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diff --git a/essays/mock_risk_games.tex b/essays/mock_risk_games.tex index d08e387..70c45bf 100644 --- a/essays/mock_risk_games.tex +++ b/essays/mock_risk_games.tex @@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ \newcommand\lilskip{\vskip 0.3em} \chapter{Mock Risk Games} -\pagestyle{salnm} -\setheadrule{0.4pt} - Suppose you stand in front of a swinging door with a nail sticking out of it pointing at your face; and suppose you are prepared to jump back if the @@ -176,8 +173,6 @@ lattice to escape them. In developing the original games---and the present games---I had two objectives in mind. First, the experience of playing the games (as opposed to reading or analyzing them) must involve or compel you, must be vivid and immediate. Secondly, the misfortunes must be elegant, undreamed-of \enquote{explosions} of the natural order. These objectives, though, do not constitute a use for the games. The games can have many uses, beginning with amusement; and it remains to be seen what the most significant use will be.} \section{Intrusions} -\pagestyle{salpc} -\setheadrule{0.4pt} A noise in an adjacent room may intrude on a person playing a mock risk game, and affect his experience or state of being in a variety of ways. @@ -217,96 +212,42 @@ appropriate. \section{Mock Risk Games for Couples (Duo Games)} -In order for these games to -be successful, each of you has to have confidence that the other is actually -playing. If you lack this confidence, you forget the game and just watch out -for intrusions created by the other. +In order for these games to be successful, each of you has to have confidence that the other is actually playing. If you lack this confidence, you forget the game and just watch out for intrusions created by the other. \vskip 0.5em \begin{itemize}[label={}. wide, nosep, itemsep=0.5em] \item[\textbf{AA.}] Face each other at a distance and walk toward each other. \lilskip \begin{enumerate}[nosep,itemsep=0.5em] - \item The other's head flies off and hurtles at you like a cannonball. It can - swerve up or down, so that you will be hit unless you jump aside. The time - you have to jump is about the same no matter what your distance from the - other is, because the head accelerates rapidly. - \item Just as the other is putting his foot down to make a step, he suddenly - becomes so large that his foot is descending right over your head. At the - same time, the mental commands of each of you to your muscles begin to be - transmitted to the other's muscles rather than your own, and to be executed - by his muscles rather than by yours. Thus, you must jerk \enquote{your} / \enquote{his} foot - back, rather than complete the step, in order not to "step on your own - head." The two of you should walk in step, right foot with right and left - with left. Watch the other's feet and also watch above yourself---using your - vertical peripheral vision to do so. In short, if you suddenly see a giant foot - coming down on you, jerk \enquote{your} forward foot back. - \item (This misfortune is exceptionally complex, but there are good reasons for - the complexity, and it will repay study.) The consciousness of each of you - suddenly becomes located in the other's body and becomes hooked into the - other's receptors and muscles. At the same time, your body, which is now - \enquote{outside you} and which is under the other's control, becomes surrounded - by slowly moving beams of tissue-destroying radiation coming from the sides - of the room. The radiation is invisible, but the eyes you are seeing through - become sensitive to it. At the same time, the other mind loses its knowledge - of language. In order to save your body, under the other's blind control, - from blundering into a radiation beam, you have to communicate - pre-verbally to the other mind by every means from vocal cries to - pantomine, and get your-body/his-mind out of range of the radiation. When - the body is out, you will both be restored to normal. (The first thing to - anticipate is the basic shift in viewpoint by which you will be looking at - your own body from the other's position. There is no point in tensing your - muscles in preparatiton for the misfortune, because if it occurs, you will be - working with a strange set of muscles anyway. The next thing to prepare to - do is to spot the radiation beams; and then to yell, gesture, or - whatever--anything to get the \enquote{other} to avoid the radiation. Note finally - that neither player prepares for the possibility that he will be surrounded by - radiation. Each player prepares for the same role in an asymmetrical pas de - deux.) + \item The other's head flies off and hurtles at you like a cannonball. It can swerve up or down, so that you will be hit unless you jump aside. The time you have to jump is about the same no matter what your distance from the other is, because the head accelerates rapidly. + + \item Just as the other is putting his foot down to make a step, he suddenly becomes so large that his foot is descending right over your head. At the same time, the mental commands of each of you to your muscles begin to be transmitted to the other's muscles rather than your own, and to be executed by his muscles rather than by yours. Thus, you must jerk \enquote{your}\slash \enquote{his} foot back, rather than complete the step, in order not to "step on your own head." The two of you should walk in step, right foot with right and left with left. Watch the other's feet and also watch above yourself---using your vertical peripheral vision to do so. In short, if you suddenly see a giant foot coming down on you, jerk \enquote{your} forward foot back. + + \item (This misfortune is exceptionally