Proteus and Dionysus

I hope you all enjoyed a restful weekend. I know i had plenty to do and still have "miles to go before i sleep". The reading for today was a short on and highlighted the similarities between how people act in real life and in virtual environments. We are all affected by other perceptions of who we are. Have you ever felt guilty when you "let someone down" and then worked extra hard to please them? I know as a child that was often the case with my grades in math class.

As we mature we feel as if we have more control over the reins of our psyche. However as Dionysus proves to us we are only in control of half of what is really going on. The human psyche is a pretty complex thing, and something that humans don't yet fully understand. As Dionysus points out to us the hard lines between conscious and unconscious action and intent are often blurred. This is something the studies done on the Proteus effect have proven:
"Together, these two studies show that our virtual bodies can change how we interact with others in actual avatar-based online communities as well as in subsequent face-to-face interactions."

Furthermore, Proteus and Dionysus are closely related in their adaptability, versatility and mutability. These two divinities are hard to pin down in one form or another and both reflect aspects of the human psyche. Dionysus is largely representative of our unconscious mind and unacknowledged desires and intents, as well as our propensity to engage in "taboo" acts.

Just as the Proteus effect plays itself out in the virtual world, the Dionysian aspects of our unconscious also find ample ground on which to play. Much like the forest of the typical fairy tale, the virtual landscape is one upon which the normal rules do not apply. Magical and amazing things can happen there and it can be a land of transformation for our virtual, and actual selves. Heroes, dragons and damsels in distress all come to life; reawakening fantastic notions of what could be. Later in the week I'd like to look at the Mythic elements of what many online games are about as this explains much of the appeal. But after reading this article "On Crime and Crossdressing" i got thinking about on-line issues that would have serious implications in real life if carried out.

For tomorrow please take a look at: "The Ethics of On-line Gaming" and This site which belongs to a World of Warcraft guild in relation to Ethical communities.