Doom Porn

I think it speaks volumes regarding the psyche of human nature that we are somehow fascinated with the idea of disasters. I'm not sure if it's the inherent *fear* factor, where we all enjoy being scared within a *safe* environment, secure in the knowledge that no harm will actually befall us: that biochemical rush of adrenaline that accompanies a safe *thrill*.

Or is it a variation on the *there but for the grace of God, go I* type of thing?

Whatever the reason, we humans exhibit an almost voyeuristic hunger for disasters, apocalypses, life altering *events*. Game changers.

Some people call it *doom porn*.

Years ago, many, MANY years ago, when 99% of my reading material consisted of science, science fiction, speculative fiction, et al ... before I was cognizant of *dystopian* fiction as it's own sub-genre, I gravitated towards those type of works that had an underlying theme of TSHTF (in doom porn lingo: The Shit Hits The Fan).

Today, of course, one can happily get their voyeuristic mitts on a wide range and, currently seemingly, unending supply of dystopian fiction. It is recognized, categorized, and being produced hand over fist. *YAY* (obviously a huge fan here)

My beloved & generous daughter surprised me with several yummy dystopians (yep, she's now hooked, too!) for my recent fiasco of a birthday (update: my left eyelid is so *disfigured* with poison ivy I look like a pale, freckled lizard after a hard day in the desert)(o boy).

So, in less than a week I've read Quarantine: the Loners (5 stars), Monument 14 (4 stars),

and am midway thru No Safety in Numbers (not sure what to think about this one yet). I've also read two other books that weren't dystopians, so I won't mention them at this time.

Now, back on topic. I have a long time favorite (ten years+) website that I visit daily, or more, and it's dedicated to all manner of eclectic topics, one of which is survival. It is absolutely mind boggling how many people not only believe that the shit is going to hit the fan, but are actively prepared for such an occasion. Some people, not too many - thank goodness, - actually anticipate, happily, the idea.

And, there are as many diverse possible/plausible scenarios as there are personalities being brought to the mix: religious/Armageddon, social/civil unrest, fragile earth/reduction of ice sheets-climate change, geological/New Madrid, etc, astronomical/Nibiru-rogue planet-Oort cloud-asteroid-CME and so forth, just to name a few. I just read about something awful called a Verneshot last night (you don't wanna know). But one thing I can't help but notice, as an objective observer, is the fascination these scenarios have over their audience.

I'm no different.

Now, I don't really think any one of us actually wants to, on a personal level, experience an ELE (extinction level event). And, the scary thing is, this shit has happened, and WILL happen again. Unless, of course, we somehow manage to achieve classification #1 of an advanced species, before such an event. While I can't recall off the top of my head exactly what this scientific system of civilization classification is called, it goes something like this:

Class 1: control over one's own planet

Class 2: control over one's own sun

Class 3: control over one's own solar system

Class 4: control over one's own galaxy

Class 5: control over one's entire universe

Awesome, huh? Un-awesome is that we are not even remotely a Class 1 civilization (yet)(someone needs to hurry, mmm kay?).

But, due to my own thoughts on the matter, I do believe those civilizations exist, somewhere out there. Hopefully, somebody will *babysit* us until we get there. Wonder what they get paid per hour? Not enough, I bet ;P

Anyway, these are just some of the things I think about. We Virgos love to sort through information, analyze data and form predicative models. I predict we're all gonna die ...

Just kidding (well, kind of).

But still, if you think about it, it truly is odd that so many of us L.O.V.E. reading or viewing our doom porn. What is the fascination, psychologically, or what is the biological programming? That's something else, similar to topic, what is our fascination with death? Why are we *geared* this way?

Now, honestly. No matter what your private belief system or stance ... if there is any huge, bleak cliff off which all of us must jump, it is the moment we each shall face when our bodies can no longer sustain our awareness ... ergo death. It simply amazes me, intellectually astounds me, that so little effort is extended towards furthering our understanding, and eventual subjugation of human mortality.

You would think, of all things on the *list of awful things that must be overcome*, death would be numero uno. Yes, it is true that we, or our doctors & scientists, work exhaustively to understand and mitigate disease and other nasties. We, as a species, have certainly come a long, long way in our methods of research and learning.

