005. Text // my world is unaffected

[manufactured]

It's been some time since Retrospec has properly dropped some sort of identity crisis on us, though I suppose it's good to know that we're getting a bit more information out of them now than we were in the past; I'm in no way looking down on small favors and silver linings. Just the same, I wonder for the time being where that leaves us - I know I've asked a few of you about this in the past, and I'm sure that a fair amount of you have made your decisions regarding it since.

I suppose what I want to hear is your thoughts on these people you're receiving memories of, whether you consider them "you" or otherwise - do you still think of them as a separate person from yourself or do you consider them to be the same as "you", and why you've come to feel that way. I'm not going to argue for feeling one way or another on the matter, I'm just wondering how you've come to see these people that technically don't exist anymore.

Of course, if you reject this entire matter completely and just consider this to be an example of some corporate entity you hate ruining your life for no apparent reason, that's likewise fair.

I've formed my own views on this fairly recently; I tend to find it calming, having some sort of conclusion that I can accept as reasonably true for the time being. It's not always convenient, but it's calming.

Comments

[manufactured]

"Terrible things on a global scale", to put it gently.

[frostythehitman]

[ oh cool so same hat ]

and you think that matters whether or not you personally did anything in this lifetime

[manufactured]

I do, yes.

[manufactured]

What I did back then affected the world on a global scale, and several things I was responsible for permanently altered the course of things. I think it would be more troubling if I didn't feel guilt for it, personally.

[manufactured]

I do think that the person in my memories is me. I'm not going to question that, as it answers more questions than it raises and it all seems an elaborate lie if it's intended to cover something else entirely.

I believe my past actions are the sort that demand responsibility be taken eventually, but I also believe that this life is an opportunity that shouldn't be wasted on repeating past mistakes.

[manufactured]

Ensure that you have people that will help you make sure that the same mistakes aren't repeated, for one thing.

[frostythehitman]

well that's bleak

[manufactured]

It is, and I acknowledge that. It's also part of why I'm not interested in truly arguing with anyone about it - it isn't a point of view that I'm going to sit here trying to force on others. If people come to that conclusion on their own, then so be it; if they don't, that's their choice based on an entirely fair assertion.

But it is what I've chosen for myself.

[frostythehitman]

and what IS the choice
what are you gonna actually do

[manufactured]

That element of it is more personal.

[dejerate]

Hadn't really thought about it. How or if I consider them 'me'. I mean. I guess, same soul or whatever, just. Very different circumstances. How I grew up, here, in comparison to all that. I mean. I guess so far? I can sorta see to piece things together that yeah, I probably would be pissed and upset about even half of what I remember happening.

What about you? What was your conclusion?

[blessmefather]

[ Hi "Stranger" ]

I was firmly against believing the memories were real and that we were once those people but my opinion has since changed. There are so many similarities I couldn't continue denying it. His shortcomings and mistakes, while painful to remember, are ones I know would be within my capability if I was pushed into the position he was in. It has been educational.

[standalonehuman]

I'm beyond the point of thinking that they're lying to us. However, I think they simply don't know what they're talking about.

This process seems to have started multiple times before, Retrospec notes have referred to the memory process happening in cycles. There is Zee, who is remembering another life, but is farther along the process than any of us who started with the app. However they have done this before, it might not have involved the application.

But Wendy has said that Retrospec isn't in control of the process. It would happen anyway, without Retrospec facilitating. The items we have been being sent would appear no matter what, again, Retrospec is just sending them along. And lastly, Zee seems to have no idea what happens when the process finishes. Nobody has been forgetting anything yet. I'm not worried about now, I'm worried about then.

[manufactured]

I'm largely disinterested in arguing differing viewpoints; however, I'm not certain where you're getting the impression that anyone has said anything of the sort regarding this simply being something that would happen without Retrospec's interference in the first place, given that that is more or less the entire point of their little project. Wendy's assertions were in response to people assuming that Retrospec has any day in what we remember when; they're the reason the process happens at all, but it happens organically once it's started. That's all any of the employees have ever said regarding this; it's been consistent regardless of who is being spoken to.

