In answer to Greg Pak's VISION MACHINE remix challenge. The complete original story is available for download at visionmachine.net. Probably best to read that before the "remix" below...
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Ps[iEye]ch
Yes, the iEye treatments I've developed have been in use by the VA for years now, and are presently being applied by therapists with great success in a wide spectrum of patients. It was back in 2057, under an exclusive arrangement with Sprout and a VA grant, that I began using iEye prototypes with my patients. These were pre-release models and weren't even called iEyes then. As a professor of psychology and a practicing therapist, I specialize in post-traumatic stress related issues and the use of regression hypnotherapy in examining and treating them. I designed an iEye program to help patients confront their experiences in controlled virtual re-creations. Sometimes cases would involve completely repressed or "lost" memories, so I would create a rough iEye animatic of their missing experience based on the accounts of other witnesses or resources. Then I would have the patient join me in this animatic vision and nine times out of ten, with some pre-vision hypnotic coaching, the patient would "color in" the details, and we could confront their traumatic experience together.
In my second generation of iEye aided therapy, I developed a library of miniEyemovies that I could "apply" in-session to patients to bring them to varying degrees of relaxation and submission via computer-controlled hypnotic and subliminal AV "injections," dancing lights and color accompanied by audio guidance in various frequencies. I conducted entire sessions within my own iEye office construct, remotely sometimes, altho only when absolutely necessary. In uncontrolled environments, even at home, some patients' involuntary reactions could pose inadvertent threats to themselves and others.
I began my third generation program of therapy after Sprout released the commercial iEye. This allowed me to aid my patients using re-creations provided by firsthand witnesses and participants. First I contacted these trauma characters and requested that they record and upload accounts for me to use. Then I found that personal interviews, with linked iEyes, provided even greater fidelity and detail. Most people were very happy to help me in my therapeutic project, but a few were reluctant to share their iEye viewpoints, which was completely understandable.
It was during these interviews that I learned I could somehow instinctively enter their iEye visions, undetected. In some cases, I could manipulate their visions in concert with my interview questions, helping to clarify their account of events, as well as apply my subliminals, as I would to patients, to ease them into a state where they could relive and recount details in an unedited fashion.
I know, it sounds a bit sinister, but after the fact, they leave with a clearer picture and memory of events, have provided great aid in the recovery and rehabilitation of a patient, and for my part, have lost or compromised nothing, as I regard confidentiality as an ultimate directive in all activities related to patient treatment.
I deduced that my prototype iEye, developed as it was specifically for therapy, is what allowed me to make these unannounced visits into others' visions. However, I eventually learned that this was not in fact the case. More on that just a bit later.
I soon discovered that this iEye sync capability was a great help in everyday life. I learned to visualize windows into iEye visions of anyone within a hundred meters of me. Early on I would have to focus on a person to visualize and then link, but eventually, I found I could pluck their visions out of the local ether, like channels or net stations, and browse them. I also developed more handy subliminal shortcuts, macros, if you will, that I could drop in to make things go my way. Clear a lane of traffic on the freelanes. Get a salesperson to offer the best possible price. Order off the menu at a restaurant whose maitre'd found me a table on a completely booked-up evening.
That really impresses the ladies.
Not that I really have to do all that much to impress them, thanks to some little pink macros I keep at the ready. As a proper gentleman, I do everything in my power to show a companion a wonderful time. Generous to a fault perhaps.
It's been years now that I've been working with the iEye therapy, and most of my research has led to a general acceptance of the device as a mental health therapy tool. Of course, I haven't shared all of my practices, but even without my shortcuts, iEye enhanced therapy has proven to be very successful across the board. I suspect that other practitioners have or will develop similar tools on their own. That's in the nature of the work.
Still, none would likely be quite as successful as I. You see, it turns out that the ability to enter and manipulate others' iEye visions is something biological, an innate and untapped psychic ability, awakened only by the stimulus of the iEye device. I learned this just a few months ago, when Jane, of Jane's World, began appearing to me within my own visions. She was like me, someone that Sprout called an "effective dreamer." A little flowery and vague a term if you ask me, but I'm sure Sprout poured millions into constructing the most mass-appealing term. Over the course of several sessions, she revealed to myself and a dozen or so other developing effective dreamers that the iEye network needed to be rebooted and rebuilt, organically, using our combined abilities to create a foundation stripped of the code that an increasingly paranoid government and almost pathologically voyeuristic consumer-feeding corporate complex had imposed upon it.
A lofty and right-minded crusade. But honestly, Jane had recruited more than enough mind-power for the job--as evidenced by her success!--and I felt that my ability to serve my patients might be compromised by my participation in such a revolution. So, I visited with Jane, and each of the other potentials, one-on-one and off-network, and erased all traces of their contact with me and any knowledge of my capabilities. I suspect that Jane's talent will allow her to find me again, but when she does, she will believe it is for the first time. When that happens, I'll decide then if I'm ready to come out.
I also planted a series of suggestive protections against their possible accidental interference with any part of my ongoing treatments. Simply put, I have a defense against any and all of their abilities to influence others in the iEye network. Subconsciously, they will know me for one of Jane's chosen ones and they will find themselves unable to manipulate any aspect of my vision worlds or my self.
In fact, it's probably best for everyone--society as a whole, I'm speaking of--if someone with my capabilities and wisdom remains out of the spotlight, unrecognized, held in reserve. An ace in the hole, perhaps, to be played against the certainly brewing counterstrike.
I might be the difference between freed minds and a Big Brother. If I were to appear on the scene at just the right, crucial moment in such a conflict, well, I might just save EVERYone... But--the situation would have to be dire indeed for that to pass.
I've been considering taking pre-emptive measures... You see, I have some strong connections on Capitol Hill, having consulted with Chavez early on regarding regulation and "open" practices surrounding the iEye. Perhaps I will take a little time out to visit the White House. Chavez has wanted me to visit with the President and other non-Sprout iEye experts to pick our brains, heh, as it were. It will give me an opportunity to do that to her, and make certain that she's seeking to strike back at the so-called Visionaries.
Oh, did I say "seeking?" Of course I meant "NOT seeking." And that's how you'll remember it when you report the properly edited version of this interview to your readers and viewers.
What they don't know won't hurt them, right?
Pak Man Productions.-----------------------------------------------------------
Kinda rushed, I know. It can use some editing and would benefit from just a little bit of research, but I felt I couldn't help it, as there is a looming mystery deadline if I want to qualify/win.
Gotta say. Pak has wonderfully extrapolated the potential for good and awesome in a fantastic technology of tomorrow with ingenious results. Like all great sci-fi, in creating a future, it comments on its seeds in today. I hope he takes it as compliment that for me it called to mind bits of Whedon's DOLLHOUSE in that feat, as well as built brilliantly on some what-I-thought-were-goofy ideas I've pondered on my own. Really good crack. =)
I first had "Heal Thyself" as a title, but as I rambled this out, it seemed to apply less and less. I ended up going with "Ps[iEye]ch" which I really like for the concept, but don't love for its execution in type. O well...
I hope you enjoyed.
* February 18, 2011. Update, via tweet from the Pak man himself!
.@cabinboy100 posts a #visionmachine inspired short story & gets a trade paperback! http://bit.ly/gOH7Hj Now your turn! http://bit.ly/hheEiAHuzzah!
Keep on keepin on~
