Best Of

I’ve just been revisiting this thread, there are a lot of good posts in it. It surprises me that it just took an invitation from my cousin to turn all the talk of game ethics on its head and suck me back in… Phew, close call.

I think you’re right though @person when you talk about the dangers of disaffected males. Society is not well structured as it is, I’ve just read Gabor Maté’s book The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness and Healing in a Toxic Culture in which he talks about some of these things.

@FleaMarket said:
Here in much of the US people are not looked upon by leaders and peers in a positive way. We are often referred to by our own government as consumers, by our own bosses as liabilities and expenses, and the depth of our connection to friends is measured based on what value we can provide to them.

I think in a way those disaffected people still find much value in games, where they can be heroes and saviours of the common people. It’s one of the good things that games are still doing for society, keeping things from boiling over.

The thing is, does it turn into gaming addiction, with a lot of the accompanying symptoms of social isolation, long hours behind screens, poor diet and physical problems? That is also not an ideal way to live, and only a short distance to an opioid addiction.

The only option I keep returning to which holds any real value is going forth.

For me it is what connects me to the spiritual path. The pursuit of truth, freedom and happiness is ultimately much more important than games. And even now, twelve years later, I still feel the effects of my breakdown back then, I’m not as healed as I thought, still more sensitive to a lot of things than I was when I was thirty.

I think a major reason I did gravitate towards D&D was that, like you, I have a craving for some sort of game play. And playing computer games like WoW or Diablo create an addictive, isolating feeling inside. Its engrossing and rewarding while engaged but left me feeling worse.

D&D is an open, creative, social game, that lets you express whatever you like. I don't like the power fantasy, or wanton destruction. In the game I want to be able to explore and express parts of my own psychology I generally can't in the real world. Or try to get into the head of a psychology different than my own. In a more meta way, I wanted to socialize more, and doing so over an activity I feel comfortable with and people who share similar interests is more enjoyable than entering a space that I'm unfamiliar, disinterested in, or dislike because someone told me its superior. It allows me to engage with that interest in a way that is positive and additive to my life rather than subtractive.

Unlike other immersive games, you make of it what you want, you bring the goals and desires to the game, rather than it dictating them to you. You want to accumulate wealth and power, the game allows for that. You want to help make the game world a better place, the game allows for that too.

coincidentally I am listening to a podcast my doctor recommended to listen to. it talks about the brain's dopamine homeostasis balancing in the brain. It doesn't relate to the ethics of violent images but it is a great discussion of how (sadly) the fun part of games and other behaviors can get us into an addiction of sorts.

This week, we bring you the second part of our conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption, and how it alters our brains. She also shares techniques she’s learned from her patients to overcome the lure of addictive substances and behaviors.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hidden-brain/id1028908750?i=1000621434290

side note as I listen: the practice that many newbuddhists have been talking about of very cold showers is mentioned towards the end of the podcast. As pushing too much on the pleasure side can result in pain/addictions... So too pushing on the pain side (though not in excess) things like exercise or meditation or sitting in cold or even ice water pushing on this pain side of the brain can adjust the brain to generally tip the teeter totter back to a better feeling pleasure.

It sounds like you are in tune with your feelings @Jeroen, and making decisions based on some clear-minded reflections.

One thing I notice meditation does very well is put me in touch with my feelings to a greater degree. I become much more sensitive to emotional shifts and how things make me feel compared to when I don't meditate. The area it appeared most notably for me was in netflix shows I'd watch. I lost much of the enjoyment I'd once found in the violence and gore. I just had no stomach for it any more. Instead of it drawing me in to the show I just kept thinking "Why am I watching this? It's making me feel bad." Also interesting is after stopping meditating for a while some of that sensitivity went away and a, albeit limited, taste for violence returned.

@Jeroen said:
But it isn’t suited to my spiritual path, I don’t think… my inner senses are giving off warning signals that what I’m doing is not good for me.

The way I think it works:

If you continue down the path you are sensing is unwholesome, you will feel alright for a little while, but you are sure to experience suffering and be frustrated with yourself for a long while afterward.

If you discontinue going down the path you are sensing is unwholesome, you will feel frustrated and confused for a little while, but you will not experience suffering or frustration with yourself afterwards, and something else will fill the hole/energy/time previously filled by the former activity, hopefully and probably something better.