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All experiences are real.
It seems to speak for itself doesn't it? But wait, I am also thinking about TV, videogames, books and magazines, all equal to what is referred to as 'real experiences'.
What is it that separates what we see on TV from what we see in 'real life'? They are objects, shapes and forms that we would also see in real life. It uses sounds that are the same. The same signals are registered from our ears and eyes, whether it is true or synthetic. The way wind rustles the hair on our bodies and chill the skin in currents and streams can't be replicated by a TV set, but if it could replicate the same feeling, wouldn't it be the same?
The words in books can sometimes be so descriptive and well worded that we can almost imagine the swords grinding each other, the roar of a dragon in a dark cave, the feeling of someone sneaking up on you in a dark forest. Books, music and films can make the hair on your neck stand up, as well as incidents in real life. Do you think the difference matters to our brain?
All things considered, all external input becomes nothing but electric impulses to our brain. There was a scientific research made on the brains of London taxi drivers compared to the average guy. Taxi drivers must know well every nook and cranny of a city, and memorize massive maps. After doing this for years, the part of the brain that deals with navigation, the posterior hippocampus, had a serious swelling. The brain actually grew larger with the intake and memorisation of a specific type of information.
It is safe to assume that the same effect can be achieved with other things. Like movements, both seen and performed. Sounds; both heard and performed. Art, philosophy, math, martial arts, music or language. No matter what we take in, our brains enhance themselves depending on the information we gain, be it what we see or what we read. The school of life, so to speak.
What I’m getting at is that we learn and grow, no matter what we do. Some may grow faster, and take in more important input than others, but still; growth. Be aware of yourself and your own development. Seek to grow in what you lack. If you find something challenging, embrace it. Perfect, but don’t specialize. Move on and learn more.
‘Strive to become everything you can be’, should be the ideal.
Article by C Tyler
‘When man sees that technology is within reach...he achieves it like it's damn near instinctive’ – Masamune Shirow
‘If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then 'real' is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain’ – Andy and Larry Wachowski
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Ref.
Navigation-related structural change in the hippocampi of taxi drivers
- Eleanor A. Maguire, Ingrid S. Johnsrud. m.f.
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