Playing, feeling, learning

[McKitty]

Vanakkam everyone !

Well, I'm about to start a very unusual topic. Maybe it will absolutely not interest you but hey, it's worth trying, everything is good to share !
My studies are mainly artistic...As I am a graphist ! But my studies are about videogames too ! So, I'm going to talk about videogames....


"Hey look at me, I don't play, I'm too old, and I don't care !"

Well, no need to play or to know very well videogames, because in this topic I will try to explain and explore the meaning of some games I have played, that inspired me greatly in my life and in the path of Sanatana Dharma...Wait, Games and Sanatana Dharma ?! You'll see, you'll see ! :D
You still don't care ? I don't mind, you can stop reading here ~


" Seriously, videogames make people dumb, it's all about violence and shooting"

I got this one pretty daily ! Well if videogames makes people dumb, I must be the dumbest woman on earth since I started playing at 6 years old and never stopped since then ! (Well of course I stopped playing, I never stopped videogames xD)
This is another debate we can open if you want to discuss about.
About violence and shooting...Yes many games, and the most advertised ones are like this. And yes, this is quite sad. But not ALL games are like this, and I'm about to prove it !


"Still, games are pointless. Period"

This is your opinion, I respect it...But just keep in mind that playing is not something "artificial" to the human being. Even animals play to learn, little childrens play to learn things, videogames are a part of this playing for learning. Of course I'm not talking about letting your child play shooting games all day, this is not gonna learn him something great I think...But this is again another debate that does not belong here, and wait, what are you still doing here if you're not interested ? XD


....Hey ? You are still there ? Waow, thanks ! Let's get this started then !
The game I wish to talk about tonight is...Elite Beat Agents !

...Hey hey come back ! Don't mind the name, come baaack ! D: I'll explain everything !


"EBA" is a game that came out some years ago, in the Nintendo DS. This handheld console have two screens: one that is a regular screen, the other is tactile. You use a little stylus to interact direclty on the game by pressing, dragging, touching things in this second screen.

So, what is EBA about ? Well, it doesn't have a fixed scenario. But basically, you have a small earth like planet, and you can see big "HEEELP" on it. These HEELP are the people on the planet that have problems... You target one of them, and get immersed into a mini-story that explain the problem to you...

When bad emotions or too much attachement to things make people suffer, there is a moment when certain persons crack down. They are at the bottom, and from the deep part of their soul, they let a single cry roar: HEEEEELLLLLP !!!

And suddenly, from nowhere, you see on the second screen three funny guys in black suits coming. Everything become colorful, music comes from nowhere, and....They dance.
Yes, they just...dance.

Little bubbles appear on the screen and you have to touch them according to the rythm of the song. When you do everything good, you can see the story of the person you help improving on the other screen !
But if you are not into the rythm and fail to touch the bubbles at the right times...The agents get knocked down by all the bad emotions taking over the person, and you see the story on the other screen becoming worse.
You see, this is very simple !

Here is an exemple with a screenshot:
http://img11.hostingpics.net/pics/405193elbads031.jpg

You see: the story is happening on the first screen, and you have to touch the bubbles in rythm to help the agents dancing in the second screen.



"Uh yeah, so what, a rythm game ? Are you kidding me, I'm out"

Nononono stay here I'm not done with you ! :D

Yes, this seems to be a stupid humoristic rythm game. But the game creators wanted really to make more than a game, they wanted to tell a message to each player playing the game. In fact, it's more than happy and entertaining, those funny guys dancing have a lesson to tell to us.

Those "agents" are never directly involved in the story, they are not into the world where the story is happening. They are into the soul of the desperate persons, they are a flame that burn and dance with the sound to transform and trenscend emotions, to bring the individual on a higher state of thinking, of consciousness.

...Hey, does that ring a bell in your head ? =)

The emotions depicted in the game are devotion, despair, love, attachement to riches, loss of a family member, desperate fight...Those emotions flood the individual, making mess in his soul, in his head and in his life.

Then then individual turn to the sky, and shout for help, for something or someone to help him.

Slowly, the sound is the first thing to come. The songs are always choosen according to the story going on: village people, 80' rock, rock and roll or love song... The sound is the first thing to answer to the prayer of the individual. The atmosphere change, colors pop up.

Then the agents come (each time in some unexpected and funny manner) and raise arms in the air: the distressed person do the same, often crying. The power of the sound, and the cheering presence of the agents begin to transform this dispair, attachement, sadness into hope, courage, devotion and love.


What is sound, what is music ? Music is the very heart, the very feeling of the ones writing and playing it. Everyone have a favorite song that cheer him up, that make him remember that everything is worth fighting for in life. Should this be a bhajan or a pop song, everyone in the world listen to music. Sound have an effect on the soul of each people, sound have the power to create infinite emotions and to bring people to tears of emotion.

Sound, music are charged with power and feelings. What else can the voice of the soul can be ?

