variations on a/the me
to begin, i'd like to point out that i expect this to get rather longwinded (and probably at some point, incoherent), so consider this
dreams, trips, and movies
(or * are strange)
life takes a while to provide closure. it is an almost (and, even, inherently by certain definitions) openended thing. a movie, on the other hand, in telling a story (with a beginning, a middle, and an end) isn't. sometimes, for the sake of art, they are, but the masses don't seem to like that (except in the case of tv cliffhangers [and expected trilogies]?). movies are strange. the more dramatic, the stranger. the more natural in telling a dramatic story, the even stranger. there's a phenomena i've dubbed movie syndrome, which applies mostly to fictional characters but that can be applied to real people as well, when they're found to be behaving in accordance to it (which does happen).
it's hard to describe in words (not that i won't try), but is a very apparent type of behaviour (even less than that, attitude? point of view [that leads to motivation]?) upon observation. the best way to put it is that it's as though the character/person is in a movie (circular? sure. bullshit? i say nay). this entails a certain dramatic (oft) suspenseful or mysterious (not always with reason) disposition. otherwise, it's an adamantly irrational and purpose/plot-driven sort of approach to things. it's a suspension of logic in favour of atmosphere. an unspoken understanding, and a precise extrapolation of limited information. in some (fictional) cases, it seems as though it's done purposefully and/or with a sense of irony. usually, it's just overindulgence on someone's behalf.
in reality, it's kesey pulling people into his movie, or others unawarely (and in a subconcious quest for excitement?) wandering into their own, or yet others'. it's a kid's imagination, and a grown-up's sense of purpose. it's hand-me-down history, complete with exaggeration turned hyperbole and the same dramatic sense of story (b, m, e), taken seriously. a fisherman's tale, and the people who run off to participate and craft their own.
though both seem to be purpose/plot-driven, the main difference between the silver screen and the day to the day versions of this movie syndrome is that while the former displays this syndrome as a result of an ex machina (be it from [subjectively] above or below) as a means to an end (ultimately, a standalone piece [of art or experience], usually more specifically a story). in real life, such is not the case. things are not as clean cut. the actors have taken it upon themselves to behave this way; no writer or director provides their motivation. with no real communication (on this topic) between the people showing this behaviour, it'd be hard to imagine this has a clear goal or conclusion (or if it was, that there was any one reason for it). hold that thought for the moment.
one of my favourite things in life is dreaming. dreams are strange. i can't speak for others, i find dreams to display a large amount of movie syndrome. or the characters in them seem to, such that there is an air of movie in the air. there is purpose, vague and far out of reach as it may be. rationality is skewed or eschewed. there is a story, but with (and this might just me but, so far as i can remember, they've all had) no end (that is, no conclusion). in a way, they seem to have more of a reason that people behaving symptomatically, but then i'm not in those people's heads, so i can't say for sure.
i can comment on my head though, so i will. i've found acid invokes this very syndrome. since my trips, there've been numerous situations and people i've found bearing resemblance to that vibe (which i didn't being referring to as movie syndrome 'till the beginnings of the formulation of this theory [some months [has it been a year yet [or two?]?] ago]). on acid, and to lesser a degree (and not until i tried acid, i think) mushrooms and other entheo/hallucinogens. the similarities between the trips and the syndrome are striking. firm belief in unfounded things, rediculous amounts of extrapolation, a sense of purpose though to no clear end, and so on.
that dreams and trips bear this semblance seems only natural, as delriants (though quite a fair bit different than the rest of the hallucinogens) essentially result in a waking dream (and all that that entails). the most key point in concert between the two seems to be that it's not movie syndrome until you don't know that it is. i'm not sure if that discounts a lucid dream, as that's like a person who knows they're tripping; irrational unpurpose-driven behaviour is still possible.
makes me wonder about the shamanic trips of centuries past. were movies (or theatre before them [or books before them]) someone wanting to recount a dream or a trip? or are they movements in parrallel? we accept (low) sci-fi or generally fiction set in the future as being fantasy and however realistic, as not real. do we do the same with regards to historic fiction? are biographies an attempt to give a sense of structure to a mostly unstructured thing (and thus reflect oneself thereupon)? tangentially (and expnaded upon on another day), what is with the human compulsion to sort information?
i don't think this post is really going anywhere specific (hope i didn't mislead anyone). it's more a chance to get down some of the thoughts i've been working on for the past whatever while, and i think i've done that, for the most part. so, in conclusion, i'd like to leave you with a couple of old school words of wisdom (so let me just pass the mic:)
"everybody's rappin' like it's a commercial/acting like life is a big commercial" (that's right, they got it [and that was in the '90s!)
