Lecture on the Dreamscape virtual community as Medicine - Early 1997

This is a transcript of a lecture entitled "The Dreamscape virtual community as Medicine", hosted by Oracle Uni sometime in early 1997. It was recovered from an e-mail dated March 1997 and the contents of the email mentioned this was a recent lecture so the date here is an educated guess.

Oracle Uni: So today, finally, we are discussing the Dreamscape virtual community as Medicine.

Oracle Uni: In previous lectures, we considered two especially important phenomena: that of multiplicity of self and that of seepage.

Oracle Uni: We learned that who we are, both in the waking world and here in the virtual world, is not a set identity, but rather is a flowing among multiple identities and multiple ways of pesenting ourselves.

Oracle Uni: In fact there is a branch of Sociological theory that concerns itself with identity as a repertoire of masks, character roles, plots, and dramatic resources. Who we are, then, collectively and as individuals, is a result of the social context in which we find ourselves.

Oracle Uni: Of course, most of us will not be content with one simple story, one basic mask or one role. Rather it is our nature to develop a repertoire of roles and masks and configure and re-configure them as the situation demands.

Oracle Uni: The other important variable we have discussed in this course is that of seepage.

Oracle Uni: Seepage refers to the leak-through bnetween boundaries which occurs between our avatar and our ratava, and among our various avatars.

Oracle Uni: Leak-through, in the sense that the boundaries are unstable and who we are in one situational context adds to our repertoire and will no doubt be used in, or at least influence, our behavior and perceptions and self-identity in future contexts.

Oracle Uni: In a sense, it can be said, in fact, that our identity results from a dialogue among the multiple selves we juggle, among these various social contexts. Self is socially determined.

Oracle Uni: That is precisely why we put so much emphasis on interaction, here in the Dreamscape.

Oracle Uni: So what does all this have to do with the Dreamscape as Medicine?

Oracle Uni: Well, I believe that the dialogue engendered among our multiple selves, these socially constructed contextual-based selves, creates a kind of reflective surface, like a lake or a mirror, in whichto observe ourselves and our dreaming.

Oracle Uni: The nuances of our personal drama are revealed there.

Oracle Uni: What do I mean by personal drama?

Oracle Uni: Stanley Krippner and David Feinstein, two transpersonal psychologists, popularized the concept of personal mythology.

Oracle Uni: Personal mythology refers to our personal story.

Oracle Uni: In other words, how do we explain ourselves and our life to ourselves and to others.

Oracle Uni: When my ratava was a child, for example, I was the eldest of 5 children. I learned to think of myself as responsible, a leader, the one who needed to or orchestrate everything, the one who needed to resolve silly conflicts so we could regain peace in the family.

Oracle Uni: I therefore developed a personal mythology, a personal way of seeing and interpreting myself, in line with these expectations and responsibilities.

Oracle Uni: Take a moment, please, to think about the over-riding way you see yourself.

Oracle Uni: What is your personal mythology?

Oracle Uni: If you were telling your story as a fairytale, what would the major elements of this story be?

Oracle Uni: Are there unopposable giants facing you?

Oracle Uni: Are there witches always messing with your choices?

Oracle Uni: Is there an evil stepmother who keeps you sweeping cinders in a corner, thus preventing you from meeting the Prince of your dreams?

Oracle Uni: Or did you meet the Prince of your dreams and now you are pissed off that he isn't trating you like a princess all the time?

Oracle Uni: These issues are all part of your personal mythology.

Oracle Uni: Now personal mythology is not just a story, a fairy tale.

Oracle Uni: Rather it is the primary organizing factor of our lives.

Oracle Uni: It is what turns the chos into a novel, so to speak.

Oracle Uni: And it can be particularly indidious, dangerous, or it can be used for healing and life transformation.

Oracle Uni: The biggest danger is in NOT KNOWING and NOT RECOGNISING your personal mythology.

Oracle Uni: If it remains hidden in the shadows of your sub-conscious mind, then it is likely that you will become a slave to it rather than being able to use it as a healing tool.

Oracle Uni: This is where the importance of the Dreamscape as Medicine comes in. Here in the virtual community, you have a fine opportunity.

Oracle Uni: You can follow a few simple guidelines and from this you will be able, if you want, to determine what your story is, how you can improve upon it, how you can regain control of the scripts you act, and how you can heal.

Oracle Uni: Multiplicity and Seepage are resources we can use to great advantage.

Oracle Uni: The first step is to Get conscious and start observing.

Oracle Uni: I want to speak to your ratavas for a second, so if you avatars will just kick back for a brief moment and relax. <grin><grin>

Oracle Uni: Ratavas, I want you to look at your avatar, in your mind's eye, the avatar you sent off to class today.

Oracle Uni: Think of your avatar's body.

