{"id":17234,"date":"2019-06-18T10:26:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T17:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/?p=17234"},"modified":"2020-11-03T14:05:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-03T22:05:55","slug":"science-hvrting-recollection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/","title":{"rendered":"Science of HVRTING &#8211; A Recollection of an Extreme Psychological Experiment"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>This is part of Haunting\u2019s Recollection series \u2013 it is a complete account of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/hvrting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HVRTING<\/a>\u2018s show, <\/em>The Science of HVRTING<em>. It contains full spoilers and is intended for readers who have attended or could not attend the show, or are curious about this creator\u2019s work. You can read our non-spoiler review <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-of-hvrting-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Please also note: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9fSM7rmBVmo&amp;t=1s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HVRTING<\/a> is an extreme haunt offshoot of this website (Haunting.net); see the links below for more information.<br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"1170\" height=\"659\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/b3z050lfRFU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment One: Preliminary Paperwork<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Curious, Amused<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I step inside and climb the stairs, entering a lobby with several people in scrubs (some HVRTING brand, some not), a few people in hospital gowns, and a couple individuals in regular clothes. <em>Who\u2019s a participant, and who\u2019s part of the cast? <\/em>I wonder. I could go either way on a couple, but the guy filling out forms is probably the former. I take a seat next to him.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17287\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17287\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61824049_619681115167781_984171101380673536_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey, Matt,\u201d The Coordinator greets me, handing me a clipboard with a small stack of forms and a pen. Rather a lot, considering that before tonight I\u2019ve already filled out a) a \u201ccandidate profile\u201d form, and b) a reasonably lengthy online survey that bore a striking resemblance to a psych eval I once took as part of the interview process for a sales job I ultimately turned down.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The profile, though, got a little odd. In addition to the contact info and some basic medical questions, and which extreme haunts I\u2019ve previously attended (not many), it asked for my social security number. That, I felt, was none of their business. Also included was a pretty comprehensive checklist asking which things I\u2019d either enjoy or be willing to try, and which I would not enjoy. I declared a hard NO on real blood, personal nudity, and acids, but the rest I felt were fair game. Finally, it ended with a more general question about my desired intensity level. A multiple choice with five options: limited physical contact, reduced physicality and duration, standard HVRTING experience, increased physicality and duration, and \u201cYou give us free reign.\u201d I ponder my options before deciding on the latter. <em>By now, <\/em>I reason,<em> I know enough of the likely cast &#8211; and they know me &#8211; well enough that I can probably leave it up to them.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>This all plays out in my head as I read through the waiver. Standard stuff from this crew; the usual laundry list of warnings re: things I may or may not encounter during the show, an inside joke or two, release of liability, bish-bash-bosh. Below that is a UNLV consent form. <em>Is that for fun, or are they actually collaborating on this?<\/em> I wonder. I hand the forms to one of the assistants in regular scrubs, then I look to the &#8220;nurse&#8221; who&#8217;d handed me the forms. &#8220;Oh, that&#8217;s all for you,&#8221; she clarified, and upon further inspection, I&#8217;ve got a ways to go. Next in the stack are several medical questionnaires, which I\u2019m guessing apes what you might expect before going into a clinical trial or visiting a new GP for the first time. Diet, alcohol\/drug use, sexual history, etc. <em>The last time I had sex is none of your business<\/em>, I decide,<em> but sure I\u2019ll bite on the rest.<\/em> There\u2019s also a more general psychographic battery: \u201cHow often do each of the following describe how you feel?\u201d or something to that effect. It covers things like \u201chappy,\u201d \u201csecure,\u201d \u201cpleasant,\u201d \u201cstressed about unimportant things,\u201d nothing too crazy.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOkay, that\u2019s good enough,\u201d I hear The Coordinator say. For a moment I hope it\u2019s directed at me, but no. She\u2019s talking to the gentleman next to me who\u2019s further down his pile. I sigh. I\u2019ve still got at least three documents left. For a moment I wonder what the point of all this is. <em>Are they using the busywork to buy time in case they\u2019re running slow? <\/em>I consider. <em>Seeing how much we\u2019re willing to divulge? Or is this a calculated subtle torture to start things off?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8230;Yes?<\/em> I propose. I&#8217;m getting a strong vibe that there are multiple layers to what&#8217;s going on. In the meantime, I keep on trucking.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17250\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test27\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17250 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test27.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Next up is a series of questions that poke at how well (or poorly) I can distinguish reality from fiction. <em>You know, it\u2019s funny,<\/em> I think. <em>On one hand, if I answer these questions with a \u201cyes\u201d I sound like a bloody psychopath. On the other, I can think of half a dozen immersive shows I\u2019ve been to where at least one of these was very much the case by design.<\/em> Maybe that\u2019s the point? A subtle dig at how immersive theater participants voluntarily choose to behave as if a fiction were reality for an hour or two? A part of me takes exception, so I scribble some criticisms of how a few questions were worded as I go through. \u201cDouble-barreled.\u201d \u201cVague.\u201d \u201cCommon in immersive shows.\u201d Et cetera.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Form four is a little more on-brand: a consent to have my organs harvested. It does not specify that said harvest will only occur in the event of my death, nor does it give the explicit choice to opt out. I can at least specify whether <em>all <\/em>of my innards are fair game, or pick and choose from a list, then declare whether they may be used for transplant, research, both, or \u201cTHE DIRECTOR\u2019S PLEASURE.\u201d I am disinclined to hand over anything, but for the sake of playing along I agree to give my hair for transplant and\/or research. <em>Fuck it,<\/em> I decide,<em> throw the heart in there. Confuse or amuse whichever poor sap has to key all this into Excel this later<\/em>. I am a researcher in my day job, and let me tell you: entering the data from paper questionnaires into a spreadsheet is soul-destroying work, so dropping in a little whimsy is often appreciated. So long as it doesn\u2019t screw up anything important.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m about to start on the form agreeing to donate my body to science if I <em>do <\/em>perish when The Coordinator calls my name again. \u201cThat\u2019s far enough,\u201d she tells me, relieving me of the tedium. \u201cNobody\u2019s gotten all the way through.\u201d She beckons me to follow, pulling me aside. \u201cBefore you go in, I should tell you that part of this is about finding out secrets. So, I\u2019m going to give you one that will help you out of a sticky situation.\u201d <em>Okay\u2026<\/em> I think, but do my best to keep my face neutral. \u201cOne of the doctors has been in a porno movie. If you can find out who, it\u2019ll help you.\u201d <em>Oh dear. Honestly, I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if it were true, but let\u2019s assume otherwise.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReady?\u201d A voice asks. I turn to see a bright-eyed, bushy-tailed young woman whose attire and demeanor practically scream \u201cgrad student.\u201d I nod. \u201cGood, The Director will see you now.\u201d She gestures to a nearby door, and I follow. Time for the show to begin in earnest.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment Two: Intake Interview<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional Status: Curious, Philosophical<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Low<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m led into an office, where The Director sits behind a large executive desk. The woman gestures for me to take a seat in front of him, while she takes one off to the side. \u201cMr. Kennedy, glad to see you again,\u201d The Director says.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLikewise,\u201d I reply. The Director starts to take up his clipboard when the woman who led me in coughs politely.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, how rude of me,\u201d he apologizes. \u201cThis is The Curious, a student who has come all the way from UNLV (our sponsor for this evening).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNice to meet you!\u201d she exclaims, offering her hand. I take it, returning the sentiment.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17242\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test13\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17242 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test13.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, let\u2019s start with why we\u2019re here,\u201d The Director begins. The Curious returns to her seat, affection focused on her supervisor. \u201cOne night after a long therapy session, I sat down with The Curious for a cup of coffee.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was a lovely cup of coffee,\u201d The Curious adds. The Director ignores her, continuing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe was praising me for the many, many films I\u2019ve directed, some of which you can see up on these walls: <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/rebirth-rabbit-recollection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Rebirth of the Rabbit<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v-pyw0Futbs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Skin Collector<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/naughty-and-nice-recap-hvrting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Summon Santa<\/a>\u2026\u201d <\/em>The Curious is effusive with her praise, but once again ignored. \u201cBut we noticed something odd. Participants would ask for The Director during scenes where they were scared. Other times, they thought the experience was real.\u201d I can feel his attention focus on me. \u201cDo you think you\u2019ve been having trouble with that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d I answer. <em>At least, not beyond forgetting whether the event description said it was a film or not.<\/em> The Director laughs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, I\u2019ve worked with The Curious here to devise some experiments to see how people respond to a mixture of immersive techniques and real events. This will consist of evaluations, tests, and experiments.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17240\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test11\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17240 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test11.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLots and lots of tests!\u201d The Curious cries, barely able to contain her excitement. <em>If she gets any more bubbly I\u2019ll be worried about taking a cork to the face,<\/em> I think. <em>Still, the dynamic here is fun.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDo you have any questions?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo,\u201d I reply. \u201cIn fact, I\u2019m a researcher by trade, so I\u2019m very curious to see how this all plays out. Very interesting concept.\u201d This is, in fact, the truth, but also me slipping into a role. A fellow academic, playing off The Director\u2019s professorial vibe. I find it helps with high-agency shows like this is shaping up to be if I build a character to one degree or another: a crafted self to insulate against whatever oddities or horrors I\u2019ll be asked to face.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd that\u2019s why we\u2019re <em>so <\/em>glad to have you join us,\u201d The Curious responds.