What can implants access?. Cyberpsychosis and real-world mental problems

It only seems reasonable to assume that in order for a change in the body to cause any form of psychosis, it must interfere with the structures described above. And here, we encounter the first problem. A bionic prosthetic arm, leg or infrared eyeballs not only don't disrupt the operations of the corresponding centers in the brain – they don't even interact with them. The mechanical parts are connected to the peripheral nervous system, which then transports the information deeper into the brain, and there's no qualitative difference between these, and the natural impulses.

And I can speak with such confidence because that's just how contemporary prosthetics of the kind work. They do not interfere to any degree with the brain tissue, and some are not even connected to the nerves at all – information about when muscles should bend and straighten is obtained from the electrical voltage of the surviving muscles, of which they are an extension. Of course, in the future, the technology may look completely different, but there are two things to remember: first, nothing in the description of the guide to Cyberpunk 2020 suggests that this is how it works; and second, I do not see any reason why prostheses or implants for improving the functioning of the senses should interact with the centers of emotions, and imagination in the brain, and disrupt distinguishing fiction from reality.

Adam Jensen never asked for this, but he's got two bionic prosthetics.

It is quite different, however, when we deal with more complex implants, such as those that allow their owner to acquire certain skills. In the world of Cyberpunk, you can, for example, learn to play the guitar by simply downloading a suitable program to a chip in your head. While learning to play guitar can be obtained by a fairly simple connection to motor nerves (before guitarists lay into me because “playing is more than mechanical finger movements,” I'll add that the manual clearly states that the chip only allows you to acquire basic skills, without being a substitute for talent; that's why Johnny Silverhand is a star, and Hand Solo doesn't leave the room...). More complex skills that require planning and risk assessment – such as martial arts – would require much more intervention in the nervous system. And interference with the nervous system makes predicting the consequences difficult.

A large portion of the data analyzed by the brain we're not even aware of. To be fair, when compared to the computational power of the mind, the range of consciousness seems to be extraordinarily small. A good way to realize that is trying to listen to two speakers at once – few people are able to follow both, and yet the brain gets both anyway, which can be proved if both spell the name of the listener at some point. When it is uttered, it will be immediately picked out by the jelly in our heads, regardless of whether we actively listen to the speaker or not.

It's largely the same with the vast amount of other sensory input registered by the body. It is quite easy, therefore, to imagine an implant that increases combat skills, by using this data to better manage battles. Much better reaction time, acute senses, faster movement. But if the implant mistakenly sends a faulty signal, bypassing the nerve cells that are responsible for distinguishing real events from imaginary ones, we’ve got a recipe for disaster.