The agents in the game are the ones that can "hear" the souls, bring this music hidden in the deepest part of the human soul to light.
They dance on the music of the soul, amplifying it, burning the emotions. And by the fire, they purify it and transform it into something else. They are not only characters, they don't even have a story. They are just here, into everyone's heart, dancing to the endless music of the soul.

They dance to the rythm of life, to beginnings and endings.

Each story is different. A lost puppy wanting to get home, a sick athlete that can't attend to his competition, a girl that don't know how to tell her friend that she loves him, a rich man ending very poor, A mother trying to fulfill her son's wish, a fallen superstar redemption...

Each story learn to us not to be too much attached to temporary things. The agents learned me that I always have to give everything I have in my work, regarding the difficulties. They learned to me that from nothing, we have the power to get everything. They learned to me that we always have to believe in that flame into us, to never let go.
They made me laugh so much too !

Then, thanks to this game, I understand more easily the neverending dance of Lord Shiva. He is into each of us, dancing and burning, the dance that transform everything...And once you become aware of this dance into you, the sound never stop.

But there is something else: when facing too much dispair, too much negativity by too much people, the agents cannot help everyone individually...When a mass disaster fall on earth, they cannot manage to control the flame that slowly die, with the music...They cannot help, they are knocked down, their power without effect.
Then, driven by love and devotion, people suddenly begin to stick together and overcome fear and distress.

The agents cannot help each soul...But when people unite together, driven by the same goal, the same emotions, they realize that all those souls are just one and the same.
They feed this soul, and their power come from this soul...In fact, the agents and the music are one and the same, like God is not different than the soul.

What make the agents dance, and move, is action from the player. Shakti is action: the player cannot, by action alone, resolve the problem. But the agents, without action, are staying still. The association between the player (Action) and the agents (Potential, control) create everything.

As a conclusion, here is an exemple of a little story in the game: the story of a little girl that lost her father...From sadness, with devotion, she comes to love and hope.
This is a very touching story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26i8Qkj4BSc

Here is a less serious story, but that learn us courage, kindness and that travels can learn many things to us...Through the story of a lost little dog !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Myb6W06oY&feature=related

Everyone have his point of view: a game's first aim is to entertain and make people feel emotions. But their creators, artists, writer and dreamers at the same time, always want to talk about something deeper. Something that touch our feelings, make us think and understand better about ourselves and others.


If you have read everything...Well, thank you from the deep of my heart ! If you have anything to say, any question to ask, just feel free to do. If it interest you to know more, I will talk about another game based on the principles of Jung philosophy, and very inspiring about some subjects like Ego, Ishta and Brahman...

I do not know everything. Like a child. I try to understand and learn, like a child. And I do it like every child do it: playing.


Thank you very much !


Aum Namah Shivaya

[Obelisk]

Namaste McKitty,

Great post. :) Nice to see you're so enthusiastic about video games! It's a regular hobby of mine as well - I've been gaming since I was 5 or so, when I first received a Sega Game Gear as a gift. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 remains one of my all-time favourites. :D

I think games are often generalized a lot. Yes, there are a lot which feature an appalling amount of violence, profanity and obscene content. But the guns-and-blood types are simply a very small part of the area. The genre is very wide - there are puzzle, adventure, educational, arcade and sports based games as well, to name a few. Personally I've learned so much by trying out all those brain-teasing puzzle games on SNES and Genesis. Even Pokemon games require the player to think a lot about the various strengths/weaknesses/elemental types in their team, while carefully raising of their Pokemon. It's great fun and you also get something to learn alongside.

Thanks for the information about EBA - looks very interesting. :) I'll definitely check it out when I get the time. I found even the Mass Effect series to have a philosophical side. Music does indeed play a big part in these games - Michael Land's soothing score from the "Dig" games is a real favourite of mine, even away from the game.

[IcyCosmic]

Hey Kitty, I'm also a avid gamer. I own all the consoles! The only games I played on DS were Zelda, Pokemon & Mario though - I did play elite beat agents at a friends house.

Have you played HEAVY RAIN for the PS3 by any chance? Absolutely amazing story driven game.

and heres a recommendation from me to you - I'm sure you will really like this game. It's a indie PC game - the gameplay is just a means to get from one point to the other with super nintedo esque graphics but the music and story is absolutely jaw dropping! 'To the Moon'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqkJuSV-23U

[McKitty]

Vanakkam!

Thank you for your comments, it's funny to see others players here ! =D
Well, I play since the age of 5, first on NES with the first castlevania ans mario bros too !

I know heavy rain but never played it yet ! (Shame on me since it's french x3)
I usually play eastern games, because at a time eastern games were the almost only games that proposed an emotionnal expérience, a deep meaning, when western games were more focused on action. I do not deny that a few western exceptions were made (soul reaver. ..)

But nowadays it's very different, with indie developers success for exemple! People can make games full id meaning, sense and beauty wthout to much risks.

I usually get my games second hand (cheaaaper <__<) and from NA and japan, as the games I like don't reach Europe...but this make us discover very interesting works, l'une The world end with you, okami, shadow of the colossus, persona. ...

