"Virtual Reality" - Cultural Solutions to Societal Entropy

According to Hindu Cycle of Ages of the world, there is a cyclical change from altruistic human behaviour to savage regression. This is supposedly beyond human effort at control.

But human beings are also given the capacity to withdraw to a "Virtual Reality" world of their choosing among the best periods of historical development. Those who are financially independent can do it full-time, while those whose economic needs propel them into (may be) uncongenial activities can indulge it in their spare time.

The first of these, is the spiritual (not religious) endeavours favoured by the Hindus & Christian Mystics. While this may be acceptable to only a lucky few, more can seek escape into what is called "The Sanity of The Arts" by Edward Hodnett from the insanity of the world & its rat-race. These offer the option of choosing the type & period of human history, where the genius of the race blossomed & was in full bloom.

For example, a music lover can find, as Rachmaninov said "A little Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for Music." A literary aficionado may find a lifetime too short for enjoying the complex architecture of the Victorian novelists. Similarly in the world of Art, who can exhaust the colourful palette of the "Divine" Raphael?

It cannot be emphasised too strongly that this is not the schizophrenic's inability to deal with reality or even the fictional Lord Voldemort's splitting his soul into several horcruxes to achieve physical immortality. On the other hand, in the case of spiritual endeavours, it may even lead to the Hindu goal of human life, i.e., release from the endless cycle of birth, death & re-birth. In the case of culture, it may round up the life & procure "the peace that passeth all understanding" as proclaimed by the Christian Mystics.