I have had the experience of approaching or completing something potentially dangerous (merging on a busy street for example) and thinking I should “save” and sub consciously visualizing doing so internally. Very fleeting sensation and doesn’t happen consistently at all but it’s interesting when I notice it.
Video games can alter reality
41–50 of 62 posts
Re: Video games can alter reality
#42Interesting reading the comments in this thread.
I've been part of the crowd that said loud and proud that "no, video games aren't making you more violent, and aren't destroying your soul". But here we are with a whole list of people who report that it has had a negative influence on their driving etc.
Re: Video games can alter reality
#43Well of course. This may not be exactly what the article is about, but regarding the general sentiment as per the title: For me at least, games give you a different world to escape to, same with any good movies, shows, books, and even music.
It was a big help for me growing up in a place where actual reality wasn't that exciting or even nice at all.
Re: Video games can alter reality
#44Not really what the article is talking about but once I was playing a shooter called Americas Army and there was a popular map called Bridge Crossing which is a bridge over a huge alpine canyon, I was camped on the edge behind a pylon and needed to cough up a loogie so I just turned my head and spat over the side. Couple of minutes later I realised I had in fact not spat off the bridge, but on my curtains back in real life
Re: Video games can alter reality
#45Interesting reading the comments in this thread. I've been part of the crowd that said loud and proud that "no, video games aren't making you more violent, and aren't destroying your soul". But here we are with a whole list of people who report that it has had a negative influence on their driving etc.
Like everything else there’s obviously nuance in that discussion.
Is it harmful to have hyper-realistic, graphic depictions of violence fed into your brain for hours on end? What absolute moron would say “absolutely not” to that?
It’s ridiculous. It’s junk food for your brain. Yes, I like violent video games every now and then, I’m a well balanced adult. I enjoy in moderation.
Now take some kid who’s being pumped full of SSRIs since he was five years old because mommy and daddy didn’t want to spend time reading to him so they just shoved an iPad in his face. Is that “absolutely” the same calculation?
It doesn’t mean we need to legislate or get government involved in anything.
But, at least being honest about the nuance would be a good start. It has to be bad for some people. That has to be acknowledged.
Re: Video games can alter reality
#46Jonathan Blow's The Witness is a notable example (minor spoiler alert)! Past a certain point in the game, it becomes REALLY challenging to just walk through the IRL woods without over-concentrating on things.
Great point! After playing that game I and a few friends were trading real-world photos of spots where we'd found examples of the in-game thing you're talking about.
Re: Video games can alter reality
#47Any experience can alter your perception of reality, it doens't change reality. That doesn't mean it can't be a problem that needs to be addressed. It can also be a benefit and help people experience situations that would be dangerous to experience in real life so they get the skills to deal with them without being in danger. Think airline pilots practicing airplane failures in a simulator. The professional airplane simulators are so detailed, it really looks and feels like being in a plane.
Re: Video games can alter reality
#48Interesting, anecdotally I would say all my more serious gaming friends hit this at some point. But it takes serious consecutive hours in game. Something interesting about VR gaming is the very heightened sense of spatial involvement. If I play a game on the screen I remember it as if I played it on a screen. But if I play in VR my instinct when reflecting on it is that I was there, in the game world. It can feel sil…
This reminds me that I need to try out Subnautica in VR.
Re: Video games can alter reality
#49I've been an avid gamer my entire life -- and I have never experienced anything like the Tetris effect (or GTP). Not even close, and I play a lot of games (averaging 20-30 hours a week sometimes).
Re: Video games can alter reality
#50Anecdotal story:
A long, long time ago when Grand Theft Auto 3 was new, I played a 9 hour session without distractions. Immediately after this over indulgence was completed, my mind was completely optimized for real-world fastest path object retrievals. I had to do grocery shopping. No steps in my path were wasted. Nothing but the items I wanted to buy were even seen to me. In what usually takes 30-40 minutes, I completed in 17, with nothing forgotten.