"This Isn't What You Think It Is"

[Kyle Bown]

This has been a running theme throughout the Experiences. “You have no idea what this is.” “This sin’t what you think it is.”

What do we think it is? We think it’s a battle between an Ancient God worshipping cult and those who would prevent the coming demon-child.

That’s the short version, of course.

For awhile now, there has been another narrative simmering in the background. At times it has shown up with full force, but always retreats back because we never want to look too closely at it. Maybe we’re afraid of ruining the game, maybe we’re concerned about the implications of what it would mean. I don’t know.

So if this isn’t what we think it is… what is it?

I have a theory, i’m sure you all do to. So please feel free to use this thread to disagree with me, put forth your own ideas, whatever.

My current theory, which is almost certainly wrong:
OSDM, The Order, BOS, etc are all fake. They are part on an immersive theater show designed to bring people in. People who will do whatever is asked of them under the guise of a theatrical experience. But the group is not the goal. We saw the first major success of the group behind this yesterday. Expanding the Immersive show. But that is only one part of this. Irene talked about a piece of the pie. The pie is control. She also said plenty of things are done perfectly fine, but people create new versions because they want to get that piece. So why reinvent Immersive Theater?

This whole thing is about Omega and Irene grabbing their piece of the pie. First Vegas, then the world. I don’t know what part 2, 3 or 4 looks like. But in the end, they’ll be in charge. This whole pie will be theirs.

Or I’m wrong and this is all just an immersive theater thing that I’m blowing way out of proportion.

[Sarah]

I like this theory mainly because we’ve seen instances of them constantly taking control away from this. Whenever we think we know what’s going on, they do something to pull the rug out from under us. We then end up freefalling and flailing about. To link it all back to control would be in line with the one thread that has been constant throughout the course of The Experiences.

[Unseen Presence]

“This isn’t what you think it is.”

Since I’ve come here, I’ve thought this was:
* An interesting immersive theater story
* An ARG that’s a little too obsessive (reminding me of The Lost Experience and how rabid people got with that years ago)
* An actual cult masquerading as immersive theater
* Something potentially supernatural
* Back to it just being an immersive theatre piece again

I honestly do not know what it is at this point.

On one level, it certainly DOES seem like an attempt to claim a new space/piece of immersive theater, to stake ground and take control in a way that no one else has so far managed to do. That would give them enormous potential power–if it works. But it’s not going to be fast and they’ve got a long way to go to generate the same level of enthusiasm (and pure organizational manpower) necessary to launch in multiple chapters.

But maybe they already -have- that manpower. Maybe it IS a cult, hiding behind the illusion. Maybe we’re OG only in the sense that we may be the first sacrifices to the larger ideology. Maybe some of us will side WITH them and end up sacrificing others. Seriously, God knows right now.

But there is most definitely the thread of control underneath it all. They have it, we do not. There are thing that happen (and have happened, for a long time, some of which are big and splashy, some of which are very small and personal) that consistently speak of control.

Because that’s, ultimately, what desire is about, yes?

We desire things that we cannot control. People, power, riches, fame, self-awareness. If we have control over any of those things, we don’t NEED to desire them–we can have them or not as we see fit.

Control is the corollary to desire.

And that’s why I’m pushing myself every day here to be ready for whatever happens. To others. To me. In any fashion.

The less I attempt to control this–
The less I attempt to define it–
The more I choose to experience it as it comes, fully and in the moment–

The more I am ready for change.

And letting go of control is often the best way to find it.

[Megan]

What do you desire, how far would you go, and who will you be?
Desire, control, and change.

I think part one was largely about what Darren and Clint desired and what they were willing to do to get it. And part two is control control control – as another entity steps in to try to control the virus they’ve created and are now spreading.

Part one was almost all lies – there’s a pear in there somewhere mixed in with the apples. Part one was designed to trick us, make us think one thing was going on when in reality something entirely different was happening. We were lab rats, told to “take what is [ours]” and basically by doing so reveal what we wanted – in some cases reveal how far we would go for what we desired. But even within that there were pieces that were about control here and there. There has always been a mind control/brainwashing theme. And we now know that Morgan was being controlled the entire time, and us through him and Noah. The robots in the park – theme of control. And the whip phone call was ALL about control.

Part two now has Irene coming in and telling us point blank that her group wants control, is all about control. Now they know what we want and they can use it to control us. We’ve given up our data, our desires, our emotions. They know too much. Or, maybe we can control ourselves and our own desires and not fall into the traps, if that’s what you want? I don’t know.

And who are we at the end of all of this, after whatever choices we’ve made? This is when we face the consequences of a lot of our choices. I don’t think there’s any “undoing,” through rituals or otherwise, anything that came before. We made choices, everything that each of us has done has been an individual choice we have made even if we don’t believe it or realize it. And we are here now. I think some of that change is about facing those choices and taking responsibility for them, accepting the consequences, and making better choices in the future perhaps…and some of that change is about accepting parts ourselves that we hate, for some of us.

I mean, I have more detailed theories about what’s going on and who’s on what “side” and things like that but…I’m done sharing those.

But I found this great quote today which I think fits all of this beautifully:

“When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s all about.”
– Haruki Murakami

[Jackie]

@unseenpresence

[Megan]

Why is everything so goddamn quiet??

[Anonymous]

Are you seeing these bots? Those are our doing. They’re quite ineffective, aren’t they? We have swarmed the board to illustrate a point.

Interactive advertising has improved things, but even then, people are stubborn beings, yes?

At Adrenaline, we know what you want before you do, and unlike our competitors, our experiences are so targeted, we’re there to offer what you want, when you want it. We aren’t branded on pushiness, with our technology there’s no need. Just preparedness. We are the reality grown out of fiction, the final realization of iConfidant. We have you, all of you to thank for this. The future is now, thanks to you.

[Blondie]

The issue with bots is that they’re annoying, and intrusive. Much like throwing out a million theories vainly hoping one will stick. They muddy the waters, leaving you questioning how much is a part of this… how much is a distraction… and how much is a fundamental misunderstanding of what this all actually is.

[Author]

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