And yeah, I agree for pokemon! When you look a little deeper in the game, you realise it is full of learning and feelings....even today I don't know why, when I play, I end up so much attached to those little guys ^^

[IcyCosmic]

Vanakkam!

Thank you for your comments, it's funny to see others players here ! =D
Well, I play since the age of 5, first on NES with the first castlevania ans mario bros too !

I know heavy rain but never played it yet ! (Shame on me since it's french x3)
I usually play eastern games, because at a time eastern games were the almost only games that proposed an emotionnal expérience, a deep meaning, when western games were more focused on action. I do not deny that a few western exceptions were made (soul reaver. ..)

But nowadays it's very different, with indie developers success for exemple! People can make games full id meaning, sense and beauty wthout to much risks.

I usually get my games second hand (cheaaaper <__<) and from NA and japan, as the games I like don't reach Europe...but this make us discover very interesting works, l'une The world end with you, okami, shadow of the colossus, persona. ...

And yeah, I agree for pokemon! When you look a little deeper in the game, you realise it is full of learning and feelings....even today I don't know why, when I play, I end up so much attached to those little guys ^^

I started on Nintendo too! Playing mario with my mum xD
Playstation eventually became my favourite console line though :P
H'aww play heavy rain! TWEWY, Shadow of the colossus, and ICO are all awesome.

Are you aware of The last guardian? (Devs of ICO and shadow of the colossus' new game). I'm really looking forward to that.
Oh and you should check out 'Journey' and 'Flower' also they are downloadable titles on Playstation store. Check them on youtube.

[Equinox]

Vannakkam McKitty,

That's an interesting way of connecting the deeper meaning of the videogame to Sanatana Dharma.

I enjoy playing the Sims series and GTA! It's definitely awesome fun but takes so much of what little time I have. :D I end up glued to the game and procrastinate the important stuff I have to do. Haha!

[McKitty]

Vanakkam,


Yes, I have heard of The last Guardian...The man behind Ico and Shadow of th Colossus is a really great artist, unfortunately he leaved the studio some months ago. The last Guardian had many and many problems, half of the team left, no money, no time...
But Sony annonced that the game WILL be finished. However, I am afraid this will be the last of this great poet....

Aaaah Flower ! Playing Flower, it is truly meditation ! So calm, so beautiful...Playing just the wind, exploring beautiful landscape, touching flowers...And ending up as a wind or petals ! This is really peaceful.

I plan on buying Journey soon. This is just....This is what I call art. And by reducing communication between players to it's minimum (only music/sound) it's a great idea, a simple and peacegful experience.

Just read reactions of the players to see by yourself:

"In the heaven level we spent a full 30 minutes just dancing and climbing higher and higher, singing to keep ourselves aloft. When we couldn’t go any higher, we drifted down together and landed in front of the light together. He drew me a heart and I showed him how to dance at the very end when your scarf is gone. The whole time he was pushing me around I had the biggest smile on my face."


"My most emotional connection in the game was to my first White Cloak, MT_HH. They showed me everything, and followed me when I fell, pushed off the ledge by a gust of wind. They didn’t have to, could have just waited for me at the top, but I suppose the Mentors get as emotionally invested as the Novices in this game.
When we came to the end Neither of us wanted to go into the light, not yet. We ran around each other drawing Hearts in the snow, connecting our drawn hearts to one another’s.
I was surprised how easy it was to communicate in this game and that simple noises and limited gestures could evoke such a strong emotional attachment to anonymous strangers I have never met before. Watching your companion near death is heart breaking, and so too is walking with them into the light as you chirp goodbye."




Here is a short, simple video presenting the game:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57kDiPVQ9n0&feature=relmfu




I think that if I play this game, I will cry x3




This is what real game is. Meeting people from all around heart. Creating a very strong bond with them, cultural barriers, difference of sex, language, age, is completely forgotten when you play games like journey.


Bounding with a total stranger from the other side of earth, without even talking, just with sound, music and little gesture....Smile with them, laugh with them, and in the end crying when the game is ending, when you will be separated, hoping maybe one day in another journey you'll meet again.


This, mister, misses that don't play and still think videogames are stupid and violents, this is what videogames really are.


The simple power to put total stranger together, united in their goals and emotions.


In a society when dozen of people are watching others being raped or dying in the subways and the street, those games remind us what we, humans being, really are for each other. Brothers.



This is for what I am born for. This is what because I was gifted with drawing/painting skills. This is why I study so hard....For making videogames. If one day I work on a game like Journey, if one day I have the privilege to give birth to a world like this, to put humanity and feelings in the player hands, to make him laugh, cry, experiment things...This simple thing will be be the achivement of my life.
I truly live only for this day.

Ahah this is so stupid, I'm crying now !


Aum Namah Shivaya

[Obelisk]

Namaste,

Thank you for all the nice recommendations, will certainly check them out when I get time. I've been addicted to the Modern Warfare trilogy since some time; this will be a good change. :D

[McKitty]

Vanakkam everyone !