Oracle Uni: Think of your avatar's head.

Oracle Uni: What are the values that avatar lives by?

Oracle Uni: They may be quite different from yours, though they will likely have certain things in common.

Oracle Uni: What items and events does your avatar particularly enjoy.

Oracle Uni: Again, some may be in common with your ratava and some may be different entirely.

Oracle Uni: Now, ratavas, I want to ask you to do something, a little experiment.

Oracle Uni: I want you to stand up beside the computer you are presently using.

Oracle Uni: I want you to stand up and place your ratava body in a stance you feel is representative of your avatar.

Oracle Uni: Come on now, ratavas. I know if you are cooperating or not.

Oracle Uni: I am an Oracle. <grin><grin>

Oracle Uni: You too, NONOBADKITTY

Oracle Uni: Thank you.

Oracle Uni: Now what does it feel like to be in the body of your avatar?

Oracle Uni: What does that cat head or fox head or whatever head, feel like to your ratava.

Oracle Uni: Move for a moment in a way similar to how your avatar body moves.

Oracle Uni: Okay, Ratavas, you may now turn back control of your computers to the motivations of your avatar. Thank you for your kind attention.

Oracle Uni: What's wrong, Kaiserfuchs?

Kaiserfuchs: I broke through the ceiling while trying to fly

Oracle Uni: Oh dear!!!!!!!!

Oracle Uni: Well, I was once in the Himalayas and some lamas and yogis were meditating and they levitated a table so high that it smashed the roof right off the hut where they sat.

Oracle Uni: And the Rimpoche seemed little concerned. He just instructed them to build it higher.

Oracle Uni: So, Kaiserfuchs, I guess that is my advice to you, too. <grin><grin>

Kaiserfuchs: I will take that advice <grin><bow>

Oracle Uni: So it is necessary, then, to first get a feel for our avatar bodies and what that information can mean to our ratavas.

Oracle Uni: Next, it is crucial to observe, not only ourselves, but also our friends, those with whom we interact.

Oracle Uni: We do not live out our personal mythologies alone.

Oracle Uni: We live them out with and through others.

Oracle Uni: So in living out your personal mythology, in what roles do you normally place your friends.

Oracle Uni: They are supporting actors and actresses to your process. Becoming conscious of how you assign friends to play parts in your personal drama will reveal some important information about yourself.

Oracle Uni: And observe yourself also to find out how you are generally cast in the supporting roles of the personal dramas of your friends and colleagues. What parts do you seem to play repeatedly?

Oracle Uni: This is good information for you.

Oracle Uni: It will reveal more of your mythology to your conscious awareness.

Oracle Uni: Next, BE INTERACTIVE.

Oracle Uni: If self is formed through social context, then you obviously need to interact socially or you won't develop a healthy self.

Oracle Uni: If we do not engage in interactive relationships, we get stuck in the same old issues, the same old patterns, the same old tired motivations and assumptions we have always had.

Oracle Uni: Now when you formed your personal mythology, it was probably accurate for the social context in which you found yourself at that time it formed.

Oracle Uni: But surely your life is always changing and so should the mythologies by which you organize your life.

Oracle Uni: Engaging in interactive relationship frees us by moving the energy around us, making ourselves available to change.

Oracle Uni: Next, it is crucial to experiment.

Oracle Uni: Manipulate the variables.

Oracle Uni: What a delightful opportunity we have in the Dreamscape where with the mere click of a mouse we can change heads, ethnicity, gender, mobility, visibility, body type, social circle, discussion topic, crosscultural exposure, our presentations for success.

Oracle Uni: We have avatars whose ratavas are deaf and can hear here in the virtual world.

Oracle Uni: We have avatars whose ratavas are quadriplaegic and they can walk and jump and fly the same as everyone else, here in the Dreamscape.

Oracle Uni: We have avatars here whose ratavas are socially isolated for various reasons, in the waking world.

Oracle Uni: But here, they have friends and lovers and a sense of belonging.

Oracle Uni: They can access the whole planet, almost.

Oracle Uni: You are in control here in a way it is impossible to be in the waking world.

Oracle Uni: So, manipulate the variables.

Oracle Uni: Empower yourself.

Oracle Uni: Try something new and address that issue you have been ignoring too long. Find that owie, that pain, deep inside and think, "how can I create medicine for healing this, here in the Dreamscape, where the different physics allows me such flexibility?"

Oracle Uni: Then evaluate the results.

Oracle Uni: Identify patterns in your data.

Oracle Uni: Be a scientist.

Oracle Uni: Investigate yourself!

Oracle Uni: By integrating this information into your future motivations, we refine the drama of our multiple selves, both in the virtual community and in the waking world, as well.

Oracle Uni: Thank you. <bow><bow>