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, indeed,\u201d The Director echoes, turning his attention to the form on his clipboard. \u201cWe\u2019ll start with another questionnaire. You haven\u2019t filled out enough forms, have you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Please no,<\/em> I bite back, instead replying with \u201cLet\u2019s just say I pity whoever has to digitize all that data later.\u201d He laughs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFair enough. Well, I guess I\u2019ll fill this one out for you. The Curious, my dear, will you please record his responses?\u201d Eagerly she takes up her video camera and begins filming us from different angles.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17241\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test12\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17241 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test12.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFirst, approximately how many immersive theater shows have you attended?\u201d <em>I have no idea, I haven\u2019t been counting.<\/em> I guess around twenty. \u201cInteresting. And which of those was your favorite?\u201d I don\u2019t have a straight answer to that one, so I meander.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHard to say,\u201d I begin. \u201cThere have been different ones I\u2019ve enjoyed for different reasons. Recently I\u2019ve done <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/captivated-finale-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Captivated: You<\/a>,<\/em> and I found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/keight-leighn-bedrumplai\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>bedrUmplai<\/em><\/a> quite poignant.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, Keight is delightful,\u201d The Director concurs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/zombie-joes-underground\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zombie Joe\u2019s<\/a> is usually a good time. So, hard to say, but those were all good.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHmm, and what about your <em>least <\/em>favorite?\u201d Again, I struggle to settle on a standout.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t really have any off the top of my head, guess the bad ones don\u2019t stick. Possibly something during <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/?s=fringe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fringe<\/a>?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes, there\u2019s a lot of crap there,\u201d he echoes. The Curious makes another polite cough.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re running long,\u201d she informs him.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAh, very well then. These next ones will be more rapid-fire.\u201d He rattles off the rest of the survey and I give simple yes or no responses. \u201cHave you ever thought than an immersive production was real?\u201d No. \u201cHave you ever had a crush on an immersive character?\u201d No. \u201cHave you ever had a crush on an immersive <em>actor<\/em>?\u201d Yes. <em>But <\/em>who <em>is none of your business.\u00a0<\/em>&#8220;Have you ever had trouble distinguishing between character and actor?&#8221; No. &#8220;Surprising,&#8221; he responds, then continues.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ll admit most of the rest blur, save \u201cDo you believe Carl Webb is a god?\u201d which forces me to stifle a chuckle before replying no. Once we finish, he turns to The Curious. \u201cWill you please escort Mr. Kennedy back to the waiting room?\u201d He turns to me as I stand. \u201cYou will be called soon you the next experiment.\u201d I follow The Director\u2019s pupil out.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Interlude One: On Immersivitis<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Amused<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease have a seat here,\u201d The Curious tells me, gesturing to a chair near the office door. She holds up a pair of headphones attached to an iPod. \u201cNext, we\u2019re going to have you listen to an audio recording. Put these on and let me know if you can hear anything, then when it\u2019s done, just take them off.\u201d I nod, putting them over my ears, then give her a thumbs-up when The Director\u2019s voice starts waxing scholarly.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay 2<sup>nd<\/sup>, 2019,\u201d he begins. \u201cAudio Journal #1 for Patient 023412. Patient is female, age 21, and suffers from acute immersivitis.\u201d I suppress a chuckle. <em>This should be good,<\/em> I think. \u201cIt\u2019s a new term I\u2019ve come up with. It is defined as \u2018A condition in which an audience member cannot tell the difference between the real world and the fake realities of immersive theater.\u2019\u201d <em>Certainly tracks with that last conversation,<\/em> I observe. <em>Wonder if they\u2019ll have one of these after each scene?<\/em> The Director goes on to elaborate on the symptoms: Essentially, subjects view their myriad forays into the creative, surreal, wondrous fictions of immersive theater productions as true, lived experiences.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17283\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17283\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61998717_2289283921288917_1951530936260624384_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem arises,\u201d he adds, \u201cwhen she has fallen in love with certain characters and made enemies with others. Her arrest file\u2026\u201d <em>Okay, now we\u2019re getting somewhere, <\/em>\u201cindicates that she has resorted to stalking actors, attacking others, and there\u2019s one incident that\u2019s sealed &#8211; not even I have access.\u201d The one he <em>can <\/em>talk about, and does, concerns a specific actor. Patient 023412 developed a crush on a character played by \u201cTerence,\u201d and thanks to her acute immersivitis, she could not separate the <em>persona<\/em> from the <em>person<\/em>. Unfortunately for her, Terence had a girlfriend. She saw them having dinner together at Mastro\u2019s and\u2026 well. As the Director summarizes:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe patient became violent, screaming that she would use <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/delusion-blue-blade-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>The Blue Blade<\/em><\/a> to travel back in time and kick her grandfather so hard that the poor girl would never be born. Then she grabbed a glass of water, and a napkin, and proceeded to waterboard Terence\u2019s girlfriend in the middle of the restaurant.\u201d A pair of wait staff were able to save the day, thankfully. These events seem to leave The Director not so much concerned as\u2026offended. \u201cWhat kind of extreme haunt does she think this is?\u201d he asks. \u201cAnd since when do participants do the waterboarding? As you can see, things have become dire, and intervention is needed.\u201d He feels that drastic measures must be taken if Patient 023412 is to be cured of her delusional disorder and rehabilitated, that she might be able to safely enjoy immersive theater again. <em>Well, this should be an interesting little meta-narrative,<\/em> I think. For now, though, what I feel is a sneaking suspicion that I may have one or two \u201cextreme measures\u201d coming my way before the experience ends.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment Three: The Alex Treatment<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Cheerful, Curious, Amused<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Low<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I place the headphones on top of the iPod next to me when the recording ends, then crack my neck and a couple knuckles. <em>Put me in, coach!<\/em> I\u2019m ready for the next scene, and appreciate the references to other immersive shows. \u201cMatthew?\u201d a young man\u2019s voice calls, and I recognize it as Tristan (aka The Expert) even before I look toward the source and spot his signature black mask paired with HVRTING-brand scrubs. \u201cHey,\u201d I answer, standing. Tristan tells me to follow, and I let him lead me to the other end of the office into a dark room with a chair, laptop, and projection screen.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHow\u2019s it going, man? Been a while,\u201d Tristan asks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, since <em>Rebirth<\/em>,\u201d I concur. \u201cThat was fun times,\u201d I add, taking a seat at his request.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDefinitely! Okay, let\u2019s get you all strapped in here,\u201d he remarks, fastening Velcro straps around my wrists before adding \u201cI\u2019m excited for a little bondage.\u201d Tristan returns to his own chair for a moment. \u201cSo, what have you been up do lately? Doing any immersive theater, escape rooms, karaoke?\u201d <em>Okay, this whole situation is kind of hilarious<\/em>, I think. <em>I\u2019m strapped to a chair, about to be (I\u2019m assuming) tormented, and yet here we are, making small talk, and we\u2019re not even trying to pretend we don\u2019t know each other.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of the above, actually,\u201d I reply. \u201cDid my second run through <em>Captivated: You<\/em> last weekend, karaoke earlier this week, and an escape room earlier today.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Nice<\/em>,\u201d Tristan replies. \u201cAny good?\u201d I reply in the affirmative while watching him stand back up. \u201cOkay, so we\u2019re gonna watch a little video next. But first, we\u2019re just gonna do a little <em>Clockwork Orange<\/em> thing and tape your eyelids open so you don\u2019t miss anything.\u201d Gingerly, he uses small bits of bandage tape to secure my upper eyelids in the fully open and unblinking position. \u201cAnd\u2026try not to blink. There <em>will<\/em> be a test after.\u201d <em>Well alrighty then.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17243\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test14\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17243 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test14.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0jtiyAMtDCk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video<\/a> begins with nondescript, ominous music. <em>What, no Beethoven\u2019s 5<sup>th<\/sup>?<\/em> I refrain from joking out loud. A sequence of images cycles slowly: an image of The Director, his name in a caption near the bottom, followed by a lightly strobing black screen with white text that simply reads \u201cREAL.\u201d Next, an image of The Skin Collector, also named in a caption, followed by \u201cFICTION.\u201d Papa Bunny, FICTION. Taylor Winters, REAL. By now my eyes are watering in protest of being forced open, but I brush it off and focus on the pictures. The rest of the core HVRTING cast is shown, including their roles in some of The Director\u2019s films and in most (but not all) cases, the actor as well. The HVRTING persona and the actor behind it are tagged REAL, their characters in <em>The Skin Collector, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=sjFQsGnXtnI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Summoning Santa<\/a><\/em>, and<em> Rebirth of the Rabbit<\/em> (where appropriate) are FICTION. It\u2019s a fairly complete introduction, one I suspect is aimed at newcomers. I have encountered most before tonight, save Chelsea\/The Curious.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The sequence repeats, but quicker and\u2026wrong. The images cycle faster, REAL and FICTION are switched in several cases, half-second clips of foreign video interject themselves at random points, The Tormentor in the first sequence is replaced by a man I don\u2019t recognize. He is FICTION.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>A third loop, severely corrupted. The Director\u2019s image is followed by \u201cOBEY.\u201d Tristan\u2019s is followed by \u201cHVRT.\u201d Interjected between the now familiar images of the cast are random snippets of gross imagery, ritual, and random people being tortured in what now feels like some old-school subliminal messaging lifted out of a B-horror flick. It ends in an oddly-colored still with text I don\u2019t recall.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17245\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test16\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17245 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test16.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow it\u2019s time for the assessment,\u201d Tristan informs me. Only it\u2019s not Tristan anymore. His tone and demeanor have shifted from friendly acquaintance to commanding interrogator; he\u2019s The Expert now. \u201cFirst, we\u2019re going to replay the images you just saw, and I want you to tell me which are real and which are fiction.\u201d <em>Sure, simple enough,<\/em> I think, recalling the pattern from the first loop. <em>Actor\/core persona equals real, anything else equals fiction.<\/em> The Director, real. Alyssa, real. Sacrificial daughter, fiction. The Drama, real. And so on. The only one I trip on is the replacement Tormentor.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFiction?\u201d I guess.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo!\u201d The Expert replies, angry. \u201cReal.\u201d <em>OK, got it<\/em>. The rest of the sequence passes without incident.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood,\u201d The Expert tells me after the completion of round one. \u201cNext, we\u2019re going to repeat the images, but I want you to <em>name <\/em>them.\u201d <em>Alright, fire away.<\/em> This time I flub two. \u201cPapa Bunny,\u201d I answer to a photo from <em>Rebirth<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo! How could you get that wrong?\u201d The Expert scolds.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOh, Mama Bunny,\u201d I correct. The next image shows a different rabbit holding a gun. \u201c<em>That\u2019s<\/em> Papa Bunny.\u201d I get the next several right, but then The Actress\u2019 role in <em>Summoning Santa<\/em> pops up and I blank. \u201cYeah, I dunno,\u201d I confess.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTwinkle! Twinkle the Elf!\u201d The Expert exclaims, visibly irritated. But I don\u2019t bother to apologize, and there is no further discussion. I\u2019m in test-taker mode, focused on giving answers as they come. We breeze through the rest of the cast without incident.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGood, <em>very <\/em>good,\u201d The Expert praises after we finish. \u201cAnd in record time. Let\u2019s get you out of that chair and onto the next experiment!\u201d Delicately he removes the tape from my eyes, now gratefully able to blink again. I close them to let them re-hydrate while The Expert undoes the straps over my wrists, then he escorts me out and over to a seat in the lobby and sets me up with the next audio recording.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17244\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test15\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17244 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test15.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Interlude Two: Delusional Patient<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Amused<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Well <\/em>that <em>was certainly interesting,<\/em> I think to myself while taking the headphones from Tristan. <em>On the one hand, we\u2019ve established that in The Director\u2019s eyes, losing the distinction between actor and character is a Bad Thing. On the other, he made blurring that line central to the narrative in that last scene. <\/em>I can appreciate the irony, but before I can get further down this mental rabbit hole the audio kicks in.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMay 2<sup>nd<\/sup>, 2019,\u201d the Director begins. \u201cAudio Journal #2 for Patient 023412. Today, we will be interviewing Patient 023412. Patient 023412, how are you feeling today?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m feeling wonderful,\u201d a young woman\u2019s voice responds. The same woman I met earlier: The Curious. <em>Now isn\u2019t that, well\u2026curious?<\/em> Out of reflex, my hand strokes my beard. <em>Is <\/em>she <em>this patient of his, or is she playing a character? <\/em>I decide it\u2019s too early to make assumptions and turn my attention back to her tale. \u201cYesterday, I just danced with a unicorn and received armless hugs from a strange cult who say I\u2019m a triangle.\u201d The Director makes a disapproving noise.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;023412, you&#8217;ve been alone this entire time. There&#8217;s been no one with you. And &#8211; you do understand that unicorns aren&#8217;t real?&#8221; <em>Something about his inflection on &#8220;alone&#8221; and &#8220;unicorn&#8221; makes me thing of the immersive company <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/alone\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alone<\/a> and the stories I&#8217;ve heard of their dancing unicorn. After all, he dropped a few references into that last audio log, but those were more subtle. We should keep an ear out in case we recognize any more puns.<\/em> As this plays out in my head, 024312 confirms that yes, of course unicorns aren\u2019t real, to which The Director mutters \u201cFinally, some progress.\u201d But the patient keeps right on going.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNo, the unicorn was really just a girl in a onesie who was a part of a cult of people who wore all white, worshiped our bodies, and might have been aliens or robots or just weird hippies or something. I have no idea.\u201d I don&#8217;t recognize the plot to &#8211; I&#8217;m guessing &#8211; Alone, but The Director does.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17284\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17284\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61757838_364244667560574_6904824548739252224_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Ah, so you went through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/recollection-ascension\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>The Tension Experience<\/em><\/a>. Darren is a good friend.&#8221; Either he missed the mark, the shows were similar in narrative, or the patient is still quite delusional, because her response is confused. \u201cOh, I mean, you were inducted into the OOA,\u201d he corrects himself. I can practically hear her nod.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe OOA, The OOB, and The OOC. I\u2019ve done them all so far! I\u2019m waiting for Annie Lesser to do cults for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/abc-project\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">every letter of the alphabet<\/a>.\u201d <em>Welp, back to crazytown I guess.<\/em> The Director explains that she (Lesser) is doing the sequence based on locations rather than cults, before continuing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou mention, The OOC. That is something that we at HVRTING put together in honor of Carl Webb, a deity in some of our experiences.\u201d 023412 loved that one, apparently, and confesses she prays to Webb every night before bed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe often grants me wishes, like the smallest genie that ever did live.\u201d <em>Tiny God, Carl\u2019s HVRTING persona,<\/em> I recall. Apparently 023412 even has a shrine to him. \u201cAnd I never use his name in vain! I\u2019m no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/heretic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Heretic<\/a>,\u201d she explains, then her tone grows conspiratorial. \u201cBut maybe a bit of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/creep-la-awake-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Creep<\/em><\/a>!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Okay, yep, pun city,<\/em> I remark internally. The Director, for his part, ignores the wordplay silliness. \u201cUh, okay. Let\u2019s move on,\u201d he instructs. \u201cTell me about some of the memories you have that have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/?s=captivated\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">captivated you<\/a>.\u201d <em>Oh lord, he\u2019s doing it too. I literally just went to that last one.<\/em> 024312 responds by babbling a mixture of plot synopses and show title puns: rescuing her mom from a vampire\u2019s castle, having someone <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/i-want-to-live-in-your-mouth-review\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">live in her mouth,<\/a> going to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/?s=kansas+\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u201creal\u201d Oz<\/a>, with a drunk wizard and dead Dorothy\u2026you get the idea. Eventually the Director cuts her off. \u201cWell, I think that\u2019s all the time we have for today. Thanks, Patient 023412. I will see you next Wednesday for a deeper look into your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/delusion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">delusions<\/a>. I hope this proves to be a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/catharsis-horror\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">catharsis<\/a> for you.\u201d <em>Goddammit, Taylor.<\/em> I take off the headphones and go over my mental notes so far:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Item one: This show is so meta it wears flannel year-round and its parents bought it a condo in Silver Lake. Item two: So far, both of these logs have mirrored the overarching themes from the \u201cexperiments\u201d they follow. Item 3: The patient is clearly suffering an acute case of immersivitis. Is the point, then, that we are too? Is this all a flashback sequence of her treatment, or do we just share the disorder? I guess we\u2019ll find out, but either way I\u2019m &#8220;curious&#8221; where this is going next. And how many puns he can cram into a single audio journal entry?<\/em> But now, it\u2019s time for the next experiment.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment Four: System Two Error<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Amused, Covertly Sassy<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Low<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMatthew?\u201d a new voice calls, in an accent that I can\u2019t quite place but sounds mostly German. My next doctor is a svelte, dark-haired man who I last encountered in his role as naked bunny in <em>Rebirth<\/em>. <em>Oh, falsetto guy? This should be entertaining,<\/em> I think, chuckling internally. I stand, and walk just behind him as he leads the way to the next room. A conference room during business hours, for this experience it\u2019s been done up to resemble some flavor of occult\/ritual space. Lights off, windows covered, black cloth covering the large central table, and a host of electric tea candles arranged in neat, even rows on top. I follow him to the far end of the table.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn zis room, ve vill test just how real your delusions have become,\u201d the doctor explains on the way. \u201cIn immersive theater you are often given powers. Powers to repel vampires, powers to move through time, even powers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/hollywood-fringe-one-last-thing-before-you-go\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">speak vith ze dead<\/a>. Tell me, have you attempted to use zese powers outside of an immersive experience?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>I didn\u2019t go to any of those shows, so no, but<\/em> \u201cDoes tarot count?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ll call zat a yes,\u201d the doctor replies, making a note in his clipboard. He directs me to sit at the corner of the table. \u201cToday we vill be testing some of zese abilities. In order to properly motivate you, ve vill be adding in an element of classical conditioning. If you successfully use zese powers, you vill be positively reinforced and get a treat,\u201d the doctor continues, reaching down under the table to pull up a bag of jellybeans and place it on the table in front of me.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17247\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test19\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17247 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test19.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Please, god, do <\/em>not <em>let those be the same ones from <\/em>Rebirth<em>, <\/em>I think, recalling how a couple of the flavors I had to deal with during that \u201cfilm\u201d nearly made me vomit.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut if you <em>fail<\/em>, you vill be negatively reinforced vis a punishment.\u201d He shows me a taser, then demonstrates it is in fact charged and ready to go. <em>Well okay then<\/em>. <em>Maybe they\u2019re not playing around<\/em>. \u201cDo you understand?\u201d he asks. I nod. \u201cGood.\u201d the doctor reaches down a third time, pulling up a fishbowl filled with scraps of paper and placing it before me, then shows me a pair of dice. \u201cFirst, ve will be testing your ability vis telekinesis. In zat bowl there are slips of paper with two numbers on zem. Please pull one out und look at it.\u201d I do so, noting that 7 and 11 have been scribbled on it. I inform the doctor of the targets when he asks.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour job is to concentrate on ze dice und ensure that ven I roll zem, the result is vun of zose two numbers. Vit more advanced telekinetics I would have zem try for only a single number, but since you are new at zis we vill use two.\u201d He walks around the edge of the table, standing across from me, dice in hand. \u201cNow. Concentrate on ze dice. Concentrate on ze numbers 7 und 11. Picture zem in you mind.\u201d <em>Fuck it, let\u2019s play along<\/em>. I make a show of closing my eyes and breathing in deeply, then the doctor rolls. I open my eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSeven, very good,\u201d the doctor praises. \u201cHave a treat.