(Outside of Jim, perhaps, but we all have our opinions on Jim.)

As for Mr. Carlisle, he isn't particularly forthcoming but he's been willing to throw information out there regarding his own experiences if he's asked reasonably nicely; he's from a different group that used different methods. A less streamlined version of ours, if you will.

If your assertion is "they don't know what they're talking aboht" then the logical followthrough on that is that you likewise don't know what you're talking about and neither can anyone else, just due to the nature of the situation. Regardless, however, your suppositions appear to be based in an interpretation of statements that don't otherwise support the conclusion.

[standalonehuman]

Disappointing, and that's where we'll have to hit our impasse, because I am here to argue differing viewpoints. How else can any of us figure out what this means to us?

But Carlisle insisted that Retrospec has just been facilitators. Retrospec's current incarnation isn't who started the process. They also can't stop it. Whoever does know what's going on isn't communicating it to their employees, either, there's just this implicit trust that the process will do what they expect it to.

And, again, no one can say for sure what happens at the end of the process. If this other soul is totally restored, what does that mean for the world that soul comes from? And what does it mean for the consciousness the soul is stored in for the time being, or, us.

[manufactured]

...I sincerely hope that a member of the police would understand the importance of basic clearance levels and giving information to those that are required to know it. Why would you assume Retrospec doesn't have such a system in place? It isn't half the conspiracy the lot of you make it out to be; it's an entirely rational model.

And again, you're operating under a flawed assumption - one that has been addressed multiple times by several different people, all pointing to the same conclusion. It's hardly their fault, nor is it mine, if you don't want to listen.

[standalonehuman]

So if this other man's experiences are not the ones you want in your own life, as you said earlier, what meaning are you getting out of all this? And when the day comes that you remember everything about that life, what do you expect to happen?

[manufactured]

I've likewise come to accept that the soul I have, whatever that might entail, is the same as whatever was present in the person from my memories - that we're inherently the same person. However, I've been granted opportunities here that I didn't have back then; I have decidedly more potential now, and while I do believe that my actions in my past life will need to be answered for eventually, for the time being my focus is more aimed toward realizing that potential.

[manufactured]

When it comes to the eventual outcome - bluntly put, I don't know. I don't believe they're lying about the restoration process, but I acknowledge that no one who has spoken to us seems to know what that's going to look like. I believe someone does, but that information is on an infuriatingly need-to-know basis; I likewise acknowledge that it's possible that you're correct in that something...unfortunate, let's say, awaits us at the end of this. I have no problem with the rational concept of information clearance levels, but I don't know why that particular information would be gated when it's something that would likely be optimistic if it plays out exactly as portrayed.

So I admit that there are some worrying holes in all of this; that much isn't baseless. I'm personally hoping that all of this is legitimate, but if it isn't... Well, that will end poorly for people, to put it gently. I've done terrible things over being led around in that sort of way before; I would prefer to let old habits remain in the past. But that bridge will have to be crossed when we come to it.

As for what meaning I personally get out of it, it has a fair amount to do with free will and personal choice, both of which I seem to have been denied on a fundamental level in my past life.

[manufactured]

My experience was largely similar; finding out more of the experiences that my past life has gone through helped to provide a good amount of clarity in that regard.

...It was largely clarity that I'm still not altogether sure I wanted, in the end, seeing as there isn't much in my past life that could be considered pleasant. But I've always been dedicated to finding answers, even if those answers aren't anything I want to hear.

[vitis]

[ ... mm. ]

is it hard, maintaining those beliefs?

[parodeity]

do you have any real preference as to which

[twostringsonebow]

I'm not sure I would ever make the mistakes he did in the first place, but I'm set anyway in that case.

What's been your opinion on the question posed to everyone else? Besides understand how I feel on a few key points; is it calming to reconcile that you're essentially the same souls in a different existence, with second chances or whatever people might say, or is it something else?

[onemillion]

I think that's a good way of looking at it. I really hope what Retrospec is telling us is the truth, because I don't want to know what they could be covering up otherwise.

[wordcarvings]

Yes, I suppose that that is how it can be phrased and summarized as.