“Damned consensual reality.”
– Jenny Sparks, 31 Dec 1999
Depending on what you believe in, reality is the overall space-time reality that exists regardless of anyone’s perceptions, or it’s the agreed upon version of reality by the masses. Reality can be individual, making each person’s unique view of the universe into a personal pocket of presence. Or perhaps reality is what it is, and our perceptions mean nothing, to the point that if we perceive reality incorrectly, there will be dire consequences.
Consensual Reality?
The definition of ‘reality’ varies, depending on what you believe to be right and true, and invariably will be different from another person you meet down the road.
The concept of consensual reality is popular in fiction. Nineteen Eighty-Four and The Matrix are perhaps the most popular examples. Many roleplaying games and comic books toy with the concept as well. In White Wolf’s Mage game, a wizard spends much time fighting against consensual reality in order to cast spells.
We encourage you to believe and act on those beliefs, but be open to the possibility that your perceptions are wrong. Beware the reality enforcers, who want to act against anyone who perceeves the world differently than they do. Existance hinges on reality. Make it your own.
What’s in a Name?
One afternoon, a bunch of friends gabbed about comic books and Jenny Sparks. We discussed her life, how she came to be, the fact she was the ‘spirt of the millenium’ and why she had to die on Dec 31st, 1999, instead of 2000, which was actually when the millenium ended. The answer was consensual reality: the majority of the (idiot) populace believed the millenium was over, and Jenny died.
Months later, the same friends were playing a role-playing game and a character walked into a church. In a moment, she witnessed how the church had been many different holy places over the eons of time, and the ‘nuns’ within it took the shape and form of what was predominant to the world around them. Instantly the church was dubbed ‘The Church of Consensual Reality.’