complex, but there are good reasons for the complexity, and it will repay study.) The consciousness of each of you suddenly becomes located in the other's body and becomes hooked into the other's receptors and muscles. At the same time, your body, which is now \enquote{outside you} and which is under the other's control, becomes surrounded by slowly moving beams of tissue-destroying radiation coming from the sides of the room. The radiation is invisible, but the eyes you are seeing through become sensitive to it. At the same time, the other mind loses its knowledge of language. In order to save your body, under the other's blind control, from blundering into a radiation beam, you have to communicate pre-verbally to the other mind by every means from vocal cries to pantomime, and get your-body\slash his-mind out of range of the radiation. When the body is out, you will both be restored to normal. (The first thing to anticipate is the basic shift in viewpoint by which you will be looking at your own body from the other's position. There is no point in tensing your muscles in preparation for the misfortune, because if it occurs, you will be working with a strange set of muscles anyway. The next thing to prepare to do is to spot the radiation beams; and then to yell, gesture, or whatever--anything to get the \enquote{other} to avoid the radiation. Note finally that neither player prepares for the possibility that he will be surrounded by radiation. Each player prepares for the same role in an asymmetrical pas de deux.) \end{enumerate} \vskip 0.5em -\emph{Asymmetry:} The two of you play a given duo game, but each prepares -to evade a different misfortune. +\emph{Asymmetry:} The two of you play a given duo game, but each prepares to evade a different misfortune. \vskip 0.5em -\item[\textbf{AB.}] Stay awake with eyes closed for an agreed upon time between one -and fifteen minutes. Use a timer with an alarm. +\item[\textbf{AB.}] Stay awake with eyes closed for an agreed upon time between one and fifteen minutes. Use a timer with an alarm. + \vskip 0.5em + \begin{enumerate}[nosep,itemsep=0.5em] -\item Each suddenly has the other's entire present consciousness in addition to -his own, from perceptions to memories, ideologies, ambitions, and -everything else---threatening both with psychological shock. +\item Each suddenly has the other's entire present consciousness in addition to his own, from perceptions to memories, ideologies, ambitions, and everything else---threatening both with psychological shock. \lilskip -The couple must take up positions such that their sensory perceptions -are as nearly identical as possible. Beforehand, each must discuss with the -other the aspects of the other's attitude to the world which each must fears -having impused on his consciousness. During the game, each must think -about these aspects and try to prepare for them. - -\item Each suddenly relives the other's most intense past feelings of depression -and suicidal impulses. In other words, if five years ago the other attempted -suicide because he failed out of college, you suddenly have the consciousness -that \enquote{you} have just failed out of college, are totally worthless, and should -destroy yourself. Presumably the other has since learned to live with his past -disasters, but you do not have the defenses he has built up. You are -overwhelmed with a despair which the other felt in the past, and which is -incongruous with the rest of your consciousness. In summary, both of you -risk shock and suicidal impulses. Beforehand, of course, each must tell the -other of his worst past suicidal or depressed episode; and discuss anything -else that may minimize the risk of shock. +The couple must take up positions such that their sensory perceptions are as nearly identical as possible. Beforehand, each must discuss with the other the aspects of the other's attitude to the world which each must fears having impused on his consciousness. During the game, each must think about these aspects and try to prepare for them. + +\item Each suddenly relives the other's most intense past feelings of depression and suicidal impulses. In other words, if five years ago the other attempted suicide because he failed out of college, you suddenly have the consciousness that \enquote{you} have just failed out of college, are totally worthless, and should destroy yourself. Presumably the other has since learned to live with his past disasters, but you do not have the defenses he has built up. You are overwhelmed with a despair which the other felt in the past, and which is incongruous with the rest of your consciousness. In summary, both of you risk shock and suicidal impulses. Beforehand, of course, each must tell the other of his worst past suicidal or depressed episode; and discuss anything else that may minimize the risk of shock. \end{enumerate} \end{itemize} \section{Intrusions in Duo Games} -As before, distractions and modulations can be openly studied by -consent of the players. As for bogies, it is possible in duo games for one -player to create a bogy without warning, in effect acting as a saboteur. As -soon as a game is sabotaged, though, confidence is lost, and each player just -watches out for the other's bogies. Here are some sample intrusions. +As before, distractions and modulations can be openly studied by consent of the players. As for bogies, it is possible in duo games for one player to create a bogy without warning, in effect acting as a saboteur. As soon as a game is sabotaged, though, confidence is lost, and each player just watches out for the other's bogies. Here are some sample intrusions. \newcommand\rP[2]{\parbox{#1}{\raggedleft #2}} \newcommand\cP[2]{\parbox{#1}{\centering #2}} |