Thoughts about addiction...

Soul Intentions, along with "Devotion" and "Love Scene" are long playing couples pose ball love making scenes that are very detail oriented, and lifelike. Lots of animations, realistic and erotic.

I would say Soul Intentions is not a love making animation. More intimate hugs and touches but more PG compared to Love Scene which is very Mature.

A week or so ago, I was sitting in a Park, and there were several Small Children playing near by. One was a small girl of maybe three years of age, and she was doing what was natural to Three year old Children, Running about at Full tilt, and laughing like mad. I was watching her, and enjoying the fun she was having, when something else natural to three year olds happened. She tripped and fell to her hands and Knees on the pavement. At the exact moment her Knees, and hands hit the pavement I feld a Jold, and a Burning tingle in my Hands, and Knees as if I was the one who just Took the Fall. I was Intent, Watching her, perhaps experiencing some of her childhood joy by Proxy, when my brian suddenly told my body to prepare for the Impact. Blood rushed to the expected points of impact, and neurochemicals were released at lightening speeds to Dull the road Burn that was surely to Follow, But never did.

A Real Physiological reaction to something i was experiencing ONLY with my eyes. Its not the First time this has happened to me, Nor am i the Only person to whom this Occurs. Human beings have Powers of Empathy It's one of the things that makes us human. We watch romances on In the movies for that warm Glow, or action movies for the Adrenaline Rush. People feal Real fear from Horror movies. Other people watch Porno Films (Enough said there). We do all of these things because we enjoy the little neurochemical cocktail our body's treat us to when we can Convince our Minds that it's time for a release.

It's a Chemical. and like any Chemical Introduced into our metabolism, we CAN become addicted to it. We are familiar with the term "Adrenaline Junkie" It's Not far from the reality of the situation.

SL is a New experience It's a new way to vicariously share Feelings and emotions even if we never actually see or touch those we are sharing with. You Get a reaction in your own Body, based upon the aparent emotional state of the person with whom we are Interacting. They describe an intimate touch, We Imagine it, Our Minds Fill in the physical sensations based on Past experiences (Or in some cases merely the Anticipation of experiences to Come) Our minds can play tricks with it too, Turning for example, pain into a pleasurable experience.
Is the human Mind really so Suggestable? Fake a Yawn on a crowded Bus. Slowly scratch the tip pf our nose while Talking to someone. Run your fingertip lightly over your own Forearm while your Spouse is talking to you. Merely Mention >Get ready for it< Chewing tin foil, or running your fingernails down a Chalk board, and you will see Very Real Physical reactions in the person to whom you are speaking. All i have to do to Drive my spouse Nuts, is casually mention getting Sand in my bathing suit top at the beach, this causes a Flurry of scratching, and she actually has to Change the top she is wearing for the feelings to stop.

SL addiction is possible from a social standpoint, Craving the Contact, But it very much CAN be a Physical addiction as well. ANYTHING we do to excess, that is, when we begin isolating ourselves, neglecting personal, or household Hygine, or Forgetting our basic Nutritional needs in favor of Keeping up with the activity,,That's an Addiction that is reaching harmful proportion, and some action needs to be Taken to Moderate our Overuse.

Eve's right in her suggestion, addiction to SL can't be a good thing. Addiction it's self is Never a Good thing. Like any other addiction, you are half way to solving the problem when you recognize the signs in yourself, and realize you have a problem, and need to Change.

Angel.

Well said, Angel.
I'm degreed in Psychology, certified in internet addiction (yep, it's enough of an issue that counselors can get certified in it as a subspeciality now). There are as many answers as there are people experiencing this virtual world - no right or wrong, just different.

Addiction and responding to our avatars and others with real emotion are two different things. Someone can be addicted to SL and never interact with another person/avatar. And we can feel real emotion from our interactions with others in-world and not be addicted. Or any variation thereof.

I tear up at commercials, sometimes. Reading a letter from a friend. Hearing a beautiful piece of music. Visiting the Louvre and feeling like I had just really seen the color red for the first time. I am not always sure what's up with those reactions. Sometimes it's okay to just feel it.