\u201d As I reach for the bag I try not to smile, but probably fail on account of the relief I feel when I pop a jellybean in my mouth and it doesn\u2019t taste like earwax. <em>Either I&#8217;m lucky, or you\u2019re full of it. Statistically speaking 7 is the most common result from rolling 2d6, but that\u2019s still only 1 in 6 odds. But let\u2019s see how the rest plays out<\/em>. \u201cNow, for scientific purposes, ve vill repeat ze experiment to test for repeatability. Please concentrate again.\u201d I do so, he rolls. \u201c7 again! Zis must be a very important number for you, vun vit great emotional significance.\u201d <em>Yeah, right<\/em>, I think. <em>That, or the number you rolled and the result you declared have nothing to do with each other. Or maybe trick dice, but I\u2019ve never heard of loaded dice that throw 7 or 11. Either way I call bullshit, but we\u2019re having fun, so why call you on it? <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The doctor meets my gaze, getting ready to roll again. \u201cVe vill do zis two more times. An oh, you forgot your reward!\u201d Dutifully I pop another jellybean in my mouth. The next roll is supposedly an 11, earning another candy. Ditto the following. <em>One in 18 chance of rolling 11 once; twice is somewhere around 1 in 200. But I\u2019ll play your game, you rogue. What\u2019s next?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow ve shall move on to ze next test: ESP. Extrasensory perception, zey call it,\u201d the doctor explains, pulling out a deck of cards. \u201cZese are Zener images,\u201d he explains, pulling a card and turning it so I can see the image on the other side, naming them as he does so. Square, circle, wavy lines, cross, star. <em>Oh yeah, I think I\u2019ve seen these before. <\/em>\u201cZe object is simple: You are to guess the image on the back of the card. Ze same rules apply as before. You get it wrong, you get punished; you get it right, you get a treat. Now, let us begin.\u201d He holds up a card, its back to me, an expectant look on his face.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, I have no idea what image is on the other side, so I\u2019ll be pulling a guess out of my butt. <em>When in doubt, pick C,<\/em> I decide, then call out \u201cwavy lines.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery good,\u201d the doctor replies. <em>Whatever you say, man. <\/em>I pop in another jellybean; raspberry, or something similar. For the next card I guess star, then cross; both are apparently correct. <em>I notice you\u2019re not showing me the card, though<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan you see through zese cards?\u201d The doctor asks, doing a fair job of feigning surprise. This time I can\u2019t quite hold the chuckle back.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not how this works,\u201d I reply, deliberately vague. <em>Could be that I know you\u2019re fucking with me, could be I genuinely believe I\u2019m nailing it,<\/em> I think, <em>but I suspect we both know this is all a sham. Including me playing along.<\/em> I flub the next card, though; apparently, it was NOT a cross.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWrong,\u201d the doctor tells me. \u201cNow for ze negative reinforcement.\u201d <em>You\u2019re seriously going to taze me?<\/em> I wonder, but there\u2019s still a faint smile on my face as he reaches for the taser and I start to offer my forearm. But he doesn\u2019t shock me with it. Instead, he primes it, then crackles it at me in a manner that might have been threatening if this weren\u2019t all so amusing. I\u2019m almost disappointed, but then I run through the potential safety concerns and decide it\u2019s for the best. \u201cTry again,\u201d the doctor orders. I circle back to the beginning and guess wavy lines, but this is wrong as well. Another crackle.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVhat happened?\u201d he asks. \u201cYou got cocky maybe?\u201d <em>That\u2019s one theory, sure<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI guess,\u201d I reply. He puts the deck away, then starts walking back around to the head of the table.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17252\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test30\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17252 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test30.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZe final test vill be holding a little seance to see if you can commune vit ze dead,\u201d he explains, taking a seat. \u201cFirst ve vill join hands, zen I\u2019m going to say a short spell that I learned from an immersive experience. When I\u2019m done, you vill communicate vit ze spirit and ve shall see vhat happens.\u201d We link up, arms extended loosely across the corner of the conference table. The doctor continues. \u201cI commune with the spirit realm. Use my body as a bridge and my soul as a gateway. If those at this table are worthy, transform me into a vessel and let others speak through me.\u201d A moment passes, then his body seizes up for about a three count.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>And here we go,<\/em> I think, probably still smiling, as he relaxes before fixing his gaze on me. \u201cWhy did you betray me?\u201d he asks, voice now a breathy rasp.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>So that\u2019s the direction we\u2019re going in? Alrighty, let\u2019s see what you\u2019ve got. <\/em>\u201cWho are you?\u201d I answer. The doctor\u2019s voice shifts again, jumping up an octave and taking on a wholly different timbre.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou left me,\u201d he replies. <em>Seriously, he sounds just like a woman. How the hell does he do that? Where do I get that kind of training?<\/em> If I hadn\u2019t already heard him do so in <em>Rebirth of the Rabbit<\/em>, and if I were a bit more credulous (or less sober), I might have re-evaluated whether this really was a hoax. But I\u2019m prepared, and sane-<em>ish<\/em>, so I just repeat \u201cWho are you?\u201d with a touch more emphasis.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was so cold,\u201d he replies mournfully, still in that studio-grade falsetto. \u201cI was afraid and alone, and you left me. <em>Why <\/em>did you leave me?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWho are you?\u201d I ask a third time, and he shifts back down into that malevolent rasp.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou know who I am!\u201d he accuses. \u201cSay my name. Say the name of the person you abandoned.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Oh, let\u2019s fuck with him a little,<\/em> part of me suggests. \u201cCleo,\u201d I tell him.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cApologize to Cleo,\u201d he hisses. I do so, mostly keeping a straight face. He then proceeds to pronounce doom on me, supposedly to be delivered by Cleo. \u201cI curse you, from now until the end of your days,\u201d he states. \u201cYou will never know happiness, and all that you seek to achieve will end in failure. You will die alone, with no one to mourn you,\u201d and so on. The doctor slumps forward, as though a spirit really had departed him. <em>Well that was fun,<\/em> I muse.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZis is not good,\u201d the doctor pronounces, back in his old European accent. \u201cSpirits like zis are no joke, you should not take zem lightly you know? You should think about vhat you did to offend zis person.\u201d He suggests I might want to look into getting some help laying Cleo to rest, then tells me to stand on account of the experiment being finished.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As we walk toward the exit back into the waiting room, he is nonetheless encouraged by what transpired. \u201cClassical conditioning verks well on you. Ze appeal of a reward and the threat of a punishment brought forth your powers &#8211; your belief became reality. Very interesting responses, very interesting indeed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17239\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test10\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17239\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test10.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Yeah, okay,<\/em> I think, my inner voice dripping with sarcasm and on the edge of laughter. <em>I mean come on. You know this was hilarious bullshit, I know it, you know that I know, and I know that you know that I know, and\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Stop that this instant, <\/em>another part of me interrupts. <em>Besides, what he doesn\u2019t know is that Cleo was only a person in a very broad sense; our family\u2019s cat that lived a long, happy life in a loving home before going out peacefully a decade ago.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Oh yeah, that did make that whole scene even funnier<\/em>. I mean, in hindsight I could have thrown out someone still living, but the notion of Dr. Voice Actor being possessed by the spirit of a cat who was friendlier and more affectionate than most dogs tickled my fancy more, and then the idea of her being this malevolent shade speaking through him was almost too much.<\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The doctor makes some notes on his clipboard as we step out of the darkened room. I wonder what he\u2019s scribbling. Are my responses being noted to say I bought it? Or was I obviously playing along for the entertainment value? <em>I wonder if they\u2019ll let us see all the data they\u2019re collecting on us,<\/em> I ponder, thinking back to the forms from earlier, the doctors\u2019 notes in these scenes so far, the heart monitor on my wrist. <em>Suppose we can ask,<\/em> my inner data geek offers.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Interlude Three: Even a Child Could Do It<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Amused, Introspective<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Coordinator takes over from the doctor and leads me to a fold-out, plywood table in the waiting room. \u201cWe apologize, we seem to have misplaced audio file #3,\u201d she informs. <em>Aww, I was enjoying those,<\/em> I pout. I was actually looking forward to hear how Patient 023412\u2019s story progressed, especially in parallel to this last experiment. But oh well.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut to make up for it, we have a small treat for you,\u201d she continues, placing a marshmallow on the table in front of me. \u201cThe rules are simple: You can eat this now, or you can be patient and get two when I return.\u201d <em>This is straight out of child psychology,<\/em> I think. <em>I literally saw a video where they did this with elementary schoolers. Am I being insulted, or is this just them deliberately emphasizing that everything up until now has been kid stuff?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ll be rewarded for your patience,\u201d The Coordinator adds, \u201cor possibly punished for your impatience. The choice is yours. Remember, we\u2019re always watching.\u201d The Coordinator heads off, leaving me to decide how to proceed.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>I guess the real question is, do I even want two marshmallows?<\/em> Blasphemous, I know, but it\u2019s somewhere around 10pm by now and I\u2019m not really craving sweets. On the other hand, marshmallows are marshmallows. <em>Alright, I guess we\u2019re gonna wait then.<\/em> In the meantime, Final <em>Jeopardy<\/em> loops through my brain as I sit and do, well, not much. I glance around the waiting area and things seem to be winding down. There\u2019s nobody filling out forms, but there does appear to be someone in the blanket fort next to me. <em>Wonder when that comes into play?<\/em> I consider. <em>And, more to the point, what comes before it.<\/em> I recall seeing shoes and a flannel shirt on the chair next to it before, so presumably there\u2019s a scene where some degree of nudity is involved, but beyond that\u2026 oh, wait. <em>That\u2019s definitely someone shouting, coming from next to the conference room<\/em>. <em>More than one person. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17298\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test20\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17298 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test20.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before I can speculate further as to what might be going on in there, a doctor I haven\u2019t met previously comes over. She notices the marshmallow still on the table. \u201cGood boy,\u201d she praises, patting me on the head, tone patronizing. <em>Okay, really?<\/em> Something about this whole situation irks me, but I decide to brush it off and take the reward.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Okay, but honestly, I don\u2019t really want both of these. Let\u2019s see if she\u2019ll take one<\/em>. The doctor refuses, however. \u201cNo, that\u2019s yours, you\u2019ve earned it,\u201d she responds to my offer, in that same tone that part of me finds funny but also makes my eye want to twitch.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShame I don\u2019t have a coat hanger,\u201d I reply. \u201cI could toast these.