subscribe to the idea that the vast majority of mankind are dumb. Awsome potential is in practically everyone; its just that our social and political structures "dumb" us down.

Creativity, innovation, and philosophical thinking are optional for the individual in the socio-political "world" we have constructed. While each person was born with such capabilities built-in, the world order we were born into doesn't demand much of us. For the complacent majority, that world is just 'is' - they never realize it is a created construct subject to evolve and change.

The idea of standing out in the natural world - feeling the sand between your toes, feeling the chill of the morning fog, watching the birds be birds - really offers the opportunity to lift your thoughts out of the "dumb" status quo that predominates too much of our thinking. I agree that the Vue d'esprit/Terragen/Bryce/Mogoworld's do not offer the same experience. No photo-real visualization ever will. What they can do is remind us of the sublime experiences we have had in the real world. For instance I had the life-altering experience of hiking down into the Grand Canyon. Playing with Terragen often reminds me of that experience. The Terragen experience is of course a pale imitation of a sublime natural experience - still, it helps our imaginations soar.

Regards, Ross

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