Between the real and make-believe

When parents complain their children play too much computer games, the kids retort, Do you know this is a very complicated game? Within it is a whole new universe!

Well, now, how vast is the universe in your game?

You and I know that it’s only a world derived from the computer chips … a virtual world created for you by other people.

Those who take drugs also declare, The world is full of lurid, psychedelic colours. There‘re endless perceptions. We feel we’re floating in the air.

So, does that also mean the drug user’s universe is a kaleidoscopic one and therefore, like the youngster says, full of fun?

The truth is if we care to look there are indeed many different smaller worlds within this world we share.

The scene in our garden or bonsai, for instance. When we are in it and if we should allow our imagination runs rife, the pebbles, algae or the mini patio is akin to the real scenery.

Novels, plays, when we are obsessed with them, we become the protagonist in the stories. We would adapt their way of life, their happiness and sadness. Thus our imaginary worlds come into being.

The problem is, scenes in the bonsai or flower pot, novels, plays, video games and even after taking drugs gave us a world that is make-believe.

Although things in those little worlds may reflect things in real life, it can’t be taken to mean they are for real.

If you could think of all the activities with the computer are for passing the time, the use of drugs not included, of course in this case, occasionally you may find yourself engrossed in them which is understandable. Nothing is wrong when playing computer games allows you to relax in your imaginary world. But if we should make others’ make-believe world our own, it will be very wrong indeed.

Akin to the drug user who hallucinates himself flying and has actually jumped off the roof, the result is expected; he either died or injured himself; because his flying is in his imaginary world, while the jumping off the roof happens in the real world.

A more common example is when people drink to forget. Feeling tipsy and floating after a couple, they hope they could forget their pain and worries. The problem is afterwards he gets the headache on top of his old pain. He still needs to face the real world. Has his suffering disappeared after he got drunk? No.

Drinkers who pick up the bottle one after the other to drown in their sorrows would continuously allow themselves enter the make-believe world. By constantly doing that they might never be able to face real life again.

We need to warn our young people, particularly those who are obsessed with activities in the computer, not to mix up the imaginary world and the real one they live in.

It’s important that they must not confuse the life values of the imaginary world and those in the real world by applying one to the other.