Consciousness in Ubik: a Simulation of Reality
In Philip K. Dick’s novel, Ubik recurring theme illustrates that their everyday world is actually an illusion constructed by powerful external entities such as in Ubik. The characters are living in cold-pac while their consciousnesses are experiencing a simulation of reality. They are all here in cold-pac at the Beloved Brethren Moratorium (Dick, 2012, p. 182); but except one, Sammy Mundo who suffered from massive brain damage was lapsed into a coma. The encephalogram was tested on him to see if there is any image of electrical activity of the brain on him (Dick, 2012, p. 182). In a sense, these characters are in time travel and are able to do this when their conscious is in alternative mental state. Sammy is experiencing coma but what is the rest of the group experiencing hallucinations? According to Dick (Anthony, 2006), hallucinations represent authentic phenomena that other people are simply unable to perceive.…show more content… 143) or that he might be back fifty years further. Time travel alters people's consciousness which would project, them into different realities (Canaan, 2008, p. 344). Ella Runciter is dictating that the entire world is turning into clotted milk, worn-out tape recorders is in decay. When a person’s mental state deteriorates, they are in the world of “regressive type is a normal experience of many half-lifers,” (Dick, 2012, p. 123) especially in the early stages when reality is strong. Maybe her husband Glen Runciter is in a lingering universe and inconsistently experiencing a pseudo environment and is why he cannot join Ella. Having that external reality, you can understand how his time-travel involves displacement into alternate worlds (Canaan, 2008, p.