Off my psychotherapeutic soapbox and off to look for Soul Intentions now

P.S. To Eveline or anyone interested...this topic has also come up on the Livejournal Second Life community. Some very interesting points of view and thoughtful discussion there as well.

not so much, part of it is freedom to try new things w/o repercussions, and part is "The uniform effect" where donning commonly accepted attire for a profession, induces the wearer to act as they feel such professions do... it's a well known and tested effect in psychology


the first part: I'm a bit weird in this respect, I have an unusal disconnect with language, I don't think in words, but rather concepts, usually emotionally based ones. so words to me (especially from those I have a connection to) do't come in as words, they come in as sensations, this makes reading novels very lively, but if a close friend types something like XXX slaps you for being a B^&*" my face will sting... people I'm not close to, can say anything, and it's just words, like it's not even directed at me, the concept is there, but not the feeling. something I think I developed as a child to avoid being traumatized by some peoples casual meaness

the second part: it is dangerous if abused or relied upon solely, but consider people with severe anxiety disorders as an example... they can have fairly normal emotional connections to friends w/o as much of that RL disorder rearing it's ugly head, for these people it's a godsend, and a way to work towards the RL equivalent... just one example


again it's that psychological effect of roleplaying... the costume gives us mental permission to act as we think our outwards appearance should act...

psychologists have done studies where they had a group of people dressed normally (street clothes) and exposed to a situation, then have the same group, (or different ones) change into medical attire, or police uniforms, or other "official" wear, and watched as they behaved differently, sometimes to surprising extremes. you are what you wear is a powerfully true concept, but only applies to the wearers perspective, which is modified by their preconception of the role/expectations that go with the attire

I expect you to be a very busy avatar as we move forward. I wonder how many Second Life/Internet addicts are really out there, afraid to admit the truth...

In reverse Order;
I agree here, But one CAN become addicted to "Artificially Induced" Emotional responses just as one can become addicted to their own Endorphins or Adrenaline Emotions DO have a neurochemical response within the body just as exercise, and/or pain does. Some Addictions, (Or perhaps the words obsession or compulsion would fit better) can be Purely Psychological as well. Since net addiction IS a recognized Syndrome now, IF it is a compulsion the cause is Obvious, but If it's a TRUE addiction, it should probably be seen to have similar root causes as other more Obvious ones. Tobacco, and Alchohol, to name a pair are partially due to the psychological dependancy, and partially due to the Chemical dependancy. For net addiction the Psychological Compulsion is, as i said obvious, but Where is the Chemical component? I feel it is most likely to be Present in the body's own neurochemical reactions to the artificial stimulation of emotions.


Universities also Offer degree courses in Klingonese, so that in it's self is no Promise of legitimacy, but i Tend to agree that Net addiction IS a Real issue as More Universities, and Medical professionals have Offered research, and Accreditation in that Specialty than have in Fantasy Linguistics.

Qapla'
Angel

don't forget lovely things like avoidance/excapism... I'll bet those 2 rank highly on on addiction factors...

have a stressful day? escape to SL!
can't face cleaning the house? escape to SL!
SO getting on your nerves? Avoid them by playing SL!

the psychological effect of avoiding stress can be just as addicting chemically as the emotional responses...

luckily I script and build so SL is just as stressful as RL for me =X
::glares at screen:; but that SHOULD work damnit! veQzha

Then SL becomes too stressful, so you escape to the forums. Then THEY get too stressful. Then you go back to RL with a fresh perspective.

Angel - wait... now I'm confused. Do Klingon neurochemical addictions differ from ours? So - you're saying, we need people like Avalon to become DOUBLE certified? Hardly seems fair...

Its call, monitor your time on sl and logoff when rl calls. doesnt make you anymore of a expert then the next person.
Kids have a problem with addition and online games these days. But if you had any real understanding about those that can`t either left their homes because of phyiscal or mentail disorders . And relies n sl as their main sourse of exposure to the outside world. Then you understand things better.

I think you can get addicted to SL, I for one got overwelmed with being a builder and running a business... I would absolutely HAVE to make at least one or two items a day. Other than that I didnt do a lot other than build build build... what it did is is start me to resent my partners time in SL even more..... thats all changed and I can happily say that I now enjoy SL for what it is ..... its a game ... yes their are people on the end with really feelings ...real emotions and you can effect them in so many different ways.
My Time in SL now is part of my RL experience and my RL experience has bennefited from being able to relax.

So as long as you can just "TURN IT OFF" you will be good..... if you cant do that .... then theres a RL problem.