\u201d But none is forthcoming, so I pop the marshmallows, one after the other, smooshing each against the roof of my mouth with my tongue so I can feel them disintegrate before swallowing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFollow me, please,\u201d she instructs. I stand, and she leads me to the next experiment. <em>Not <\/em>the noisy room, this time; it\u2019s at the far end, back by where Tristan\/The Expert and I had our scene earlier.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment Five: Interrogation<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Acutely Uncomfortable<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: High<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The door opens and I step into a darkened bathroom, the only light coming from a slightly-ajar door at the other end. I don\u2019t clock any offensive smells or naked rabbits, so we\u2019re starting off very differently than <em>Rebirth<\/em>. Instead, my attention gets pulled to the closed shower door, and the banging coming from the other side.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Well this is a little more on-brand,<\/em> I approve. <em>Wonder what\u2019s waiting for me in there. Knife-wielding boogeyman? Psychotic death clown? Nightmare Bunny Friend? <\/em>But we\u2019re not there yet. First, the doctor hands me a glass of water. \u201cYou must be thirsty,\u201d she tells me. \u201cGo ahead, drink up.\u201d As I knock it back, she makes an approving noise. \u201cYou are <em>obedient<\/em>, aren\u2019t you?\u201d <em>Uh\u2026 ok\u2026<\/em> \u201cThis room will be a study of secrets,\u201d she explains. \u201cWe have two participants in this room &#8211; and luckily the participant who entered before you is already here. Your friend, in fact.\u201d She pulls back the shower door, revealing a woman, hooded and restrained to a chair. <em>Wasn\u2019t expecting that, <\/em>I admit, and even less so the voice who calls out, \u201cWhat the fuck is going on?!\u201d <em>Shit, I DO kno<\/em><em>w her,<\/em> I realize. She played the role of Eostre in <em>Rebirth of the Rabbit<\/em>, but I also know the actress personally.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I examine the bound actress while the doctor lays out the situation. \u201cYou will be given the role of <em>interrogator<\/em> &#8211; and she will be given the role of <em>victim<\/em>.\u201d <em>Likely problematic<\/em>. <em>Cruelty is not my strong suit, and emotions in general are going to be muted when I\u2019m in an experience that strays outside my comfort zone. A convincing portrayal will be difficult.<\/em> \u201cAs the interrogator,\u201d the doctor continues, \u201cyour instructions are to extract the information we need from the victim. Use any means necessary to do so, but ensure that her answer is the truth. Because if your final answer is a lie &#8211; you will fail.\u201d Her tone becomes grave as she adds \u201cAnd trust me, you don\u2019t want to fail.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Do you suppose she means what The Coordinator mentioned earlier about one of the doctors being in a porn film?<\/em> I think to myself. <em>Probably. So, I guess that gives me an out: If I ask about that, then maybe it\u2019s like a &#8220;get out of jail free&#8221; card. Skip past the unpleasantness and avoid having to be an asshole to her. In that case, perhaps I should hedge against the possibility by playing dumb until I become too uncomfortable to continue.<\/em> I decide just in time for the doctor to tell me, \u201cNow\u2026 go get that secret.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat the <em>fuck <\/em>is going on?\u201d my friend asks. \u201cWhat am I <em>doing <\/em>here?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17286\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17286\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61893898_616934188788021_1525014871014375424_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Okay, so how do I play this?<\/em> I wonder.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>First of all, I need to stop thinking of her as a friend,<\/em> I decide.<em> If I\u2019m going to get through this, I need to assume a character, play a role, and that means thinking within the context of the narrative. I am the interrogator, and she is the prisoner in possession of crucial information. No more, no less.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I decide I\u2019ll open with trying to reason with her. It likely won\u2019t go anywhere, but it should at least serve as a warm-up. \u201cYou <em>know <\/em>why you\u2019re here,\u201d I begin. \u201cYou have information that they want, that I need. Tell them what they need to know and we can both get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The prisoner is defensive. \u201cNo! I don\u2019t fucking <em>know <\/em>anything! I\u2019ve been here since fucking 4 o\u2019clock, tied to this <em>fucking <\/em>chair, and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou <em>do <\/em>know, or you wouldn\u2019t be here. <em>We <\/em>wouldn\u2019t be here. The sooner you tell us, the sooner we can leave.\u201d This goes back and forth: her denial, my refusal to accept and repeating the ask, but as I suspected it goes nowhere.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The doctor pulls me aside. \u201cYou\u2019re doing well, but maybe it\u2019s time for a different approach,\u201d she suggests. Try begging. Pleading. Offering something.\u201d I\u2019m really not sure what I have to offer, but when I return to the shower I soften my tone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPlease just tell us what we need to know,\u201d I implore, drawing on my genuine desire to end this awkwardness as soon as possible. \u201cNeither of us wants to be here, but neither you nor I can leave until you tell them. Please.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t. Know. Anything,\u201d the prisoner insists. I keep trying, but it\u2019s futile. She\u2019s not budging.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After another minute or so the doctor pulls me aside again. \u201cTry getting a little\u2026 darker,\u201d she offers. \u201cYell at her. Scream at her. Get up in her face! Make her afraid.\u201d <em>Yeah, that\u2019s not going to go well.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17282\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1124&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1124\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;HVRTING &#8211; Science of HVRTING&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1124&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1124&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17282\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?resize=800%2C599&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?resize=768%2C575&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C854&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?resize=848%2C635&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/62112285_2303207366368918_1370952654645100544_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I inhale, summoning all the anger I can muster, but it\u2019s a pittance. \u201cTELL ME WHAT I NEED TO KNOW!\u201d I shout. \u201cJust tell me! Tell me and this all ends. We can all. Leave. What do they want to KNOW?!\u201d At least, that\u2019s what I go for, but it feels half-assed at best. I look at her hooded face, then around the shower\u2019s interior, seeking some sort of inspiration. My gaze settles on the shower head.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t think it works,\u201d the doctor tells me, \u201cso you\u2019re not going to be able to waterboard her.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking about waterboarding her,\u201d I retort, which is actually true. \u201cBut maybe I could beat her with it.\u201d I turn to the prisoner. \u201cOf course, you might enjoy it. Maybe <em>that <\/em>will get you to talk?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPut your hand on her shoulder,\u201d the doctor orders. Somewhere, a record screeches to a halt.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>What. Uh, no. Last I checked, a cardinal fucking rule of immersive theater was DON\u2019T TOUCH THE ACTORS.<\/em> But it would appear &#8211; in this case &#8211; I need to make an exception. <em>Besides, this is only light contact, and I would not be asked to do so if it were not part of the narrative.<\/em> I place my right hand on the prisoner\u2019s left shoulder despite my discomfort.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBoth of them,\u201d the doctor clarifies. <em>In for a penny, in for a pound,<\/em> I think while complying. \u201cClose your hands around her throat.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Okay, NO, HOLD THE PHONE<\/em> I scream internally. <em>That is a BIG no-go. Choking is bedroom only, and even then only when specifically asked, NEITHER OF WHICH APPLY TO THIS GODDAMN SITUATION.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>On the other hand\u2026<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I realize I\u2019m thinking about this all wrong.<em> You\u2019re playing the game their way, <\/em>I explain to myself.<em> Trying to separate the actress from the character, pretending that she\u2019s this nameless prisoner because that\u2019s how you\u2019re \u201csupposed\u201d to play it. But that\u2019s the exact wrong approach here. <\/em>Because the truth is I don\u2019t have it in me to choke out a stranger, and thus I can\u2019t bring myself to strangle the prisoner<em>. So stop thinking about her that way, <\/em>I tell myself,<em> and remember that you do know her. You know that she\u2019s done plenty of experiences like this &#8211; so a little grade school breath play won\u2019t even faze her. It\u2019s fine. You\u2019re fine. DO it.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17299\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test26\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17299 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test26.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I clasp my hands around her throat, thumbs making a <span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">V<\/span> around her windpipe. <em>You\u2019ve got this.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery good,\u201d the doctor encourages. \u201cSqueeze.\u201d I keep it light at first, since I have to assume she\u2019ll make me dial it up. \u201cHarder,\u201d she orders, proving me right, and I tick the pressure up a notch. \u201cHarder,\u201d she repeats, and I press in my thumbs still more.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Uhh&#8230; Is this safe?<\/em> I wonder. I can\u2019t see her face, so it\u2019s hard to tell how she\u2019s doing. But I don\u2019t have to hold it for long.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s enough,\u201d the doctor tells me. I immediately release my grip and jerk my hands away from my friend\u2019s throat. She gasps, but gives no sign of distress or even anger toward me.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShe\u2019s tough,\u201d the doctor concedes. \u201cLet\u2019s take her hood off so you can get a look at her,\u201d she adds. I pull the hood off, but I can\u2019t look my friend in the eyes.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow be nice to her,\u201d the doctor tells me. \u201cTouch her cheek, nice and gently. There you go,\u201d she encourages. I comply, but my whole body tenses up from how skeeved-out this is making me feel. We\u2019re well past my comfort zone in general, and this sort of affection is definitely NOT how I interact with friends. Plus, she appears to be just as uncomfortable as I am with it. Or maybe I\u2019m just projecting.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Before I can worry, the doctor takes my wrist and positions my hand about six inches from my friend\u2019s face. \u201cYou know what to do,\u201d she instructs. I do, but I\u2019m not happy about it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>We\u2019ve come this far,<\/em> I point out. <em>Ugh, fine.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I slap her, just barely hard enough to count.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTry that again, but harder,\u201d my friend tells me.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Well, you heard the lady. <\/em>I reposition with another four or five inches of wind-up, then hit her again. Still a play slap, but in the you-literally-asked-for-it range. Or so I thought, but her head flies sideways from the recoil. <em>Shit, was that too much?<\/em> Perhaps, or perhaps just enough. Either way my friend slumps, finally giving in. \u201cThe Vile was murdered,\u201d she tells us.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Very <\/em>good,\u201d the doctor praises. \u201cI think we\u2019re done here.