Well, I wanted to talk about Persona 3, which is a game with a very deep meaning as it is based on Jungian psychology and, in fact, very linked with some principles of Satana Dharma, but I really want to give something very good and I feel like I need a little more time and preparation for this one...Sorry !

But since we are talking about "little" games (not very well known) Let me talk about Ghost Trick !

This game is much more scenario oriented than the others, but it have a great place for thinking, logic, and I swear it really worth it. I made me smile and even cry in the end ! But what makes this game unlike the others...

...It's that it talk about Death. Everything is centered around Death. First of all, who's Death ? Well.......yours !

Yes, you, the main character of the game...And you don't have to see or do anything: you are just dead. Here. In a junkyard. At night. No explainations, nothing, just dead here.

But, you are not alone in this junkyard !

A woman is being treatened by a killer...Is it him that killed you ? Who are they ? You don't know. As your corpse is being thrown away in the junkyard, you see the woman's dying, killed by the man.

What's happening ? Why do you still have counsciousness, you're dead ! Why this woman has to be killed ? You try to raise your own body, feeling trapped in it, by nothing move. You are alone.

Well, not so alone...

A desk lamp is suddenly talking to you. Yes, a desk lamp, talking in your head. He explains to you that you are now a ghost...A lost soul, trapped in the ignorance of it's own death, of it's own identity.
This is the moment when you realize that you know nothing. You don't know who you were, how you're dead, where you are, the only thing you know i that your name is Sissel.
The desk lamp, another ghost, guide you. He explains that now, time is precious. The only mean to change things, to have peace is to discover what happened...But ! Sissel only have a night for this. At dawn, His soul will merge with the sunlight, and disappear forever.

How can you do anything, trapped in this junkyard, in this dead body !

Well, explains the desk lamp, you are kind of a special ghost. Something very unsual happened when you died ... What ? You'll have to discover. But this special thing gave you the power of the Dead. It varies from ghost to ghost, but there powers will be you only mean to communicate with the world around you.

Yes, as a ghost, you cannot wonder around and throw things like a poltergeist !

Sissel's powers will be your only mean to solve everything. His only mean to move, is to possess objects.

http://www.148apps.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Ghost-Trick-4.jpg

EXACTLY !

You transfer your soul from the body to a nearby can, then from the can to a bicycle, then from the bicycle to a fridge, then from the fridge....What ? The next object is out of the reach of your little ghost arm ! What to do !
It's another power of Sissel: he can use objects. For exemple, with his power, he can open the fridge's door, putting him more close to his next target to posess !
But Sissel can only "use" the objects the way they are made. If he possess a lamp, he will be able to turn on, or off the light. If he posess a door, he will be able to open and close it...
But he can't do something that is against the nature of the object. For exemple, he cannot move or making fly the fridge !

Well, moving by possessing objects to objects is quite slow in a so big city !
Another power of Sissel is to possess telephones, and using the cables or signal to travel from a phone to another...Very useful to follow some people and travel fast from a place to another !

But the most important power Sissel have...Is linked with time. During the game, you will often come too late or be unable to help people getting killed...Your are ghost ! Sometimes, very important people that hold the truth will be killed before your eyes, what to do !
Well, you can rewind time...4 minutes before the death of those people. You have 4 minutes to prevent those death, to change fate, only by possessing and "using" objects correctly.

You will say, "well he just have to possess the killer and make him stop!"
Sissel is not an all powerful being, and his powers are also darkened by the ignorance in his soul...So he can't possess people. But, by connecting his soul to another's living person soul, he is able to talk by telepathy with them.
The girl you see killed in the junkyard will be the first you will help, and the first ally you will have to discover the truth before dawn...

http://www.sitsam.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Ghost-Trick-story.jpg


In fact the game is a little more deeper than that. You will "meet" many characters, with different motives...So what's the link between a young lady craving for justice, a detective only interested in his spotless carrier, a terrible dicator from another country, a happy dog, a young innocent girl, a chicken, and the fall of a meteorite in a parc ten years ago ?
Everything is linked...And especially linked to you.


What is interesting to see, is that the "soul", drowned in ignorance and confusion, often identificate itself with the mortal body, the jiva. The soul try to cling to something that seems real to it, but in the end, it's not REALLY what the soul is...




From here, BIG SPOILERS. For those playing the game or wishing to, please, do not read from here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------


For exemple the second or third time the girl die, and when Sissel enter her body to communicate with her soul, her soul think she is one of her friends, and takes his appearance...Sissel have to explain to her that she is not him, and to wake up to her real self.

In the nearly end of the game, you learn that Sissel is NOT this guy in red with strange hair...Sissel's soul took the appearence of the corpse, convinced this was HIM, but in fact....It wasn't his corpse. His soul believed so hard it was him, that all the time he was still in ignorance and confusion, unable to shed light correctly into all of this.
Cheered up by the girl, Lynne, who became her "living" friend, able to talk to him with telepathy, he still have the will to fight until dawn to discover WHO he is.