And by the way .... " devotion " is a brilliant set .... made my heart blow when I saw it... very sensual and tender..... then I bought it for JUST the one person who means the most to me

Marty

Oh I know I am addicted. Then again I think it's still better for the brain to be active than vegging in front of reality shows and the like. My concern is more re sedentary lifestyle than anything else, I will be going to the gym soon.

"Initiative" is a very nice kiss set from Bits and Bobs ... who's on top? It's me! No now it's you ... it's me!

Agreed Cherry ........... TV is the killer .... I think SL can actually make you a bettr person in some respects ...after all its escapism

I'd agree with the above. I think the addictive element sort of eases off after you've got over the shock of how deeply emotionally engaging it can be (for most people i think).
If i dare say...i think you "learn" how to play after that. By that i mean how to be really close to people...maximum love with minimum pain..hard to explain!! And by love i don't really mean just cybersex
After that i think it can absolutely make you a better person.
I've got a full RL....I have a job that requires me to communicate well. But now i notice I strike up conversations with total strangers in RL more often. Also although i never was a particularly intolerant person...i'm more tolerant in RL now too.
For me its all about finding the balance...RL makes me what i am in SL..but for sure SL enhances and improves my RL too.

Neat lil' story about my use of SL:

I was showing my fiancee a neat lil' japanese sim while she stood behind me. I switched to "mouselook" and went thru the curtains of a bath house.

She noticed as my avatar passed beneath the curtains, I ducked physically in RL.

I guess even though we know consciously its "virtual", a part of our minds still get into the fantasy of it.



What if you're like me & keep the TV on right beside the monitor?
Cartoon Network 24/7 (except 1 hr Sunday night for Desperate Housewives)

Im slightly worse than that Tod ...... 2 monitors and have a TV decoder in the PC .....

So I can play SL ...browse the internet .. DJ AND watch TV ...

But its classic ...at work all day ...go home and veg in front of the TV till you fall asleep..

Personally I woulod rather be out having some fun .... or building.... rahte rthan vegging

Yes, true. I tend to group them together, as I've used Soul Intentions, as a lead in for the others. Thanks for clarifying Raymond.

I don't get to veg ever. There's some people who don't want me to ever sleep too!

It does mess with your perception tho. I went shopping for furniture rl the other day and was trying to justify not the price (very cheap, selling off stock before moving premises, got a rug which should have been £900 for £99, a £155 designer lamp for £10 and also a free rug which should have been £200 if it had not had coffee spilled on it. I'm not proud - pure wool rug for nothing = worth the carpet shampoo!).

I was thinking "Can I justify the prims, only have 130 left". D'OH!

er go BACK to RL? hmm must not have gotten that far in the chain yet =)

(so instead I went and edited the wiki for awhile, fixed some out of order pages, added an example or two... then back to SL, now back here... the wiki won't get hit twice though... THAT'S a stressful hobby)

Hmm, I use SL as a building platform. I'm running a reasonably successful business (makes me enough money to cover my tier with some left over), but when I work on projects for it I'm doing them for me, not on the basis of what I think I can sell.
That to me is great, as it's how a job should be, getting to do what you want, doing it as well as you can, and being rewarded for doing it, and hopefully entertaining people who like what I make. Though I don't care if people do, as long as I had fun making it, I won't lose any sleep over me being the only one who got any enjoyment out of it =)

I do engage in RP from time to time, but I do it as a form of entertainment rather than really being emotionally invested. Used to do it on message-board style places, is fun to do live. But my main interest in RP is battling words. I don't care what the subject is sometimes, so long as I feel I am roleplaying it well and using my vocabulary well.

I'm thinking that makes SL quite good for me, while I know I'm dealing with real people and try to respect them as such, ultimately SL is game for me. Perhaps rather selfish I know, but hey, I'm me. I build and script because it's fun for me, but the moment some drama hits I can happily ignore it because I honestly don't care. If my SL friends are affected then I may sympathise or offer support, but I will never take a stance with either side (unless it's out and out griefing, that's just despicable). My business is really just a good way to pay for the land I use in building, and a way to share what I do. I have no visions of quiting my real-life job with it. I do however treat it as professionally as I am able, trying to offer good customer service and support.
In fact, my business mostly came about by me thinking how cool it would be to make a store. I built the building, liked it. Built a vendor system, because I was interested to see if I could do it better than existing solutions, like it. Started putting in various bits and pieces I'd been working on and also liked, priced them as fairly as I could (my aim is not to undercut the competition, if I'm going to sell something I'd like it to go on its own merits).
And the end result is that I apparently have a business now =)

My exercise bike is in my living room where the TV is, so I can get my exercise and my TV in at the same time. It is definitely a concern, as a lot of us sit on our duffs for most of our workng day. I know several peole who are like Marty described, Computer with multiple screens, TV tuners, even multiple computers, they order their Pizzas online for Chrissakes. My machine is in a room with no other electronics, no TV, stereo, so I have to leave the computer to do anything.