\u201d I start following her out of the bathroom, but miss what she says next. The second we step out the door and back into the waiting room, I consider how many lines I just crossed. And I am <em>not<\/em> okay with it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Interlude Four: If You Can\u2019t Beat \u2018Em&#8230;<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Guilt, Anxiety<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The doctor sets me up with another pair of headphones. \u201cCongratulations, you passed the loyalty test,\u201d she tells me, queueing up the next audio log. But technically, I didn\u2019t. I didn\u2019t get the secret I was supposed to, after all, but there was no punishment. No repercussions. Somehow that makes it worse, the implication that in the end it didn\u2019t matter. That I just choked, then slapped a friend for no other reason than I was told to. My mind keeps flicking back to her head after that second slap, flung sideways, again and again. I feel an overpowering urge to take out my phone, to send an apology, but on the other hand, what would that solve? I still did it.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>My mini-freakout keeps me from paying much attention to the first few seconds of the clip, but I manage to catch that this is audio journal number four, and another interview with Patient 023412. I force the big ol\u2019 ball of self-loathing and anxiety aside for now so I can focus on the rest.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan we continue, Patient 023412?\u201d The Director asks. She sounds about as distressed as I feel, and on some level, I realize that this is most likely deliberate. <em>Well played,<\/em> I concede.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have to protect myself. The monster is coming for me. There\u2019s that weird guy, who just stands in the corner watching. He never helps, the monster just attacks me. I can\u2019t seem to do anything.\u201d <em>Wonder if that\u2019s how my friend felt,<\/em> part of me asks, but I know that\u2019s not fair. And hope it\u2019s not accurate.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd how do you plan to protect yourself,\u201d The Director asks. \u201cTasing? Waterboarding? Fingering a cooked chicken?\u201d <em>Oh right, it\u2019s the reference parade<\/em>, I realize. I think I saw that in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt5222646\/?fbclid=IwAR0i5rWkGQPp8hHtzTmvn_mUb8RnCbbckKGVxZEQ0LW1csZUYpvqeXndJ-8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>The Blackout Experiments Documentary<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe last one is a little odd,\u201d the patient replies, \u201cbut the others sound fair.\u201d <em>Fair?<\/em> But The Director doesn\u2019t dispute her position.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17288\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17288\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61797943_2310222855960343_5486907625008267264_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne last question,\u201d he says instead. \u201cI\u2019m afraid to bring it up again, but we spent most of audio log 3 discussing it. You explained <em>the incident&#8230;<\/em>\u201d he continues. 023412 gasps at the mention of this mysterious occurrence. \u201c&#8230;and the following blackout. How you resorted to hiding your car keys in toilets and storing jars of piss in your house.\u201d <em>Definitely missed those shows, but with the reference to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/immersions\/blackout\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Blackout<\/a>, it sounds like it\u2019s connected, <\/em>I think. \u201cBut ultimately, but I need to know <em>why<\/em> it all happened.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>023412 sighs, hesitant, then inhales. She says she\u2019ll do her best to explain. \u201cI no longer felt safe outside,\u201d she begins. \u201cThe elements were too harsh. But I also no longer felt safe in my house. Even my phone betrayed me. Those little three dots mocked me every time someone typed an iMessage to me. It was 21 days ago, and I\u2019ve barely slept since! I\u2019ve kept all the doors locked, but the monsters still got in. That\u2019s why I did it. That\u2019s why the incident happened.\u201d <em>Any more Blackout titles you want to sneak in?<\/em> I ask the ether. The Director asks if she feels better <em>now<\/em>, if the paranoia stopped. \u201cStop? No, it&#8217;s not over. It&#8217;s never over.\u201d <em>Classic Blackout line &#8211; even I know that. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Director sighs. He has his diagnosis. \u201cYou believe you are a character in an immersive experience. You believe that you are being tormented by monsters and men in ski masks alike. You believe that you must be proficient at these skills to be able to protect yourself. Is that correct?\u201d Timidly, the patient replies in the affirmative. The Director, in turn, informs her that there is only one treatment.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am offering you a place here,\u201d he tells 023412. \u201cYou can join us, HVRTING. You can craft your own experience based on the dark delusions in your head. You can truly become the character you think you are. What do you think?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>At first, she hesitates. \u201cI think it\u2019s\u2026it\u2019s\u2026\u201d a pause, then her tone shifts. Afraid to delighted, weak to wicked. \u201cPerfect,\u201d she concludes. I can hear The Director\u2019s predatory smile.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNow, the only thing that remains is a name. I am The Director, and behind you is The Coordinator. Our names define what we do. But there are others who describe what they\u2019re like, their personality &#8211; like The Drama, or The Vile. What do you think for yourself?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She hems and haws for a moment, then seems to come to a decision. \u201cI think I\u2019d like to be\u2026 The Curious.\u201d The recording ends. <em>Well, I guess that was her all along,<\/em> I realize, thinking back to the earlier journal when the possibility occurred to me. <em>Mystery solved, I suppose, and well-delivered.<\/em> But now what?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment Five: Torment<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Angry<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Very High<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMatthew?\u201d an all-too-familiar voice asks. Outside HVRTING, The Actress is a close friend, but here she\u2019s just another doctor here to bring me to the next experiment. The room where I heard shouting before. I step inside, and The Actress tells me to have a seat, taking my glasses.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTake in the room; you have one minute,\u201d she informs me as she sets a timer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I focus, clocking as many details as possible. <em>Man in shorts, Hawaiian shirt, half-mask,<\/em> I note.<em> Phantom of the Opera. Don\u2019t like the look of him.<\/em> I pan my gaze around the rest of the space. <em>Framed pictures on the walls; unimportant. Plastic bags and a gimp mask along the baseboards; foreboding. Young woman sitting on the cabinet. Jeans, mask, video camera. Observer? Likely important, but to be determined.<\/em> I look at the wall in front of me. <em>Whiteboard. A couple drawings, lots of profanity. Not a good sign. <\/em>I\u2019m not paying attention when the hand claps my shoulder. I jerk, startled out of my observer state.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17236\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test3\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17236 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test3.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy\u2019d you jump?\u201d a man\u2019s voice asks, aggressive. <em>Don\u2019t answer, <\/em>I tell myself. <em>Just endure.<\/em> From behind, the man smacks my back, my side, my stomach. \u201cWhy\u2019d you jump?\u201d he repeats. He curls his fingers in my hair, then yanks down and sideways \u201cWhy\u2019d you <em>fucking jump<\/em>?!\u201d He bellows. I can feel my blood start to simmer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cShirt off, shoes off, socks off,\u201d my tormentor commands. <em>The <\/em>Tormentor, I realize. The new one. <em>Shit.<\/em> I comply, then grudgingly stand when told. I am rewarded with more slapping. Some of the blows hit tickle spots, triggering a weird sensation. I instinctively bat The Tormentor\u2019s hand away. He does <em>not <\/em>like that.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe fuck?!\u201d he barks. \u201cFuck it, put your fucking hands UP,\u201d he adds. I comply.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He slaps me around a bit more &#8211; and then instructs me: \u201cDraw a picture on the whiteboard.\u201d I\u2019m already fuming, so it takes a second to find one of the dry-erase markers. \u201cDraw what you feel,\u201d The Tormentor \u201csuggests.\u201d There\u2019s not really enough space left to draw a picture, but that\u2019s fine. I know <em>just<\/em> what to put down. I find a bit of open space near the top of the board, then chuckle to myself as I write two simple words of defiance: \u201cFuck off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I expect The Tormentor to lose his shit, but instead he responds with an honest-to-god belly laugh. \u201cFINALLY! Someone who FUCKING GETS IT!\u201d Celebratory smacking ensues, then he gives a new command. \u201cRoll.\u201d Or at least that\u2019s what I hear, but when I roll onto my back he\u2019s angry again. \u201cI said fucking CRAWL!\u201d he shouts.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI heard <em>roll<\/em>!\u201d I shout right back, then correct my movement. I start to crawl, facing away from him, and more open-handed blows find my back and flanks. He puts a bag over my head when I\u2019m in front of the observer, pulling back hard. I grit my teeth, growing angrier still at the strangulation, but the bag rips and falls away before it becomes a problem.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17237\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test6\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17237 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test6.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFocus on the observer,\u201d The Tormentor commands. \u201cTell me what you see. Now!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBlue sandals,\u201d I spit. \u201cBlue jeans. Blouse. Video camera. <em>Phantom of the Opera<\/em> mask.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBack in the chair,\u201d he tells me next. Once seated, he hands me the gimp mask. \u201cPut the fucking mask on,\u201d he orders. I try to loosen in a bit, but I\u2019m being hurried, so I just do my best to pull it on. It doesn\u2019t feel like it gets all the way, but it\u2019s enough to at least partially see out of. \u201cFocus on me,\u201d he instructs. \u201cTell me what you see. What about my mask?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCan\u2019t see your fucking mask,\u201d I growl.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy shirt, then.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHawaiian. Flowers. Palm leaves. A parrot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat kind of fucking parrot?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHard to tell. Could be a blue macaw.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re a smart fucker, aren\u2019t you?\u201d he replies, though I can\u2019t tell if he\u2019s sarcastic or actually impressed. Too angry. \u201cWhat about the girl\u2019s mask?\u201d I reiterate my assessment from earlier. \u201cWhat about my nurse\u2019s mask.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Oh, for fuck\u2019s sake, <\/em>\u201cShe wasn\u2019t WEARING a fucking mask!\u201d I shout.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVery good,\u201d The Tormentor responds. \u201cI see someone\u2019s got good, what is it, attention to detail? Yeah, that\u2019s it. Very <em>fucking <\/em>observant.\u201d Then he notices my mask is apparently on wrong, and jerks it down into the correct position. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a big fucking head, you know that?\u201d he asks. \u201cI\u2019m amazed it fucking fits. He crouches down, looking me in the eye. \u201cCan you see <em>my <\/em>mask now?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHalf mask,\u201d I confirm. \u201cWhite, with blue or purple accents.\u201d No praise, this time. Just \u201ccrawl.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17294\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test4\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17294 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test4.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>God, I want to beat the shit out of him. It\u2019s not even personal, in all honesty. If I were to meet the guy outside tonight\u2019s experience, I\u2019d give a friendly hello and happily catch up over a beer. But being dommed like this doesn\u2019t tickle me the way it does some others who frequent extreme haunts. It just triggers my fight response, a purely animal reaction, and right now The Tormentor is just barely keeping it at a level I can handle. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I\u2019m definitely red-lining. But I keep it together by throwing as much as I can spare into bolstering my stoicism and focus, distracting myself from the burning itch to hurt someone.