He see his body, the one he abandoned in the junkyard, moving, acting like it was alive...With another soul in it ! What's happening ? This is where everything unfold: the man in red with the blonde hair is not you. He is Yomiel, another ghost, dead ten years ago. He is dead driven by vengeance and hate, and became a very very powerful ghost, able to move its own dead body, to possess and manipulate people, and to act directly in the world of the livings by those means.

What's happening ? How did you end up in HIS body ? Who are you !

Ten years ago...A genius programmer was arrested, accused to be a spy...the man was just an ordinary man, with a fiancee, a normal life, innocent. A young detective, driven by his arrogance and ego, pushed him too far during interrogation, and planted the seeds of despair into the young man heart...The detective had to leave the room in a hurry, and he forgot his weapon on the table...
Driven by despair, the young man take the pistol and run away.
He is followed to a park by a older detective, asking him to stop. The young man take a little girl in hostage, begging the detective to believe he was innocent.
In that moment, God, or fate, played a trick.
That night a little meteorite fell into the park. The atmosphere broke this meteorite in many parts...And one of it's shard sank into the young man's heart. He fell, dying instantly. The old detective couldn't do anything for the man, he took the little girl with him.

The corpse of the young man was examined by a doctor. The doctor tried to warn the detective that something was going wrong: he couldn't open the young man's body, as it was healed instantly ! Suddenly one day, the corpse just ran away. The affair was kept secret...

The meteorite shard killed the young man...His soul became separate from his body, but something strange happened. The radiations into the meteorite poisoned his body, and now, his "shell" is frozen in time. His body endlessly repeting this cycle of death, life, death, life, his soul condemened to revive this feeling endlessly.
The man, officially dead to the world, wandered aimlessly...Until a moment he wanted not to be lonely anymore, and to return to it's life. After all, he was dead but it's soul was here ! His body wasn't really dead or alive, but he was here ! He could just continue to live as if nothing happened...
...So he came back to his house to meet his fiancee. But she has already committed suicide. She was so deperatly in love with him that she wanted to join him in death. But her soul was not here, she left to merge with the Ocean, but he was trapped here, unable to join her.

Hate began to rise in him. Being alone, unable to live with the livings, but unable to join eternity, drove him sickly lonely and nearly mad.
He came back to the park, craving for vengeance, decided to detroy the lives of everyone that came in his path ten years ago...
In the park he met a little abandoned kitty. His heart melt, seeing a being like him, rejected by cats and humans, alone in the world, begging for someone to help him, to comfort him.
He took the cat with him, it became it's only friend....But during all those years he planned vengeance.
He killed the wife of the old detective by his ghost tricks, in front of his little girl. He manipulated the proofs to put the old detective in prison, waiting for death sentence.
He made a pact with an dictator from another country, promising him to give him it's powers in exchange for a new body, a new identity, a new family, and all made up new fake life. He asked the dictator to send hitmens to kill the young inspector that led him to dispair, to get rid of everyone linked with the meteorite ten years ago.
He finally came to the junkyard for his final act. He asked the little girl he took in hostage ten years ago to come. She was a woman now, a young detective.
He stood in front of her, with his cat friend in his bag. The man, with his powers, transfered his soul into the woman's body. He possessed her, forcing her to point her gun at his body. He made her fire, but her will was strong and she missed him...
...But she shot in the bag where the kitty was.
He made her shot a second time, and shot the empty body of the man. The man's soul ran away into the dead cat body, waiting for the appropriate time...The camera recorded everything, he wanted her accused of murder and her life detroyed.

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lunxo9MLC61qi7p6b.png

But he forgot his little friend in the bag that got shot...Yes, the soul of the little cat, exposed the radiations emitted by the meteorite's shard in the body of the man, woke up.

"who am I ? Who is this man standing here dead ? This body must be me...I am dead ! So I am this man, and I am dead ! And who is this young girl ? I have to save her !"

This is where the game begin. You are Sissel...Yomiel's cat. An innocent and caring being, that will help everyone that night, making Yomiel's plan falling apart. Finally, with Sissel's hope and efforts, everything will change...Yomiel's hate and desire for destruction will vanish, softened by the compassion of you, Sissel. Softened by the sincere tears of the young girl.

Instead of blaming him for it's acts, the young girl saw what was really bounding the soul of Yomiel in this world: an unbearable pain, solitude, and injustice.

Despite all the bad acts of Yomiel, she shared his pain in her soul and sincerely cried for him. A little peace dawned in Yomiel's soul, and finally he find hope again. Hope that everything can be changed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------



So what is important in ouselves ? Now that you know the main protagonists and their roles,what can we learn from a game were death is so present ?

Death and fate are not finished states. They are not "fixed", frozen in a certain shape and we are not totally bound by them.
Is Yomiel the bad guy ?
The aim in the end of the game is not to "banish" his soul, to send him to hell, or to get rid of him and watching a happy end.

Manicheism is always seen in many western games and movies, where the aim is to get rid of the bad guy to establish peace or to solve the problem. In many games there is black, and white. the character Yomiel is much more amibiguous, and there is no white, no black, just shades of grey in every character in this game.