I bought Devotion early on and haven't even used it, it was buried in my Inventory, forgotten. Bit's and Bob's is a great place.

Im IN IT ... so its my life ..... and i play SL so I guess theres not a lot of the day that im NOT in front of a PC in some manner or another.
But its depends what addiction is......, it doesnt have to be a negative... it can be used to serve a purpose. I suppose we can say we are addicted to work becasue we cant say no to it and get up everyday to do it ..... or to sleep .... or eating...

In my eyes addiction applies when you STOP doing something to do something else thats less important as said earlier (eat/sleep/person health)

But I ALSO believe that a large part of SL have hangups against something RL... maybe low self image or are trteated badly by thier real life spouse or bored.... they come to SL to get away ..... even the builders like me...eventually go ... "I need a break" becasue it all seems like work. I like to flirt ..... why? becasue my RL i dont/cant so in SL its the person that inside I AM, but i dont have the confidence to be.

So ....... I play SL .... and im and addict ....
at least i know *grin*

Marty

This is a very good thread, very good answers

Yes I am addicted to SL. Even after only a short amount of time in world I find myself thinking about SL and what I am going to do when I get online or i spend time in the forums discussing SL. But personally it doesn't detract from my RL.
Although I think about SL a lot, it doesn't stop me doing things. I won't refuse an invite from my RL friends just because I want to have a look at something in world. SL isn't going to disappear just because I chose that moment to do the washing up or something. My work doesn't use a lot of brain power so I will find my mind wandering while I am working. The work still gets done, and when needed I do really focus and forget SL, but SL is just the place I go to when my mind wonders.

My problem is that I am an escapist. I escape from RL through books or my PC. Very occasionally I will watch TV but I'd prefer to go for a walk than watch the soaps etc. I am not saying i have a bad RL, quite the contrary, but I need some place to express my creativity. Whether it is imagining a scene from a book (I can actually hear the voices and smell the flowers etc.) or exploring SL, I enter the world, not just mentally but it feels like it physically as well. I have a very active imagination and if I cannot express that, I have a tendency to get depressed (I am diagnosed with BiPolar). One of my biggest problems is that I want to see more of the world in the books. I want to experience what it would be like to live in times gone by, or an alternate reality. In SL I can do this.

I have very strong empathy as well. Not sympathy - there is a difference. I *feel* the heartache or the headache. Yes it may be an over active imagination but it means I can comfort people easier. This is partly why I escape to SL. It is harder for me to feel other people's pain when it is over the net. Although I submerge completely into SL, I don't have empathy there. I sympathise, sure, but I don't *feel* the slaps or falls in SL like I do in RL. It is another tools for my creativity. But that doesn't mean I am any less involved with my avatar. I don't treat her badly or anything, I just don't take everything to heart (I am not saying it is a bad thing, just not something I do).

This is why I am partly glad I can't get onto SL for a bit. It has given me a needed break so I can organise other things in my life. But I will definitely be going back in world. However I will definitely have to set myself limits

As much as people may be addicted to SL, I don't see it as being harmful. They are not antisocial - they are talking to people online. Provided you are getting the basics (food etc) and it doesn't seriously detract from other things in you life I don't see a problem with it.

I think this is one of the greatest problems in Second Life. The conflict between those who view it as a game, and therefore can do as they please, and those who view it as a place. It comes down to what rules and responsibilities you accept for your actions in Second Life. I've seen the "but it's just a game.." excuse used for some truly abysmal behavior. Obviously, I view Second Life as a place for people to meet. It's no different to me than any social enviroment in the real world.
I agree that we are all here for different reasons, different needs. That's as it should be be. I can do things in SL that I can't in RL. that's the attraction for me, but I try to act like a responsible human being at the same time.
I think that's the addictive quality of sl.. If your day goes bad, switch to another Av. If it goes very badly, turn off the machine. If only problems in rl were so simple.