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I have been thinking a lot about creating an Alternate Reality that would essentially allow you to experience similar or as close as possible sensations as if in real life, and I really need some help on the topic and if it would even be possible that is. Basically I have been thinking about SAO (Sword Art Online) and if it would actually be possible IRL

If we were to connect to our CNS (Central Nervous System) and intercept signals they could hypothetically be transmitted some place else right? like through an advanced program that would preform them in real time in an alternate reality, like in SAO.

Another thing is that is it possible to emulate sound, taste, smell, touch, and sight signals to the brain? as if we were really experiencing them IRL. These signals would be given off by nerve gear that would be attached to your CNS.

If this is possible you could hypothetically train neuron paths within the brain and essentially acquire skills without even moving. Because skills are just trained neuron paths right?

With technology advancements progressing as fast as they are surely this is somewhat possible in the future, I know it wouldn't be easy but it would be extremely beneficial so I think it would be worth it in my opinion. Just think of it, instead of sleeping you could be resting and in an alternate reality be awake and essentially training neuron paths as in real life and experiencing real senses; you could acquire any skill you want or just play in a MMORPG like SAO enjoy life to the fullest. They say a third of your life is spent sleeping, that sounds like a waste to me.

With Elon Musk developing that brain chip he is basically doing something similar to this. The experiment he did with that ape, the chip was reading the neurons fired by the apes brain and so he was able to play a game on a screen without even moving.

Please I really need your help as I am still very young but please I can't stop thinking about this, if it is in anyway possible I will make it my life's purpose/goal to achieve this and make it a reality for the world, with help of course :)

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  • $\begingroup$ for those wondering CNS is an abbreviation for Central Nervous System $\endgroup$
    – kirito
    Apr 24, 2021 at 18:03
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    $\begingroup$ Possible duplicate. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Apr 24, 2021 at 18:48
  • $\begingroup$ Welcome to worldbuilding kinto, we invite you to take our splendid tour, and refer, when you have time to the help center for guidance about how we work. Enjoy the site. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Apr 24, 2021 at 18:50
  • $\begingroup$ Just to say, this is a site about creating fictional worlds, for artists, writers and the like. You're welcome to join us, but be aware, questions about the real world are limited to alternate histories and a few other special cases. In our network there are many sites worth exploring. $\endgroup$
    – Escaped dental patient.
    Apr 24, 2021 at 18:52
  • $\begingroup$ Hello Kirito. The simple answer to your question is "we have no idea." @WillK's answer is a wonderful way to express the idea in a story - but you seem to be asking if we can do it. We have mathematical theories, but from the perspective of empirical evidence, alternate realities don't exist and you're asking if a fictional technology can be real. It can't. If, on the other hand, what you're asking is how to create a suspension-of-disbelief expression of the idea such that it can exist in your fictional world, that's what we do here! Is that what you're looking for? $\endgroup$
    – JBH
    Apr 25, 2021 at 4:29

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You could do this if you could finely manipulate electromagnetic fields. Technology is getting there.

Functional MRI is already in routine clinical use. One can determine what parts of the brain correspond to what actions or perceptions.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Functional_magnetic_resonance_imaging

Depicted - mapping of the brain region responsible for hand control in the context of a planned tumor resection. This data allows planning of a surgical approach that will not compromise the hand.

brain fmri https://www.cedars-sinai.org/programs/imaging-center/exams/neuroradiology/mri-brain.html

You can switch it around and use MRI to produce electricity in specific areas - motor evoked potentials. In the linked study transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to produce twitches in the hand.

Reliability of Motor Evoked Potentials Induced by Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation: The Effects of Initial Motor Evoked Potentials Removal

So it is possible to detect brain actions correlating to thoughts, and it is possible to produce fine motor actions via electromagnetic manipulation of the brain. It is not a wild extrapolation to make detection and manipulation finer still.

This idea from the halfbakery is basically what you propose.

https://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Spinal_20Cord_20Signal_20Intercept_20Passthrough#991242000

For this idea, I envisioned an artificial intelligence or "augmentation intelligence" that could detect and manipulate electromagnetic fields within nerves and brain at a very fine level. Through this, "Augi" can produce any effect in the human wearer ("Isis") that the native nerve and brain can produce.

Attached to this idea are some short fictions I was inspired to write, the Halfbakery being more tolerant of such activities than the WB Stack. I moved those fictions off by themselves here https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3341845/1/Isis-and-Augi for any interested.

side note - there are so many cool ideas on WB stack and so few links to fictional works with some relationship to things on the WB stack. I wonder why?

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