The bad actions of Yomiel (killing, hate, revenge) are the result of a chain reaction: first despair, despair become sadness, sadness become pain, pain become hate.

The actions that affect the ego turn first those bad feelings into oneself (despair, pain, sadness are introverted, it is a inner wish to hurt yourself) but if the soul stay in ignorance and go deeper into those bad feelings, it become something that turns against others (when hurting oneself is not enough anymore, we want to hurt others)

Yomiel represent someone that does not see, and does not want to admit the Oneness. He reside essentially within the Ego, meaning he is convinced that he is always alone, forgotten. He sees himself like a broken toy discarded with cruelty, and his Ego, prevailing all his being, want to desperately let everyone know he exists by those meanings.
Someone that doesn't see the Oneness think he is always alone, that there's no escape and no mean to change or to rely on anything.

When the young woman, Lynne, burst in tears for him, there is a small process of realization. Yomiel realize that, in fact, what is inside his soul is not his unique property, it's not what he is. He discover that in fact, every souls share each others feelings, emotions, all souls are one same. Despite different individuality, all are One.

Yomiel had to pay his actions, his karma: that is why he end up betrayed by the dictator and loosing his powers and his dead-alive body. But God never watch his children enduring suffering, God does not enjoy punishment. Yomiel could just have been punished and banished to hell or something, "because he is the bad guy", but it does not happen.

Yomiel have to bear the rotten fruits of his karma, and he fully accept it once he realize. But the actions of Sissel, that changed whole fates, acting with pure compassion ("I cannot let this happen" "I have to help those people", "I don't want anyone to suffer") destroyed some of Yomiel's plans, and permitted to Lynne and Yomiel to meet. This is at my eyes the actions God take to lift someone up, to "heal" a little it's karma. Because God does not enjoy suffering and act with compassion, as a loving child, father, or friend (Sissel on his living life, was the only faithful friend of Yomiel)

Sissel permitted to change fate and to make Yomiel and Lynne metting. The tears of Lynne washed the soul of Yomiel of it's impurities, his hate, his sadness, and make him realize it's actions.


One who enjoy himself in attachement to the world (fiancee, pain, sadness...) and refuse to see the Oneness and the others ("I am this body, I am my Ego") are like Yomiel: when something in your life happen suddenly, you find that you don't have anything but what bound you in this world. Yomiel could not see God because of his Ego, so he ran to his fiancee. But his fiancee wasn't here anymore, so, without anything to believe, to climb to, he just kept falling more and more into darkness.

Sissel is like a vessel of God. During all the game he want to discover what happened to him, and nothing else. But his compassion and openess to others made him saving and guiding many lives, and he let himself be guided by his compassion and faith, sometimes putting his personnal interests behind to help someone. Evertime it seems like little actions, little things, but in the end you see that every little action is a part of a real big one, that made the karma of Yomiel a little less harsh.

Lynne is action, she is the Shakti, the mother that takes her crying child on her chest and comfort him. In the game she is faithful, she want justice, despite every obstacle she always end up blazing through them and continuing her path to Truth, guiding others behind her.

We can see with this the association between the two: without Sissel, Lynne would be dead several times. Action alone cannot solve anything. Without Lynne, Sissel could not have been able to move, to act, to unfold the truth. Knowledge without action is still, is nothing.

The association between Knowledge (Sissel) and Action (Lynne) does not punish the Individual (Yomiel), in fact, it saves him.

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lrcr3pGCBW1qi7p6b.jpg

Well less seriously now, the story of the game is awesome, and what is more awesome is how the story is conducted. I think eastern videogame makers like corean and japanese one are very, very creative when it involve a storyline.

Working for "western" videogames, I see that scenario and storyline is most of the time never a priority, and often put aside or they do it very quickly. Of course there are exceptions, and many western games have a wonderful and emotionnal storyline !


What is special about Ghost Trick is the cartoon style very unique, and bright colors used. Instead of being dark, gloomy (it's a game about death after all!" it's always colorful, even if there's something tragic happening in the screen.

It's also full of humour, funny situations (is it possible to die from receiving a chicken in the face ? Well, Lynne can show you!) But never too much humour, never too much tragedy, the game always balance with the emotions of the player. And as a player, you really enter the story and feel concerned.

The only game in my life when I cried...And laughted at the same time !

Graphically, special does not mean ugly. The characters are in pre-rendered 3D while everything around is only 2D. But what 3D ! The animation is one of the most fluid and beautiful I have haven't seen in a game ! Despite the lack of details in the character, the player is able to understand every feeling, every action by the very detailed moves and behaviors. Truly a great work.

Unfortunately the marketing around the game failed completely, and outside of Japan, Ghost Trick is pratically not know....Really sad considering the quality of the game.

http://img15.hostingpics.net/pics/803756ghosttrickfanarttrueformbyxavy027d4i70a2.jpg

Well this is it for now, if you have something to add, to counter, to comment or if you just want to throw rocks on my face for making so long posts, please, feel free ! But take little rocks please I like my face...

