(Real) Reality is the Best Reality!

Dear friend,

A random thought: “real” reality is the best reality!

I’ve been super interested in virtual reality and augmented reality as of late, in terms of using it as a philosophical tool, to figure out how it could be used in certain contexts to help us live a more fulfilling and better life.

Here are some random thoughts:

First of all, no matter how good virtual reality technology gets, it will never have the dame “frame rate” as the real world. Also I believe there will always be a limit to simulations of the real world: consider the near impossibility of perfectly recreating certain smells, micro temperature differences, the feeling of depth perception, hearing echos in a room, uneven terrain, all the different wavelengths of colors, as well as other external stimuli we may not even know exists yet.

Yet at the same time, I am very hopeful and optimistic about virtual reality being a practical way to help some individuals treat symptoms of depression, anxiety, and mental suffering.

For example, there’s nothing that relaxes me and uplifts my soul more than seeing a Japanese Zen garden, or the sensation of seeing a breathtaking sunrise/sunset, or the feeling of being at the beach, sitting on the sand, hearing the sounds of the crashing ocean waves hit the beach (while meditating on the impermanence of life).

Imagine you’re stuck in the suburbs, or some grimy city (imagine the outside landscape looking like the “real” city of the Matrix, or something from Ready Player One). Then any individual with a standalone $200 Virtual Reality headset (Oculus Go) can escape the “crappy”/”real” reality for a while, and Zen out in a virtual environment, where they can play with rocks, grow trees, etc. Then when they reenter the real world, they can have that extra spark of motivation to do epic stuff in the real world.

I know for myself, after spending about 30 minutes to an hour in virtual reality, I actually see the real world with more appreciation and gratitude. I am amazed: the real world has the most vibrant and “retina” sharpness and colors, the real world has an infinite variety of surfaces, textures, intensities of light, etc.

So this is my theory:

Playing in virtual reality should be used as a tool for us to live “real life” with more gratitude and appreciation!

I’ve also realized that one of the best ways to “play” in the real world is by taking photos. Why? With photography, we are constantly exercising our visual acuity, we are exercising our faculty of depth perception, and we are also rearranging visual building blocks (composition).

Practical takeaways

So friend as a takeaway, some practical ideas and suggestions:

If you haven’t tried out virtual reality yet, try it out! It’s super interesting, and probably the most exciting and innovative technology I’ve ever experienced. Just try out an “Oculus Go” or the Samsung Gear VR headset. No need for the expensive Oculus Rift setup for the experience.
Watch the Matrix film, and ask yourself, “What is the difference between real and virtual reality?” In which ways is the virtual world better than the real world, and vice versa?
What sensations and external stimuli exist in the real world, which we couldn’t possibly simulate in the virtual world? And if we can simulate these sensations in the virtual world, in which ways will they come up short? Consider our faculties of haptic (touch) sensation, the precision of our fingers, our faculty of smell, depth perception, humidity and temperature perception, etc. Even take it a step further and ask yourself, “Are there certain sensations which add to our human intelligence?” (Nietzsche once pondered whether the nose might be more intelligent than our brains).
What makes being alive so great? What do you like about being alive?

Smile and live your life to the fullest, and then take it even further!

ERIC