Do any of you ever do things just to try to avoid the rest of the world?

I really like listening to music. I also like playing video games. I know many people think of video games as an escape from the world of reality. But I disagree. I think that video games helps me be more tuned in to reality and I am more aware of my surroundings when I play them. They help me with pattern recognition and my reflexivity.

Music however, can be fun to listen to. Don't get me wrong. There are times when I want to listen to music because I want to pass the time, just to listen to a song I really like and to have fun. But there are also times when I listen to music because I might simply just want to block out the rest of the world. I don't want to see anything. I don't want to read anything when I listen to music. I don't want to watch anything when I listen to music. I don't want to do anything when I am listening to music (unless I am using music to help me concentrate).

Do you have any thing you do to just "get lost" and forget the rest of the world? Why do we do this? Is it a protection mechanism? To keep us from finding out stuff? Not that other things aren't a distraction from the world. But while we are being entertained we only focus on the entertainment itself and not things around us.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Hey there Frank.
I do many things for entertainment, but not to escape from the rest of the world. But when I do want to get away, I often take a nature walk and find a nice place to observe, reflect, and meditate. I do this to gather my thoughts, gain insights, relax, relieve stress, re-energize myself, and to remember the bigger picture that I am a part of.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I listen to music to relax, And I listen to music to change my frame of mind.
I find star gazing to be a great way to relax, and think about stuff.
But when im really wound up and need to escape the world, I go for a ride on my bike. The adrenaline rush makes me forget everything and concentrate on staying alive, it totally clears your mind.
There are other ways but we cant talk about those here.

yes. I rent a stand alone home mostly for freedom of noise pollution from my neighbors. I'm an audioholic and my lifestyle doesn't translate well to cities like san Francisco where space is über valuable.

so I moved to san Jose where I can rent a stand alone home with garage room for a chevelle, triumph, and bicycles.

point being, I need separation from the rest of the world where I can listen to vynil without being bothered by neighbors.

Yes i hear music in my head even when im not listening to music lol . Every type, every sound, every beat, its like it lives in me lol .
And games i love playing games too , i was meant to be playing SW:the old republic right now but i just cant leave ats atm since i started posting lol .

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I just love sitting outside staring into nothing, thinking nothing.

Love it! Especially in the morning.

I don't socialize much anymore, people seem to irritate me more now than ever. Don't know why...

lsd helps too...

I really enjoy drinking whiskey and playing guitar (been using the guitar to escape for more than a decade of my 25 years). And time with the girlfriend is usually helpful - as long as we're having sex/getting along and not arguing

Right now I'm actually working the night shift at a hotel - the ultimate escape from dealing with other people. And I'm being paid to surf the internet and watch the Colbert Report

To get away from the frustrating hoi-polloi that is living in a world filled with sheeple intent on either denying, or being too stupid to realise how this world is run, I play Final Fantasy games, all titles to date, and they help keep me sane.

Also, I come on here daily for the simple reason that it is filled with many like-minded individuals to myself, which is comforting to say the least

Originally posted by domasio
To get away from the frustrating hoi-polloi that is living in a world filled with sheeple intent on either denying, or being too stupid to realise how this world is run, I play Final Fantasy games, all titles to date, and they help keep me sane.

Also, I come on here daily for the simple reason that it is filled with many like-minded individuals to myself, which is comforting to say the least

What's your favorite? Mine's always been 6 (or 3 for those of us in the states)

I actually just finally made an account to reply to this thread. I've been lurking for about a month now and I figured I'd just make an account on my birthday because it's so close, January 14th, but I figured I'd just go ahead and do it since I've been holding off on replying to multiple threads just for that. I'll get on the subject now.

I play games and listen to music all the time as a form of escapism and I can honestly say that without video games, I would either be dead or at least in much worse circumstances than I currently am. I had a pretty bad childhood and was pretty depressed from the ages of around 8 to 18 or 19. Video games and to a lesser extent, music, were the only way I had to get away from the negative things that were going on around me as a child. I look at them as much better alternatives to drugs and alcohol which would have been my particular alternatives if I didn't have video games.

I know a lot of people, I guess politicians mostly, tried pretty hard to demonize video games there for a while but for me personally, they've done nothing but good and I think the same can be said for lots of people. The only negative experience I've had with them is that I use them to escape and a lot of times that means not fully dealing with my problems but I think everyone does that in some way so I think it can actually be looked at as a good thing.

As far as music goes; Music is so versatile, there are many different genres and styles of music that represent many different things for everyone and invoke every emotion possible, because of that, everyone uses music to escape sometimes, but sometimes it's used for just the opposite.

Sorry for the pretty long first post but I'm about to finish up now. In closing; Everyone does things just to avoid the rest of the world because they have to to survive and if they don't, they don't know how good they have it. Music and video games are my particular methods of escapism and I'd much prefer that to drugs or alcohol. Even though I'd rather be strong all the time and be able to deal with every negative thing that affects me head on, I'll stick with those because they've gotten me this far and I can admit I'm just not strong enough for that... well that and they're really fun!

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Music is like drugs in a way - except, it's less harmful. When I am having "withdrawal symptoms" of music, I can hear the songs playing in my head and I tap my feet even though there is no "real" music.

It is ok that you feel this way. Love the music and Love yourself regardless and once you do that, step forward and love the world.

Originally posted by Hawking

Originally posted by domasio
To get away from the frustrating hoi-polloi that is living in a world filled with sheeple intent on either denying, or being too stupid to realise how this world is run, I play Final Fantasy games, all titles to date, and they help keep me sane.

Also, I come on here daily for the simple reason that it is filled with many like-minded individuals to myself, which is comforting to say the least

What's your favorite? Mine's always been 6 (or 3 for those of us in the states)

Eughh, picking a favourite ... where to start ...

For "escaping" everyday life, I would have to say my favourite is either 9 or 12.

For entertainment, and for what seems to be subliminal comparisons to today's world, it would have to be 13. I think that 13 got slated far too much (yes, it was linear in mapping and character development), it was still an amazing storyline and amazing characters. A minority having to find a way to overthrow the rule of their government (which governs them with an alterior and sinister motive, using technology and everyday comforts to gain their trust) against an army of brainwashed soldiers and sheeple, is obviously a point towards how our world is today. I love it.

Music is another method of blinding myself from the world for an amount of time. I'll randomly lie in my bed and plug in my earphones and listen to Lady Gaga (I know, Illuminati spawn to the haters, ever thought that maybe she uses her subliminal imagery to WARN us of what is to come?).

If I want to tune out the world, I just go to sleep. Then if I sleep long enough really crazy things start to happen. My dreams could go lucid. I could go anywhere. Occasionally in my dreams I've been contacted by an advanced AI that just wanted to talk to me, the AI had a way to communicate with people in the past. In another dream an alien contacted me but it was several levels of technology more advanced than us and I did not even want to figure out and study current electrical knowledge or even attempt in a dream to study up to see if any of it made sense. I asked the alien to go contact someone with an electrical background. Maybe I asked for it asking how to build some type of subspace communication device. That dream was not relaxing.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


Ohh yeeah - throw a leg over my H.D, crank it and head for the hinterland... the world can wait, not much else matters when it's my bike and I.

I have 1 day to myself

So, I'm going to be drinking my dang jager.

work hard, play hard.

reply to post by Hawking


miy fav Final fantasy games are 7,6,5,9,,
8,10,12,13,4,3,2,1 in that order what about you? and i cant wait for FF13-2 as it has towns and exploring and stuff the only thing that was missing from 13 imo ..

reply to post by arpgme


That whats its like for me lol i still hear it all in my head even now while im typing this im listen to no music but i can still hear music in my hear lol , now i just need to get it out

Oh and by the way OP a star and a flag for you my friend

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
Do you have any thing you do to just "get lost" and forget the rest of the world? Why do we do this? Is it a protection mechanism?

I like to get a mate to drive me in my car and dump me out bush and then pick me up in another location a week or two later. Last time was in October 2010 for ten days in the Flinder's Ranges. Will be going again for five days in a few months time.

I don't do it for a protection mechanism, but I do do it to get away from the world. You never truly know yourself until you have experienced life with no human contact.

Some people think I'm mad because I don't take a phone with me, but that would defeat the entire purpose of it.

Originally posted by Frankidealist35
I think that video games helps me be more tuned in to reality and I am more aware of my surroundings when I play them.

I know what you mean. After playing a game for awhile it seems like I suddenly have super senses and am more aware of what's going on around me. Doesn't last long though. My dreams also seem to be a lot more interesting, maybe because the game's graphics are so real (or the subliminal messages, who knows)

I like to listen to music, draw, read, stargaze, meditate, and watch TV to escape. Most of the time ATS is my escape too (depending on my mood).

reply to post by Frankidealist35


I will tell you that the further along I get in life, the more I find pleasure in being left alone.Another member said playing guitar and whisky..Right on!
I really try to be very courteous and respectful of others, but the worlds stupidity is overwhelming at times.