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Tormentor orders me back in the chair, and I can feel heat radiating off me from where bruises are starting to form. \u201cDo you like water?\u201d he asks, then stuffs another plastic bag in my mouth. No waterboarding tonight, though. Instead the bag comes out, and then I feel something cold press against my side. \u201cWhere should I shoot him?\u201d The Tormentor asks, though I couldn\u2019t say if he was asking the The Actress or the observer. \u201cThe side?\u201d he poses, then runs the tip of a staple gun up my chest to the back of my skull. \u201cThe head?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTime,\u201d The Actress interrupts, and the gun falls away.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to shoot you,\u201d The Tormentor stage whispers into my ear as he puts the staple gun down, \u201cBut The Actress wouldn\u2019t let me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEh, she wouldn\u2019t have stopped you,\u201d I retort, which sparks a laugh from all of us, breaking the tension. The Tormentor helps me out of the mask. \u201cYou okay?\u201d He asks, all malice gone from his voice. \u201cHave a good time?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17292\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test8\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17292 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/test8.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, sure,\u201d I reply. On the one hand, my blood\u2019s still pretty up, and I\u2019m going to have some nasty marks on me in the morning. On the other, I\u2019m oddly satisfied. I held it together. I faced a level of anger I haven\u2019t felt in years, and bested it. Kept control, and stayed focused enough to pay attention to what was happening. Fighting your baser self and winning is a powerful victory, and I\u2019m buoyed by the triumph as put my shirt and glasses back on, then follow The Actress back out into the waiting area.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Interlude Five: Aftercare<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Introspective<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Low<\/em><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Actress takes me to the blanket fort. \u201cYou can rest here for now,\u201d she explains. \u201cThere are snacks, and juice. Relax for a bit, then someone will collect you when it\u2019s time. I\u2019ll leave your shoes and socks on the chair here.\u201d I crawl inside the fort and get comfortable. It\u2019s cozy. Pillows, snacks, and dinosaur-print bedsheets forming a little aftercare refuge. I notice a pair of orphaned marshmallows on one of the structural chairs. <em>Guess someone wasn\u2019t hungry.<\/em> I take a few minutes to go back over what\u2019s happened, both in the previous scene and throughout the show overall.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17238\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test9\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17238 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test9.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>One narrative thread was obviously The Curious\u2019 origin story, <\/em>I realize. <em>But the interesting question is whether that was written first, and the broader experience designed to mirror it, or whether it was the opposite. Which was the chicken, and which was the egg?<\/em> I take another long sip of juice.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Smart move doing the interrogation scene before that last one,<\/em> I observe. <em>Other way round would have gone very differently.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>There\u2019s also the broader thread of the need to recognize the separation between actor and character, especially in immersive theater and haunts, but then directly poking at how that\u2019s often not possible. At least, not completely.<\/em> <em>And, in fairness, that knowing the actor can sometimes even enhance the experience.<\/em> <em>Or at least make it easier to stomach.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>And then there\u2019s how meta this whole thing has been. It\u2019s completely riddled with references to other shows: enough that even I caught a fair number, and there are a LOT of shows I never got to see. Especially the pricier ones like Delusion. I can imagine a few of the more experienced folks must have been howling, at least internally, during the audio journal sections.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I grab my shoes and socks from outside and put them on, and notice The Coordinator is coming for me.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17296\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17296\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61987001_380263852832372_3434369992932458496_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust one more scene,\u201d she says as she leads me back to the office where I met with The Director what feels like a lifetime ago, and tells me to go right on in.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Experiment Six: Unaided Recall<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Calm<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>This time, it\u2019s not The Director, and The Curious is nowhere to be seen either. It\u2019s another woman I don\u2019t recognize. No, scratch that. I saw her at the very beginning of the experience, sitting in a chair by the stairs and tables where I filled out all those forms. Waiting her turn, apparently.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations, you\u2019ve completed all the tests,\u201d she tells me. I\u2019m not ashamed to admit I\u2019m relieved. Not anything against the experience itself, but it has been A Thing and it\u2019s getting late. First I am given a sheet of paper to read: a debrief, informing me that The Director&#8217;s mention of partnering with UNLV back in the initial interview was not just building the narrative. Apparently they really <em>are<\/em> working with the university, and this whole experience has been an elaborate experiment designed to test eyewitness reliability. I indicate that I understand and return the paper.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17297\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1500,1125\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?fit=1500%2C1125&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17297\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?resize=800%2C600&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?w=1500&amp;ssl=1 1500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?resize=1140%2C855&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?resize=848%2C636&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/61994812_2508148259236732_4613970983978532864_n.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNext, we have a few questions to wrap things up.\u201d She hands me a clipboard with a familiar pair of surveys. \u201cThese are the same as ones you took earlier,\u201d she confirms. \u201cFor the first, please answer the questions based on how you felt <em>during <\/em>the experiments. For the following set, please answer based on how you feel <em>in general<\/em>. I realize you answered them before, please just do so again, and be honest.\u201d <em>You\u2019re measuring pre\/post shifts,<\/em> I realize. <em>Interesting, and potentially insightful, or at least fun<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI pity whoever has to digitize these responses,\u201d I remark.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, that\u2019s probably going to be me,\u201d my interviewer sighs.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn the flip side, all this data should be fascinating.\u201d I finish the post-stimulus psychographics and hand them over. I don\u2019t expect my answers about my general outlook changed much, but I\u2019d be curious to find out.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreat! Next, I have a couple more forms for you. These pertain to the last room you were in. Please only answer the first two, regarding the man and the observer in the room. If you don\u2019t remember, don\u2019t worry about it.\u201d Each is a short series of open-ended questions asking me to recall details about each of the characters in turn: gender, age, hair color (trick question for The Tormentor; he was bald), their mask, and their clothes. I think back to the room, using the memory of what I\u2019d angrily shouted at The Tormentor\u2019s prompting to supplement my actual visual memory. I have more detail on him, but feel like I do a halfway decent job of it overall.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17248\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test24\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17248 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test24.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGreat,\u201d the last doctor says as I hand the forms back. Another clipboard, this time two sheets of paper with images of half-masks like the two were wearing at the time. \u201cThe first page is for the man in the room, the second for the observer. Please indicate which mask you believe they wore, and how confident you are in your choice.\u201d I think back, and select the one in the top left. White mask, purple around the eye, silver filigree. I <em>think <\/em>it was silver, but I\u2019m not completely positive the way I am about the rest, so I indicate being 70% confident. I honestly thought the observer wore something similar, but none of the options seem anywhere close. I write \u201cDon\u2019t see it here\/don\u2019t recall\u201d on the bottom of the page.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat it?\u201d I ask, returning the final forms.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s it!\u201d the doctor confirms. \u201cOh, and the heart monitor.\u201d Right, I\u2019d completely forgotten about that. <em>If they were actually tracking heart rate throughout, that should be some fascinating data,<\/em> I think as I pull it off and return it. I make my way out of the building and back to my car. I see I\u2019ve got a text from Lacey, who was in the room with The Tormentor. \u201cYou okay after all that?\u201d she asks. I&#8217;ll tell her I\u2019m fine when I get home, that in fact the most uncomfortable part was actually the interrogation scene.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17249\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/test25\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"800,533\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?fit=800%2C533&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17249 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?resize=800%2C533&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/test25.jpg?resize=600%2C400&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Until then, I\u2019ve got a decent drive ahead of me. I spend most of it mulling over what I\u2019ve just been through, rehashing thoughts that occurred during the experience and thinking about how I\u2019m going to tell the story. I had a lot to mull over on the way back to the valley.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Epilogue: Remote Debrief<br \/>\n<\/strong><em>Emotional State: Relaxed, Curious<br \/>\n<\/em><em>Dissociation Level: Negligible<\/em><\/h4>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p>I arrive safely back home. Bruised, certainly, but nothing I haven\u2019t dealt with before, and mentally I\u2019m pretty much back at equilibrium. I empty my pockets and notice a slip of paper I\u2019d forgotten about until now. I think back to the sequence of events from earlier, and seem to recall being handed it right at the start. It has a header with the name of the show and the HVRTING logo, and some simple instructions in the body:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">ONCE YOUR EXPERIENCE IS OVER<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">WATCH ME<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/TINYURL.COM\/SCIENCE-OF-HVRTING\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">HTTPS:\/\/TINYURL.COM\/SCIENCE-OF-HVRTING<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">NOW TELL ME<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">WHAT IS REAL?<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Well alrighty then, <\/em>I think. <em>Guess there\u2019s one last piece to this experience.<\/em> My curiosity piqued, I plug in the URL and am taken to a YouTube video titled \u201cScience of HVRTING with credits.\u201d It begins with The Director seated at a desk covered in black cloth, decorated with various macabre items: a skull, part of a spine, and a heart atop pedestals; a worryingly large syringe; a severed head in a jar; two medication bottles. He and the desk are lit in some sort of green glow, while the background appears to be some sort of examination (or autopsy) room tinted red.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The Director stares into the camera for a moment, then begins. \u201cSo, now that it\u2019s over, can you tell me what was real, and what wasn\u2019t? I\u2019ll give you a second. Please, think it over.