Oh yeah, cats rules !


Aum Namah Shivaya

[philosoraptor]

I used to play video games regularly. But I find that between family duties and spiritual duties, I simply have no time for them anymore. I guess I could just give up my spiritual duties to have more time for video games. But somehow I think the time spent reading is more rewarding ultimately.

[McKitty]

Vanakkam !

Thank you for your comment !

Fortunately, reading and playing are not incompatible :D I used to read a book a day and playing, it's a question of keeping a balance between each activities. For exemple, playing only one hour a day, or on the bus...Then reading some spiritual book in bed, after sadhana, before sleeping.

I like to read with the mind at peace, as it's difficult in the morning (getting up an preparing for work...) and during daytime (Working at the office, I play one hour during the noon pause with collegues when we eat) and the evening I have to take care of the house too (cleaning, taking care of animals...) I play on the evening when duties are done, then while in my bed before sleeping I take one hour of meditation/japa and more time to read spiritual books.


But I don't have a family to take care like you ! I understand it must take much time to be a good father/mother... But I see there are many and many videogames nowadays that can be played with all the family, that gives me hope one day if my childrens get interest in videogame, to be able to play with them !

Of course, reading is very important. I do not support in any way the people being behing screens all day along every week. My brother spend whole days in front of the screen, without going out or reading, and he learn absolutely nothing. From games, or from books.


I think people that play games all day along without thinking or using their brain to play are absolutely like people that hold a sacred book full of learnings and fake reading it without knowing how to read.


Aum Namah Shivaya

[ShivaFan]

Namaste!

I am an old guy, I am not familiar with these games, but I do recall a computer game called MYST which I did identify with my Hind path of finding my way out from a place suddenly found in.

Fun post!

[Jodhaa]

Namaste, Mckitty!

I applaud you making the connections between SD and video games. I have never been able to play video games for very long - they simply don't hold my attention. And some of the "scary ones" like Bioshock just freak me out too much to play;) I'm a little sensitive for most games. I was able to play the Mario games on the old Nintendo systems but other then that, I appreciate games mostly by watching others play and helping them solve puzzles. (Think "Myst", and the "Tomb Raider" Games)

Oh wait, I did enjoy the Soul Calibur games when they first came out.

I have several friends who are gamers and one of my close friends works in the video game industry, and honestly, while there is a lot of terrible stuff out there, there is some really amazing and beautiful stuff too (you mentioned Shadow of the Colossus- gorgeous.)

Peace!

[Jodhaa]

Namaste!

I am an old guy, I am not familiar with these games, but I do recall a computer game called MYST which I did identify with my Hind path of finding my way out from a place suddenly found in.

Fun post!


You are not so old, Shivafan! 50 is the new 30...something like that. By that math I'm barely 6 years old!:D I remember playing Myst myself when it first came out. It was very eerie and progressively challenging as it went along. I don't think I ever managed to complete it.

[McKitty]

Vanakkam !

Oh yes, I know Myst ! This is very bad if I remember right the studio closed not long ago...But I do remember the game when I was young ! I was too young to understand or have the patience to play point and click, but nobody cannot be strike by the poetic environnement and the sensation this game make feel...
So much memories ! :D
It's nice to see people of every age having a background in video games, even the smallest. Even someone who have played only one game in his life, if it's a game that made him dream, feel or understand something, then it's not only a "game" he played. I think this is real mean for a creative person to share his soul with another person, with small words...Oh here I go again, hit me ! :D


Hm, since the beginning of the topic I wanted to talk about a particular game...But never find any time or good words about it. But I really want to talk about it, so forgive me, I am gonna write a long post !


I wanted to talk about a game named Persona3 (Yes, the title DO refer to Jungian psychology)

This is the third game of the Persona serie, not very well known outside Japan because the games were censored by USA for containing references about homosexuality, God, demons and even...Hitler as a bad guy.
But not only for provocation purpose, it was always well written and justified.
Persona1 and 2 were censored so bad, nobody heard about it for a while. But the studio, Atlus, made Persona 3 years later on Playstation2, with great changes and more reflexion on the subject.

Briefly, the main scenario of the game:

You play a high school student that just arrived in a new city and a new school. The more the day passes, the more strange things happen in your dorm. On night of full moon, you got attacked by a terrible creature, and find that you have the potential to invoke a "Persona" to fight this creature.
You learn that your dormates also have this ability to fight those creatures, the Shadows, and protect the people under the cover of a school club. You also learn that, between 12pm and 1pm, there is a "hidden" hour. An hour where ordinary people are not concious, and get attacked by Shadows. But you still awake and councious of this hour, and have the hability to fight and protect.

During the game, you will have to fight the Shadows, discover what they are and where they come from...And also learning more about your friends and your power.

What is the point ?

Of course, Shadows are not regular monsters "because we needed bad guyz", and Persona are not "super power ranger to save the world". In fact, it's more very deep than that.

