 and i'm in 4th grade!!!!!
what would you do if you had that machine????
i mean since you asked it's only fair if i ask too!!!!!

[explosivecombat]

I worked with Edward Elric for a while, and I know Alphonse in passing. We're not particularly close and I wouldn't say we're friends, but they're decent people, from what I know. Edward assisted me with something recently that I appreciated a good amount, anyway.

As for what I would do with the machine, I wouldn't use it.

[sincereheart]

well it's really nice that you and ed-san and al-san get along!!!!
maybe you can become friends while you're all here!!!!!!
i bet they'd like that too!!!!!!

really?? why not??
would you miss your friends too???
i'd want to hook up me and all my friends to the machine!!!!!
then we could all be happy together!!!!!!!!

[explosivecombat]

I suppose the easiest way to explain it is that I prefer experiencing things rather than just dreaming about them.

Say the machine let you dream about being a princess, Miss Tachikawa. Wouldn't it be better to be able to say you actually were one, rather than just pretending you were?

[...this entire conversation is kind of surreal, good lord.]

[sincereheart]

well i really have been a princess before!!!!!
it was amazing!!!!!!
so i don't know if i can answer that question!!!!!
it was in the digital world though so maybe that doesn't count as real????

wait a second..........
does that mean the digital world is a dream?????
oh i really hope it isn't!!!!!!!!!!
D: