Anamnesis

15 Minute write

Unimaginable advances in computational power coupled with the phenomenal miniaturisation of electronic devices, fueled by the discovery of brand new materials, had opened up a plethora of scientific research into the understanding of how the human brain operated, broke and, most importantly, could be fixed again. An influx of test subjects, who saw the potential of being cured of previously debilitating physical and mental injuries, led to a raft of new scientific discoveries and devices in the arena of interactive implants that monitored and stimulated complex electrical and chemical signals in all parts of the human brain. As more and more research money was thrown the way of the scientists, the discovery of a non-invasive method of interacting with the brain opened the floodgates to a huge market surrounding the manipulation of human memories, moods and emotions.

One such company, Anamnesis, led the way in the recall of memories and events. The ability to bring back forgotten memories had a significant emotional impact on people. Finding many uses from the judicial system to recreational entertainment. The company threw caution to the wind as its stock prices and profits skyrocketed. The real breakthrough came when it discovered a way to enrich these lost events in incredible detail and to insert them back into the person’s consciousness. Where once humans could be found drinking, taking illicit drugs, gambling or losing themselves in the lives of people they didn’t even know to find happiness, now they used the services of companies like Anamnesis to interact with their memories - replaying events, changing outcomes, seeing what would have happened ‘if only’ or giving a happy ended to previously tragic events.

The training times for the models these services needed to create to be able to work, and the price had been an initial blocker to their uptake. But with time the ability to bring back memories, and all of the information needed to accurately represent a ‘viable’ reality, dropped to seconds and an explosion in so-called ‘Memory Cafes’ took place. Inside you would be hooked up to a machine and with a simple ‘seed’ of a memory - somewhere you had been, someone you had met, something that had made you feel great, or awful, the machine would collate the required data and place you in a dream state. In this state, which would be indistinguishable from real life ( bar the logo and credits in the bottom left of your experience ) you would be able to interact in your chosen alternative reality.

A strange phenomenon was noted. It seemed that only something experienced by the person who wanted to explore their memories could be used. When the customer chose a memory based upon a video or film, book or photograph, something they had ’consumed’, the device could not draw enough detail to work from, instead of an immersive experience the device produced a reality where the only interaction was with the original material used. For example, in the case of something seen on a handheld device, this manifested as the customer watching their hand-held device.

People had assumed these devices would forever change society and produce a shift in human interactions, emotions and experiences for the worse. But rather than having a negative effect, it had the opposite, whereby people would interact more with reality, even if it was only to seed the events that took place in the Memory Cafes. They would also play out scenarios to allow them to better understand the emotions of those they interacted with. Finding ways to come to terms with the death of a loved one putting right fuedes, arguments and estrangements by reacting in different ways to the way they had originally in reality.

---

Photo. Penzance - 2020 - Nikon d750