dreams, trips, and movies
(or * are strange)
life takes a while to provide closure. it is an almost (and, even, inherently by certain definitions) openended thing. a movie, on the other hand, in telling a story (with a beginning, a middle, and an end) isn't. sometimes, for the sake of art, they are, but the masses don't seem to like that (except in the case of tv cliffhangers [and expected trilogies]?). movies are strange. the more dramatic, the stranger. the more natural in telling a dramatic story, the even stranger. there's a phenomena i've dubbed movie syndrome, which applies mostly to fictional characters but that can be applied to real people as well, when they're found to be behaving in accordance to it (which does happen).
it's hard to describe in words (not that i won't try), but is a very apparent type of behaviour (even less than that, attitude? point of view [that leads to motivation]?) upon observation. the best way to put it is that it's as though the character/person is in a movie (circular? sure. bullshit? i say nay). this entails a certain dramatic (oft) suspenseful or mysterious (not always with reason) disposition. otherwise, it's an adamantly irrational and purpose/plot-driven sort of approach to things. it's a suspension of logic in favour of atmosphere. an unspoken understanding, and a precise extrapolation of limited information. in some (fictional) cases, it seems as though it's done purposefully and/or with a sense of irony. usually, it's just overindulgence on someone's behalf.
in reality, it's kesey pulling people into his movie, or others unawarely (and in a subconcious quest for excitement?) wandering into their own, or yet others'. it's a kid's imagination, and a grown-up's sense of purpose. it's hand-me-down history, complete with exaggeration turned hyperbole and the same dramatic sense of story (b, m, e), taken seriously. a fisherman's tale, and the people who run off to participate and craft their own.
though both seem to be purpose/plot-driven, the main difference between the silver screen and the day to the day versions of this movie syndrome is that while the former displays this syndrome as a result of an ex machina (be it from [subjectively] above or below) as a means to an end (ultimately, a standalone piece [of art or experience], usually more specifically a story). in real life, such is not the case. things are not as clean cut. the actors have taken it upon themselves to behave this way; no writer or director provides their motivation. with no real communication (on this topic) between the people showing this behaviour, it'd be hard to imagine this has a clear goal or conclusion (or if it was, that there was any one reason for it). hold that thought for the moment.
one of my favourite things in life is dreaming. dreams are strange. i can't speak for others, i find dreams to display a large amount of movie syndrome. or the characters in them seem to, such that there is an air of movie in the air. there is purpose, vague and far out of reach as it may be. rationality is skewed or eschewed. there is a story, but with (and this might just me but, so far as i can remember, they've all had) no end (that is, no conclusion). in a way, they seem to have more of a reason that people behaving symptomatically, but then i'm not in those people's heads, so i can't say for sure.
i can comment on my head though, so i will. i've found acid invokes this very syndrome. since my trips, there've been numerous situations and people i've found bearing resemblance to that vibe (which i didn't being referring to as movie syndrome 'till the beginnings of the formulation of this theory [some months [has it been a year yet [or two?]?] ago]). on acid, and to lesser a degree (and not until i tried acid, i think) mushrooms and other entheo/hallucinogens. the similarities between the trips and the syndrome are striking. firm belief in unfounded things, rediculous amounts of extrapolation, a sense of purpose though to no clear end, and so on.
that dreams and trips bear this semblance seems only natural, as delriants (though quite a fair bit different than the rest of the hallucinogens) essentially result in a waking dream (and all that that entails). the most key point in concert between the two seems to be that it's not movie syndrome until you don't know that it is. i'm not sure if that discounts a lucid dream, as that's like a person who knows they're tripping; irrational unpurpose-driven behaviour is still possible.
makes me wonder about the shamanic trips of centuries past. were movies (or theatre before them [or books before them]) someone wanting to recount a dream or a trip? or are they movements in parrallel? we accept (low) sci-fi or generally fiction set in the future as being fantasy and however realistic, as not real. do we do the same with regards to historic fiction? are biographies an attempt to give a sense of structure to a mostly unstructured thing (and thus reflect oneself thereupon)? tangentially (and expnaded upon on another day), what is with the human compulsion to sort information?
i don't think this post is really going anywhere specific (hope i didn't mislead anyone). it's more a chance to get down some of the thoughts i've been working on for the past whatever while, and i think i've done that, for the most part. so, in conclusion, i'd like to leave you with a couple of old school words of wisdom (so let me just pass the mic:)
"everybody's rappin' like it's a commercial/acting like life is a big commercial" (that's right, they got it [and that was in the '90s!)