In the game, Shadows represent the "other side" of man. They all are linked to an arcana (priestress, strenght...) and by their appearance show a weakness of man.
They embodies material, sexual desire, material attachement, anger, desperation...All what bound human mind and spirit. When people "get attacked" by Shadow in the game, either they fall in total and incurable apathy (their mind is overwhelmed by negative though and energy, they are unable to stand, move or even talk) Or they become Shadows themselves (they let their worst desires awake and take control)
Shadows (negative though, desires, obstacles to human spirit) prey on human's soul. They continue to exist and to multiply by taking more and more human mind via their desires and emotions. With the loss of spirituality and the modern society, this is very easy.


In the Persona serie, the main weapon against those are the "Persona". The Persona is a hidden potential in human soul, that have to be awakenned.
A Persona is an "Avatar" of a higher spirit. Basically, Gods are inside us. Their powers are inside us. Persona represent the Atma of an individual raising in the form of the Ishta.
Each people have it's own Persona, in accordance to his/her way to live, to think, to see and feel the world.

Persona are from a plane that have been refered as "the sea of the soul". This is pictured as an endless ocean of stars, a pure conciousness. When a human realize it's potential and cast away desires and ego, his/her Persona emerge from this sea of conciousness and appear in the physical world.

This really remind of Brahman, and Devas !

Persona is the most efficient way to fight and defeat the Shadows, the desires that try to take over the mind.


To understand more, let's have a look on this video: it is a cutscene from the beginning of the game, when the main protagonist "awake" his persona.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN5gMe3tqbM

The dorm is attacked by the fool's Shadow, a very powerful Shadow that embodies appearance and desire. Yukari (the woman) instead of pointing her gun to the monster, put it on her own head, but unable to shoot herself and is put down.
The gun roll at the feets of the hero, who face the Shadow, the reflection of his own desires and negative side. He then put the gun on his own head.

The fact of putting the gun in the head is not an act of desperation or suicide. The hero is facing the Shadow, not in terror or desperation, more like a reflection on a mirror. Putting the gun on the head is the act of rejecting this reflection, an act of faith and destruction of oneself.
The destruction of oneself is a very interesting way to look at the things. It's not a suicide of the body, it's a suicide of the soul, it's destroying ego, desire, individuality. Many forms of Shakti have the meaning of destroying the ego, the individuality, to be able to enter a state where the ultimate conciousness can be experienced. Like cutting the head.
By having the revelation of the Shadow, and having the will and faith to "refuse" the Shadow, the hero shoot at his head, calling his Persona.

"Thou art I, and I am thou. From the sea of thy soul I come"

These are the words of Orpheus, the main protagonist's Persona that appear. Orpheus is the embodiment of the soul of the protagonist, the potential power (Shiva) that is awakened and acting (Sakti) by accessing another state of counciousness.

But (without spoiling the game) the main protagonist is a special person. Other human being, when they acquire a Persona, have a "imperfect" Persona. In the game, Persona have weaknesses, this show they are not perfect beings.

By their appearance, they are still linked to the individual. For exemple; Yukari, a female character, is suffering from a secret that make her suffer and feel a fault she haven't done. This secret prevent her in being fully good and happy in her life. Her Persona is Io, a greek nymph whose myth say she was prisoner of a cow's body for hiding herself for some fault. Her Persona is depicted as a young woman that look like her, chained to a cow's head.
There's always a similarity between the character and his/her Persona. This mean, even if they reject their ego, they still have some left due to the boundaries they can't fight (secret, father's/mother's death, incurable disease...)

But the main protagonist is not bound to those things, and don't have a Persona for himself. He is the only one character that can use different Persona, showing his ability to "merge" with the ocean of counciousness without being held by the remnants of his ego or his individuality.

This is what happen in the video. Orpheus appear to fight the Shadow, but this Persona is still tainted by the ego and the individuality of the hero.
Suddenly he feel pain, and another creature torn away Orpheus's body to take it's place.

Like Mahakali cutting the head of the individual, Thanatos (the creature that appeared instead of Orpheus) destroyed Orpheus, the last remnants of the individuality and ego of the hero. As seen, it is sudden and painful, the incarnation of the destructive power inside us.
But in the end, the hero was saved and free from the Shadow (desire, ect...)

I have a good feeling about what happen when Thanatos arrive, and the picture of Kali Maa. It shows that, beyond everthing, beyond time and beyond the universe, there is only this thing that is certain and above everything.


...Hm I think I already talked to much about this, sorry if I am boring or anything else xD I will just leave with a last video of the game, with a very interesting picture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ucq5YY8Z6I

You see the hero raising his head with some sorts of walls opening behind him. Slowly his body begin to desintegrate: skin diseappear, you see the veins and the muscles that disappear, then the bones...And in the end, when you think there will be nothing left, the skeleton open his arms and thousand of blue butterflies fly away as the body fades. The blue butterfly, in the Persona serie, is the symbolic form of Philemon, or the pure conciousness.

I think this scene is a very powerful meaning of the game


Thank you very much if you have read all of this xD And sorry if I bored you !

Aum Namah Shivaya