\u201d He pauses, shifting slightly in his chair, focus remaining squarely on the viewer.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, have you come up with your answers?\u201d he asks. \u201cI\u2019ll assume by now that you\u2019ve read your debrief,\u201d <em>Indeed<\/em>, I silently confirm. <em>That was quite the plot twist.<\/em> \u201cThat this was a collaboration between myself,\u201d he continues, \u201cand the University of Nevada Las Vegas to investigate the accuracy of eyewitness reporting.\u201d He rests a hand on his chin. \u201cSo, I ask again: <em>Was <\/em>my experiment\u2026 real?\u201d Another pause. \u201cBut what does <em>real <\/em>even mean?\u201d <em>It depends.<\/em> \u201cIs it the fact that a university conducted an IRB-approved research study that makes it real?\u201d <em>No, but that is definitely interesting.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut what does that mean about the experiments in the other rooms? I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve noticed that almost everything in this experience is based on <em>real<\/em>, scientific studies, conducted\u2026 and published.\u201d And in truth there are a couple points where I recognize the experimental design. The marshmallow bit obviously is recognizable, the interrogation sequence seems to be reminiscent of Milgram&#8217;s obedience tests, and the Zener test is at least well-known pseudoscience. \u201cDoes it make it real because scientists and researchers did it? Or was this all just a thinly-veiled excuse\u2026 to torture you?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>The two are not mutually exclusive, <\/em>I muse. <em>So I\u2019m going to go with \u201cyes.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17304\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/director\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?fit=783%2C438&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"783,438\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?fit=783%2C438&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?fit=783%2C438&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-17304\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?resize=800%2C448&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"800\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?w=783&amp;ssl=1 783w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?resize=768%2C430&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/director.jpg?resize=600%2C336&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd what about the torture?\u201d The Director inquires. \u201cDid you <em>actually <\/em>slap that poor girl in the chair?\u201d <em>Yeah. Don\u2019t remind me.<\/em> But he presses the issue, asking if it was any less real for being in-experience, or if I am absolved of blame because I was acting under orders. <em>No<\/em>, I admit. <em>I did it.<\/em> I rationalized it at the time, but in the end I still hit her.<em> Twice,<\/em> I remind myself. Admittedly the second was at her insistence, so that takes a bit of the sting out of it. I almost smile when he asks if I think my friend will go home and think about how I yelled at her. I believe it\u2019s fair to assume the answer\u2019s yes, though not in any way that I or the other participants need to feel guilty over. Again, I know her. The same familiarity that got me through the scene itself is telling me that I need not worry over her emotional state.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLet\u2019s shift gears,\u201d The Director suggests. \u201cThe attention that an immersive actor gives you\u2026 the look in their eyes?\u201d <span id=\"cch_f389a3a73cbd41e\" class=\"_mh6 _wsc\"><span class=\"_3oh- _58nk\">He&#8217;s referring to the scene with The Tormentor. Like the interrogation, it was voluntary, part of the narrative, and apparently legitimate research. But regardless of the justification, the abuse he hurled and my reactions to it still happened. Just thinking about it is enough to get my hackles up all over again.<\/span><\/span> \u201cWas that real? Some would argue that all connection is real,\u201d he continues. But am I going to go home and add him on Facebook? Ask to hang out? Probably not. But there are definitely a few people in my friends list who I first encountered when they were part of a show\u2019s cast, then got to know them as people either at the bar afterward or from seeing them when we were both in the audience.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut can they ever <em>really <\/em>be your friends?\u201d he asks. \u201cOr are they just actors, wearing whatever mask they need to in order to get through the day? After all,\u201d he adds, \u201cmasks are common. Even I wear one.\u201d He takes his off, explaining that it\u2019s just something he wears for this experience. <em>Well shit, that&#8217;s a bold move<\/em>, I think. I mean, a key part of Taylor&#8217;s whole brand strategy for HVRTING up until now has been to paint it as this shadowy cabal he has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH, regardless of how many people know the truth.\u00a0<em>Is he doing this just for the shock value,<\/em> I wonder,\u00a0<em>or does he just want our undivided attention for what comes next?<\/em> \u201cWhat masks do you wear?\u201d he poses. Do I have different masks for different people and experiences? Do I find comfort in hiding behind the anonymity of a mask? \u201cI know I do at times,\u201d he confesses. \u201cBut there\u2019s always <em>so <\/em>much more beneath the surface. That is where the truth often lies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>With his mask off, I can see the sincerity on Taylor&#8217;s face as he asks a favor: \u201cLook beneath the surface. Question things. Don\u2019t just believe a person because they\u2019re in a role of authority.\u201d <em>He probably wants us to think back to the Milgram room and recognize it as a cautionary tale,<\/em> I deduce. While it&#8217;s a point well made, in my case what played out in that room was more than just me following orders. Up until then, The Director had frequently and strongly made the point that we needed to separate the actor from the character by tying a failure to do so with insanity. Explicitly, in the case of The Curious&#8217; origin story, but also implicity in the scene with Tristan\/The Expert in the way the video degenerated when real and fictitious roles were conflated. And so I&#8217;d started off the interrogation with playing by his rules. By haunt rules: Treat the experience as a temporary, isolated parallel universe. Suspend disbelief and ignore any familiarity with the actor. The narrative is truth, and the character is real. The irony is that I had to disobey one set of orders to successfully follow another. So long as I followed The Director&#8217;s (admittedly implied) orders, so long as I made myself believe I was interrogating someone I&#8217;d never met, following the doctor&#8217;s orders to abuse the prisoner was a profound, maybe insurmountable, ethical issue. So I broke his rules. I embraced what I knew about the actor, the scene, the show. Once I stopped thinking of her as a nameless prisoner and let myself see her as a friend who likes getting slapped around, the moral opposition that was paralyzing me vanished. At least until I started playing by the rules again.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t know that there&#8217;s a broader point here, but it does remind me of something I often struggle with in my own research: We can question and observe people all we like, but in the end, even to a trained professional it&#8217;s all but impossible to know the full truth of <em>why<\/em> we behave and believe the way we do.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>But I digress. Back in the video, Taylor has one final thought: \u201cI\u2019ve talked a lot tonight about the reliability of others, but what about yourself? You saw many faces tonight, many masks, many decorations. But were you able to remember them all? With so many nerves firing, the fear of the unknown, and of course someone physically assaulting you\u2026 were you able to identify your attacker? Or at least the mask that he wore?\u201d <em>Actually, yes. That\u2019s pretty well seared in.<\/em> The details of the room, less so, but when he asks how much I trust in my own memory, my internal response is \u201cpretty well, for the important parts.\u201d As the clip ends with him asking once more, \u201cWhat was real, and what wasn\u2019t?\u201d my brain is already heading off on a tangent.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?ssl=1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"17317\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/science-hvrting-recollection\/capture-12\/\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?fit=1168%2C601&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1168,601\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;Lacey R. Pawlowicz&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;1559817201&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Science of HVRTING\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?fit=1168%2C601&amp;ssl=1\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?fit=1168%2C601&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-17317 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?resize=1168%2C601&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Science of HVRTING\" width=\"1168\" height=\"601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?resize=768%2C395&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?resize=1140%2C587&amp;ssl=1 1140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?resize=848%2C436&amp;ssl=1 848w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Capture.jpg?resize=600%2C309&amp;ssl=1 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1168px) 100vw, 1168px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>This meditation on the fallacy of memory and the subjective nature of experienced reality is all well and good,<\/em> I think,<em> but what about the DATA?! All those questionnaires, the observation notes from the experiments, the heart monitor data\u2026 obviously UNLV will find it immensely helpful for their research into witness reliability, but is anyone going to take the opportunity to see what we can learn about the participants as immersive theater\/haunt enthusiasts??<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>\u2026Can I? <span style=\"color: #000000;\">Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>To attend an extreme HVRTING show, you must email THE DIRECTOR to make sure the experience is a good fit. Find more information on upcoming shows and out-of-show, personal experiences on HVRTING\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hvrting.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">website<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/HVRTINGNET\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facebook page<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hvrtingnet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Instagram<\/a>. Check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Event Guide<\/a> for more extreme horror events throughout the year.<\/p>\n<p>_____________<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Haunting is a resource for immersive theater and horror fans in Los Angeles and across the world, promoting art and community. Want to help us reach even more people, and get some cool perks and experiences? For as little as $1 a month, you can join our\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/hauntingnet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Patreon<\/a>, and help us keep bringing content to life.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING Science of HVRTING<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><i>Matt is a mostly boring person with a horrifying imagination. Occasionally interesting things happen to him, including immersive theater. He lives in Los Angeles and only rarely gets lost in his own nightmares.<br \/>\n<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is part of Haunting\u2019s Recollection series \u2013 it is a complete account of HVRTING\u2018s show, The Science of HVRTING. It contains full spoilers and is intended for readers who have attended or could not attend the show, or are curious about this creator\u2019s work. You can read our non-spoiler review here. Please also note: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48,"featured_media":17408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[11842,11649,81],"tags":[21,99,13212,10386,96,16850],"yst_prominent_words":[16883,1865,16888,16891,3097,16892,13210,16918,16917,16915,258,4376,16893,16894,10203,16914,16916,4604,7569,4354],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.haunting.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Test.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p89hUA-4tY","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17234"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17234\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17234"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.haunting.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=17234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}