Mental afflictions and the Matrix

This has been something I have been interested in for sometime. I am interested to hear your thoughts.

In my roleplay Oranos and Sonaro (They were my 2 level 50s) are the same person. But different personalities. They have different RSIs.

More details on that particular part of the story can be found here - http://mxoboards.station.sony.com/matrix/board/message?board.id=NR_Vector&message.id=1091

Anyway, my beliefs on multiple personality problems in redpills would be that whichever personality is dominant at the time, would appear in the Matrix. Each personality would have an RSI based on how that personality saw themselves. Afterall it is a representation of the self. What do you think? Would it be like that, or would the person have the same RSI. How would other mental problems affect an RSI?

These questions are irrelivent overall in the universe of the Matrix, but I am interested in your opinions on it.

From Wikipedia:

Residual self image is the concept that individuals tend to think of themselves as projecting a certain appearance. In psychology, use of the term is often linked with periods of radical transformation, in which a person may still see themselves as occupying their pre-transformative role - for example, a soldier returning from a war may have a difficult time remembering that he has become a civilian, no longer in uniform, and not accorded a treatment based on his rank. Similarly, some persons suffering from depression tend to cling to unrealistically harsh self-assessments.

The term was popularized in fiction by The Matrix, where persons who existed in a digitally created world would subconsciously maintain the physical appearance that they had become accustomed to projecting. Within that genre, the term refers to:

• Your projected self-image inside the Matrix - what you look like while in the Matrix


• Your character on The Matrix Online

By this definition, it is the image of HOW you see yourself. It's possible for someone with multiple personalities to view himself differently with each personality, altering his Matrix RSI.

My character is similar, in the Real, he has brown hair and use to have hazel eyes. But because of his removal from the Matrix (Think of the Kid minus that wave of Euphoria) he is a Manic Depressive. Because of this, his RSI is pale, with white hair and a forlorn expression. Also, his eyes had mutated to complete purple in the Real, meaning the only color in his eyes are purple. This change in Self Image resulted in his RSI's having violet Irises.

I know of another character whose RSI is that of a character from one of his novels. In his mind, he saw himself as his character and not as his real life self

Also, PBlade, of Children of Zion, suffers from a mental problem where he actually sees the Tattoo on his RSI's face on his Real face

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Shadow Griever wrote:

By this definition, it is the image of HOW you see yourself. It's possible for someone with multiple personalities to view himself differently with each personality, altering his Matrix RSI.

My character is similar, in the Real, he has brown hair and use to have hazel eyes. But because of his removal from the Matrix (Think of the Kid minus that wave of Euphoria) he is a Manic Depressive. Because of this, his RSI is pale, with white hair and a forlorn expression. Also, his eyes had mutated to complete purple in the Real, meaning the only color in his eyes are purple. This change in Self Image resulted in his RSI's having violet Irises.

I know of another character whose RSI is that of a character from one of his novels. In his mind, he saw himself as his character and not as his real life self

Also, PBlade, of Children of Zion, suffers from a mental problem where he actually sees the Tattoo on his RSI's face on his Real face

Message Edited by Shadow Griever on 07.12.2006 07:25 PM

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That's all personal role play though, right? I haven't seen an official source where someone drastically changed their RSI in the Matrix from the Real counterpart. I may be wrong, though.

Well, I think it's important to understand why the mind retains the image of your old "Matrix" self and not your current self.  You would think that by simply looking in a mirror, one would eventually force their brain into projecting a more accurate image when jacking in.  Another thing to consider is that leaving the Matrix is considerably traumatic, since one's brain was completely fooled into thinking that the Matrix was the only reality, and is now forced to accept these dual realities. 

Naturally, one is false and one is real by definition, but the duality would continue to affect the brain, as the brain can't tell either way.  It's like in the "Matriculated" short, where the doctor says, "To a Machine's mind, all reality is virtual."  We may not be machines, but we essentially experience "reality" in the same fashion.

Over time (not sure how long), though, a healthy mind would catch up, and the consciousness should become one.  I don't think this has yet happened for any current operatives in the Matrix, who basically distinguish both aspects of themselves:  their Matrix operative self, and their Real self.  When the mind can distinguish the false and the real, and not just accept both as real, all sorts of cooky things can happen.  One might even be able to harness Neo-like power simply through the force of will and understanding of the code.  Then, one might even be able to change their RSI at will at any time.

Just an idea.

I think the problem here is that in The Matrix  there cannot be present two different people that come from one same being in a pod.

That person in the pod can have many personalities and some might be more dominant than others but their likeness has to be the same as they share the same mind. meaning you cannot have a male and a female within the matrix as a representation of yourself as a male within the real.

Wich ever personality is taking control at any particular time will reflect itself inside the matrix only by it's actions towards others and it's self. Therefore he or she will dress and act differently than say anotehr side of your personality.

But I don't beleive any chnages can be of the physical type as to chnage gender or body type in any way.

What people see in the matrix is a digital representation of themselves as is. If your overweight in your pod your overweight in the matrix...it's as simple as that.