Nonetheless, I am sincerely nonplussed that no one is standing at edge of that huge, bleak cliff of mortality and doing everything in their power to understand & map the instant we leap off into the great unknown. Were I far more intelligent, and capable, I would suggest we do everything in our power, pull out every tool in our arsenal of technology, and try to *piggyback* onto consciousness as it exits (or so we hope/believe) the terminal human body.

Dead serious (no pun intended). I would love to see science make a sincere and exhaustive effort to map/follow/piggyback etc the mind as it makes its way through the portals of death. Somehow, you would think, logically, we should be able to find the means to measure consciousness and, perhaps via nanotechnology, tag along. Talk about the ultimate GPS system!

Whether to God, heaven, Planet QRSt5, etc or .... nowhere. We need to bridge that gap.

Funny then, as next to our birth, nothing will impact each of us so greatly as our own death. And even though we can see the surface of Mars, we cannot see past our own flesh.

We are such strange little creatures. Our daily minds are filled with the biological impulse to seek out energy (food) and reproduction (sex). Same as all other life forms. We take these things as a given, and vast industries are erected to fulfill those needs. We can stand on a mountain top and quote Plato, and yet we will biologically perish in the same fashion as an earthworm.

So, as we intrinsically know these things, why would we have any attraction towards doom/disaster/destruction/dystopian? You'd think, given our track record, that would be the last thing we'd want in our conscious awareness? But no. We even go so far as to seek it out.

We like it.

Why?

You know, I am genuinely afraid of flying. Even though I've flown in airplanes when I was a teenager, as I've aged I've become more and more phobic about flying and I would fight tooth and nail to avoid having to face that fear/phobia. Even though I obviously have never experienced being in a plane crash, my mind can project a predicative model of what they would entail, and I refuse to place myself in that situation ... where my fear could be realized. Silly, but true.

I am even mildly uncomfortable watching a fictitious plane crash in a movie.

I am also afraid of a major earthquake. We've had a couple small ones here in the Midwest, but where I reside is smack dab between the New Madrid and the Wabash Valley faults. One of these days, it's going to happen. God forbid.

And, even though my mind can predict/project what a major earthquake would be like, same as a plane crash, I am not uncomfortable watching a fictitious one unfold on the big screen, in fact I'd stand in line to buy a movie ticket to watch it. Better yet, I'd buy the book!

Wherein lies the psychological difference?

Sometimes, when I'm really in a philosophical frame of mind, I suspect we enjoy our doom porn because it's more than an outlet for our unconscious fears, more than a vicarious joyride at the expense of fictional beings ... it allows us a measure of control.

It's a fictional challenge where we can learn, predict and control from the passenger's seat. How many times have you read where, in some hideous apocalyptic novel, the main character does something bone-headed and you mentally *face palm* with a "why did they do THAT?!"

Or, per a novel I recently read, which shall go unnamed, one of the main characters managed to scale the side of a mountain with one arm in a makeshift splint. At that point, I could no longer suspend disbelief and control/make sense of the events. It no longer held *value* to me per plausibility.

I think most of us will agree, even with something as far fetched as a zombie apocalypse, that the penultimate apocalyptic novels are those with a logical sequence of events, and the ultimate apocalyptic novels are those wherein the main character makes those choices that we, too, would make if in their shoes.

When logic & feasibility are thrown out the window, that is often the point at which I lose interest.

There is no control to be had in an airplane crash, but there IS a modicum of control, a certain wiggle-room, during an earthquake aftermath or hurricane or societal breakdown. In other words, the reader/viewer is, on a mental level, playing *what would I do*.

That - what would I do - is very critical to our enjoyment.

Or so I suspect.

As previously mentioned, I just finished reading Quarantine: The Loners. So a future topic, maybe, is going to be sociopaths in fiction. You know, the (usually) guy who refuses to 'play well with others'.

Have a wonderful Sunday. I'm off to get a fresh diet Mtn. Dew and see what the boyfriend's up to. I'm sure he'll enjoy seeing my poison ivy-deformed face ;D